Audrey Bannister has always been athletic growing up, but never had she imagined becoming a Division I college athlete.
As a child, she tried out soccer and basketball. When she saw her sister running cross country, she decided she would join too.
In seventh grade, Bannister started running. And she fell in love with it.
“It was really exciting because it was different from the other sports I had done,” she says. “While it’s a team sport, you’re always trying to compete with yourself and beat your previous times.”
Bannister ran in both track and field and cross country for Dublin schools. In track, she competed in the two mile, the mile, the open 800-meter and the 4x800-meter relay. She sees running as both a de-stresser and a discipline. While running casually is a stress reliever, racing is an opportunity. Even when her races don’t go as planned, Bannister refuses to cry over spilled milk.
“I always use it as an opportunity to improve,” she says.
Bannister quickly became a star in the local running world. She made the Division I state meet all four years of high school, and she has many titles to her name.
Despite the success, Bannister’s running career hasn’t been smooth sailing the entire time.
In middle school, she began struggling with knee problems. When she entered high school, she experienced stress reactions in her shins. For many runners, these issues can signal the end of their career. But Bannister didn’t let it stop her.
Bannister learned how to be cognizant of her body and its physical states. She implemented specific stretches and cross training into her routine to avoid injuring herself further.
This past track season, Bannister had big goals for her senior year. She wanted to place in the top 20 at the state meet. While she fell short of this goal, she is still proud of her overall season performance.
“I got my best place I’ve ever gotten at regionals,” she says, “so that was some- thing to be happy about. It was kind of bittersweet because I was disappointed about the states performance, but I realized I still have time to grow.”
This fall, Bannister will be heading to Chicago to begin her career as a DI athlete in both cross country and track and field at Northwestern University.
“I’m very excited to get on campus and start training with everybody,” she says.
Bannister expressed her gratitude to the coaching she received from the Dublin schools and she credits it for her success.
“The coaching staff is wonderful,” she says. “They (taught) me how to be competitive and strong but also … (in) the right mindset in order to compete and per- form well.”
Meet must-haves
Track and field and cross country meets can be hours-long events that require lots of preparation. When Bannister attends one, she makes sure to pack the following in her bag:
- Spiked running shoes
- Recovery slides
- Chocolate milk
- BODYARMOR or Gatorade
- Cheese sticks
- Uncrustables
- Apples and peanut butter
- Lots of layers of clothing
Audrey’s top artists to run to
Audrey Bannister’s music taste spans multiple genres. Here are her three go-tos.
- The Strokes
- Willow Smith
- Awolnation*
*Bannister runs to their song Run. How perfect!
A track star AND a virtuoso?
Not only is Bannister gifted in running, but she has a knack for music as well. After starting to play in fifth grade, Bannister has participated in Dublin Scioto High School’s orchestra as well as the extracurricular group Irish Fiddle Fetish.
“I just love how expressive you can be with music and how you can touch the hearts of other people,” she says.
Although Bannister struggled with stage fright at the beginning of her violin career, she became more confident in her abilities after multiple high school solos. She now hopes to find an orchestra to play with at Northwestern.
Sarah Grace Smith is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
