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Mary Banker Joins Louisville Track & Field Program as Multi-Events Coach
Sept. 8, 2007
Mary Banker, a two-time NCAA All-American athlete and former assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, has been named multi-events coach for the University of Louisville track and field program Cards' head coach Ron Mann announced on Saturday. Banker, who will also assist with the Cards' recruiting efforts, joins the U of L program after coaching the multi-events, sprints, hurdles and jumps for 2007 NCAA Division III women's track and field champion Wisconsin-Oshkosh last season. A 2000 graduate of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Banker returned to her alma mater in 2006-07 and was instrumental as the Titans won their second straight national title. While in Oshkosh, Banker also managed the Titans' strength program and assisted with the program's recruiting efforts. "We're excited to have someone with Mary's ability and winning experience joining our coaching staff at Louisville," Mann said. "She comes from a program at Wisconsin-Oshkosh with multiple team and individual national titles and she's the type of person we want associated with Louisville track and field." Prior to joining the Wisconsin-Oshkosh coaching staff, Banker was an assistant at the University of Chicago from 2003-06, where she gained valuable experience working in all facets of the Maroons' program, including developing and implementing the training programs for the sprints, hurdles, relays, jumps and throws athletes, managing all volunteer and paid assistants, as well as travel, recruiting and many other day-to-day activities. "I am excited to be joining the University of Louisville track and field program where the expectation is to win on both a conference and national level," Banker said. "I believe my experience as an athlete and as a coach at a program with a combined 18 national titles will complete a coaching staff at U of L which is amongst the very best in the nation."
During her four years as an assistant in Oshkosh and Chicago, Banker coached three individual NCAA champions (200m, 400m, triple jump) and one NCAA title winning relay team (distance medley ). She also coached 20 NCAA All-America performances by 12 different athletes and a total of 27 NCAA Championships qualifiers. Prior to joining the coaching staff at Chicago, Banker was an assistant for one season at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisc. A 2000 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a bachelor's degree in English, Banker was a two-time NCAA All-American for the Titans, a three-time Academic All-American and a seven-time NCAA Championships qualifier. She was also a member of five conference championship teams at Oshkosh. |
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