Using the informal lexicon of prep track and field, Bannerot can flat out pick them up and put them down. During the Hornets’ first South Puget Sound League 3A meet of the season at Peninsula High, Bannerot came out of the gate fast in the 100 meter dash and never looked back. She was first across the line, setting a personal record of 13.1 seconds.

In addition to speed, Bannerot has a penchant for athletic versatility that allows her to stand head and shoulders above the garden-variety high school sportsman.

During her freshman season as a member of the Enumclaw High gymnastics team, Bannerot became the Class 3A state champion in the vault with a score of 9.65 in the finals. During her sophomore season, she led the team to a state championship while placing second in the all-around competition. Individually, she was second in the bars, fourth in the vault, 10th in the floor exercise and tied for 15th on the beam.

Bannerot, who also maintains a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, plays club soccer year round and helped the EHS volleyball squad earn a berth in the state tournament last winter at St. Martin’s University, filling the important libero role.

Despite her varied resumé, Bannerot maintains that gymnastics is her favorite sport because it allows for self-expression within the realm of competitive athletics.

EHS gymnastics coach Ben Skipworth said, simply, that Bannerot is “naturally good.” Without putting in a great deal of off-season work, she turned out for her sophomore campaign and was improved over her freshman season, he said.

“If I ask her to try something new, she gets it right away,” Skipworth added.

While gymnastics might be No. 1, Bannerot has gained a fan in EHS track coach Janelle Murrell.

“Olivia comes to practice each day with a purpose and works diligently to improve each week,” Murrell said. “Also, she inspires others through her actions and always has encouraging words for her teammates.”

The road to Bannerot’s success apparently starts on the home front. She says her hero is her older sister Juliet, a junior who just concluded a starring role in the EHS production of “Les Miserable.”

“My support group is my family, which always encourages me to do the best that I can do,” Bannerot said.

While Bannerot has fine-tuned mind and body to excel in the world of athletics, she has a handle on what she would like to do in the future. She aspires to become a nurse because she believes it is her calling in life to make others feel better about themselves both mentally and physically.