Going the Distance

Austin Yardley | Age 16 | Elkhorn High School

Austin Yardley started his running career as a sprinter in the third grade on a YMCA track team. His love of long distance running was developed when he started joining his dad on training runs for 5K races while still in elementary school. While attending Elkhorn Middle School, he was introduced to cross country as a member of the Running Club and participated on the track team running long distance events. Now as a junior at Elkhorn High School, Austin has a list of accomplishments behind him and is preparing to add to it.

As a freshman at Elkhorn High School, Austin became a member of the varsity cross country team. That year, 2013, both the girls’ and boys’ cross country teams qualified for state competition. With a time of 16:59.90, Austin finished in 10th place. In 2014, both the girls’ and boys’ cross country teams once again qualified to participate at state competition. As a sophomore, Austin improved and finished in third place with a time of 16:24.30.

Austin has also been successful in long distance events as a member of the high school track team. In his freshman year, he placed 3rd at the district track competition in the 3200 meter run with a time of 10:15.00. A year later, as a sophomore, Austin became the district champion in both the 3200 meter (10:12.45) and the 1600 meter (4:40.50) events. He continued on to participate in the Class B state track meet where he placed second in the 3200 meter (9:54.87) and sixth in the 1600 meter (4:33.61) races.

When not logging meters on his running shoes, Austin takes his studies seriously as a HALE (High Ability Learner Education) student and has been on the honor roll every semester. He enjoys participating in choir and band; he is a member of the marching band and the concert choir. Austin also enjoys performing both in show choir and in theater where he participates each year in Elkhorn High School’s musical productions. Look for him on stage this November as Monsieur Firman in The Phantom of the Opera.

Austin’s future aspirations include running cross country in college while pursuing an education in engineering. He has two younger sisters, Katelyn (14) and Maddie (11), and is the son of Amy and Brian Yardley of Elkhorn.

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