Staples-Motley’s Audrey Brownell is attempting a track and field feat no Minnesotan runner has achieved

Asking Audrey Brownell to choose her favorite race is like asking a parent to choose their favorite child.

Is it the 800-meter’s mental and physical punch, packed into a two-minute blitz? Or is it the puzzle of planning a 5K race on an unfamiliar course?

“With every race, there’s just something that you can specialize in, that you can tackle really well,” Brownell said.

This season, the Staples-Motley junior could become the first Minnesotan runner to hold a high school state title in every distance running event, according to state high school track and field records. Brownell has already won Class 1A titles in the 4x800, 800, 1600 and cross-country 5K races. She just needs a 3200-meter victory in June to complete the set.

The personal-best 3200 time she ran on April 10 of 10 minutes, 51.81 seconds, would have put her in first at last year’s Class 1A meet.

That mid-to-long distance versatility is rare, said Staples-Motley head coach Bruce Fuhrman. Brownell will also try to set a school record in the 400 meter for the two-time state champ Cardinals based a half-hour west of Brainerd.

“You don’t get kids like that very often,” Fuhrman said. “The strongest asset she’s got is her mindset. She’s very diligent in her workouts.”

When Brownell was in sixth grade, her older older brothers, both runners, encouraged the budding volleyball player to test her quickness. At her first middle school practice, she lined up for 400-meter repeats. When the whistle blew, she sprinted ahead, full-speed, and was surprised to turn around and see everyone behind her, pacing themselves carefully.

“I definitely wasn’t supposed to do that,” Brownell said.

But she didn’t lose a middle-school race the entire year. Then, her first taste of state success came as an eighth grader, when the Cardinals’ 4x800 relay team finished fifth.

“I’m a very competitive person,” Brownell said. She knew her school’s four relay runners, all returning the next year, could eye — and claim — a first-place finish the following spring. “I want to be the best at this.”

In 2024, Brownell added titles in the 800 and 1600, running 2:16.16 and 5:00.73, respectively. She placed second at Class 1A’s state cross-country meet in 2023, then spent “every second since I got second just thinking about winning it,” Brownell recalled.

Once she did, with a time of 18:17, she celebrated her 2024 5K gold with plenty of Halloween candy and a birthday cake. Brownell’s birthday falls on Halloween, the week before the Nov. 2 state cross-country championships, so a celebration was overdue.

Adding to the rarity of Brownell’s attempted feat is the longevity it requires. Per Minnesota State High School League rules, no runner can compete in more than two events that are 800 meters or more at a single state meet. Therefore, it would take a runner at least two track seasons, and another cross country season, to win all five events.

Early in high school, an ankle injury forced Brownell to step back from playing basketball. Otherwise, she’s been relatively injury-free, which is fortunate, but not unearned.

Standing 5-foot-8, Brownell has grown nearly a foot since she started high school. Her biggest concern wasn’t updating her wardrobe to fit her body. It was her knees. Her dad helped her research icing methods and resting routines as the rotating surfaces of basketball courts, concrete and grass made her joints ache.

Brownell lifts weights regularly to help prevent injuries. The 50 to 60 miles per week that the Cardinals’ top distance runners log is relatively low compared to some high school programs that max out around 80.

“I’m not really fond of high mileage (training),” Fuhrman said. “They’re kids, right? When they get older, in college, they’re fresher.”

Distance running coaches at the University of Minnesota have spoken with Brownell, Fuhrman said. Brownell plans to take future visits to schools in Minnesota and beyond, but first, she has a couple more shots at making history.

“Everything is just worth it for those moments,” Brownell said.

Though she can picture herself crossing that 3200 finish line first in June, “whatever happens (at state), I’ll be satisfied,” she said. “I’ll be happy. And then the next day, I’m back locked into the next season of cross country.”