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Twin sisters Audrey (left) and Julie Piotrowski are expected to be the 2005 women's cross country team's runners. The incoming freshmen from Parma didn't start running competitively until they reached high school. They find serenity in running, but it's the competition that motivates them.

Sisters share passion for competition

By William Hall

This fall, the twin sisters – who always run and train together – will join the women’s cross country team at Cleveland State hoping that their method of relaxing translates into a successful season.

“When we run, it’s relaxing,” Audrey said as Julie emphatically nodded in agreement. “We ignore everything else, forget about everything else, and just run.”

Each afternoon this summer, the 18-year-olds have been running through the streets and parks of Parma. The 2005 graduates of Normandy High School took summer jobs working day shifts together at a manufacturing plant and prefer to train in the afternoon. The sisters started running competitively when they joined the track team at Hillside Junior High in Parma.

“We joined the team on a whim, because our older brother (Dan) had run track and he said it was fun,” Audrey said. Once they arrived at Normandy, running became more than just recreation, it became a passion. A passion the women hope will last a lifetime.

“Our friends think we’re joking when we tell them that running is our life,” Julie said. “But, we’ll be running (competitively) as long as we’re physically able.”

The competition at the high school level and the realization that they had become exceptional athletes made running that much more enjoyable. They not only ran cross country and track at Normandy, but were also members of the soccer and basketball teams. Julie has always preferred track and cross country to the other sports. “(Running) is an honest sport,” Julie said. “It’s just you against the clock.”

It wasn’t until last fall that Audrey chose to concentrate on running. ”I had always liked soccer more,” Audrey said. “But my senior year at Normandy I fell in love with running.”

In fall 2004, Audrey’s newfound love and Julie’s consistency led the Normandy cross country team to its first-ever appearance at the state regional meet. Not only did the team qualify, but Julie qualified individually by finishing 10th at the district meet. Audrey missed qualifying individually by less than seven seconds.

Carrie Madison, a 1997 CSU graduate and the sisters’ cross country coach at Normandy, said the pair has yet to reach their full potential. “I only coached them for two years and they improved tremendously,” Madison said. “They rise to the occasion when challenged.” Audrey and Julie said they chose to attend Division I CSU over Division III schools because the competition would be stronger.

Madison, who ran cross country and track for CSU, said she is a better coach because of Audrey and Julie. “They are always asking questions and are very interested in learning,” Madison said. “They made me feel confident as a coach and confident of my coaching ability.”

Madison’s fondest memory of Audrey and Julie is something that happened at a track meet this past spring. The sisters were competing at the Mohican Elite Meet, where only runners who had a qualifying time were invited. Madison said she was confident the sisters would do well despite their nervousness about the competition they would be facing.

Madison and Audrey stood side-by-side on the inside of the track watching Julie run the one-mile race. “As Julie made her move to take the lead, Audrey said ‘That’s my DNA out there, if she wins this race, I have to win mine,’ Madison said. Julie not only won the race; she set a meet and personal record.

As Audrey lined up to run the two-mile race, Julie replaced her at Madison’s side. On the fifth of eight laps, Audrey was in the middle-of-the-pack.

“As she passed us on that fifth lap, she looked at us and held up one finger, indicating that she was going to win,” Madison said. Of course, Audrey won the race and set personal and school records.

Because CSU no longer fields a track team, Audrey and Julie will only be able see each other run collegiately on the cross country course.

Allison Had, head coach of the women’s cross country team at CSU, said the twins will make an immediate impact to the program. “They’ll be our number one and two runners,” Had said. “They’re good leaders, disciplined and driven to succeed.”

Next month, the Piotrowski sisters will leave their parents (Dan and Amy), and their younger brother Steve behind, when they move from the family home in Parma to CSU’s Viking Hall Dormitory, where they will be roommates. Most likely they’ll be nervous, but assuredly they’ll be confident.

“We not only encourage and motivate each other when it comes to running,” Audrey said. “We do it for everything.”

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