As her career as a Powell Panther comes to a close, Audrey Johnson’s time as a Garnet is just getting started.

The state champion sprinter recently signed onto the track team at Swarthmore College. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, the four-year institution competes in NCAA Division 3.

Johnson lived in Pennsylvania for a few years before moving to Powell, and as she searched for colleges where she’d be able to continue her track career, Swarthmore popped onto her radar.

“It just kind of was a combination of really good academics — they have really good programs there — along with being familiar with the area, and then being able to run,” she said.

Johnson visited Swarthmore’s campus in the spring of 2025 and got the opportunity to meet several of the track coaches and see the facilities.

The University of Wyoming offered Johnson one of its prestigious, full-ride Trustees’ Scholars Awards in February, but by that point, she was set on attending Swarthmore.

“I’ve been pretty sold on them since this past November,” Johnson said.

Swarthmore carries a prestigious reputation — Wikipedia lists a half-dozen Nobel Prize winners among its alumni — and the institution is highly selective in who it admits. Out of 13,029 applicants, Johnson was among just 969 students (7.4%) who received letters of admission; she boosted her odds in submitting an early decision application, which all but locks a student into attending the college if they’re admitted.

“I was just kind of like, if I get in, I’m going,” Johnson said. “I just want to be committed, utilize the full experience.”

In students’ first semester at Swarthmore, they don’t receive grades, as classes are taken on a credit/no credit basis. That’s intended to let students acclimate to the rigorous course load, Johnson said, and it was one of the big draws for her.

Johnson isn’t sure what she’ll be studying, but is looking at psychology and neuroscience.

Johnson put together a strong track career at PHS, including leading the girls’ team in points last year while claiming the Class 3A 400 meter title; she again made the state finals in both the 200 and 400 meters this year.

Johnson worked with her sprint coach, Mark McArthur, from middle school through high school and she said it’s been “super nice to have a consistent coaching program.”

“I’m thankful for the coaches and all their support I’ve had along the way for the past few years,” Johnson said.

She also expressed appreciation to her parents.

“They’ve been super supportive and helpful and just let me do whatever I needed to do,” Johnson said.

She’ll start classes at Swarthmore in late August, followed by captain’s practices and the start of the indoor track season in November/December.