BME junior Caitlin Banks has been a synchronized skater for 8 years, with the last three years being as a member of the University of Delaware Synchronized Skating Team. The team won a silver medal at the 2012 nationals and took first place at the Eastern Sectional Synchronized Skating Championships in 2011 and 2012. They were scheduled to compete at sectionals this season but had to withdraw due to widespread team illness. They were granted a medical bye to the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships this February where they won a silver medal.
Caitlin has been fully dedicated to the skating program since she began at UD in September 2010. She and her teammates are on the ice 5 hours a week throughout the season including the winter session. They also complete 4 hours of off-ice training and conditioning plus 3 additional individual workouts with encouragement to skate more on their own time. “My 15 teammates are among my closest friends, especially during winter session when we spend all of our time together,” she said. At the end of her freshman year, Caitlin wanted to further her commitment to the team and decided to run for office. She was treasurer from 2011-2013 and will be vice president for the 2013-2014 season.
Caitlin Banks is from Sterling, Virginia and began at UD as a chemical engineering major in the fall of 2010. She switched to biomedical engineering that November after learning about the new major and realizing that her career goals were better aligned with that field. In 2012, she won the Elbert C. Wisner RISE Corporate Friends Award for demonstrating outstanding scholarship and promise for success in the profession. Caitlin’s future plans involve getting a PhD and studying biomechanics in stroke patients. As of now, she is unsure if she will continue competitive skating after graduation. Read more.