The 15-year-old won a New Zealand title at the national age group championships in Lower Hutt earlier this month.
Bannister was the No 1 seed in the under-15 draw and came up against New Zealand secondary school representative and No 2 seed Grace Spencer in the final.
The Dunedin teenager won the match 3-1 to secure her first national title.
She was also part of the Otago junior girls under-19 team that contested the teams event.
Otago finished a commendable third out of nine teams and managed to defeat rival Canterbury and finish ahead of Wellington, which has traditionally been strong.
Bannister’s national title caught the attention of Commonwealth Games coach Glen Wilson, who promptly invited her to attend the Canadian and USA Junior Opens in December this year as part of a 28-strong New Zealand team.
The events attract some of the best junior players in the world.
Bannister, who turned 15 on October 19, will play in the under-17 age group.
Her next assignment is the New Zealand Champion of Champions in Invercargill later this week and the New Zealand Open in Tauranga from November 8-13, where she will make her PSA professional debut having recently joined the pro squash female rankings.
Her goals are to make the New Zealand junior team in 2025, gain an American scholarship and play on the PSA pro circuit.
