Athletics: Runner aspires to US study

Daniel Hintz from Tauranga Boys' College wins the Senior Boys 800m title at the Waikato Bay of Plenty Secondary Schools Athletics Championships held at Tauranga Domain on Saturday. Photo / Andrew Warner

Daniel Hintz has the ultimate motivation to keep him fast-tracked to achieving his athletics goals.

The Tauranga Boys' College Year 13 student won the John Walker Shoes Trophy featuring the running shoes the great Walker wore when he broke the 3.50 minute barrier for the mile.

Hintz, 17, was awarded the trophy after he won the Senior Boys 800m (1:56.54) and 1500m (4:8.80) double at the Waikato Bay of Plenty Secondary Schools Athletics Championships at Tauranga Domain on Saturday.

The powerfully built athlete in the mould of a young Peter Snell would love to follow in the footsteps of another Tauranga Boys' middle distance runner Julian Oakley, who is on a scholarship at Providence College in Rhode Island, USA.

Last month Oakley clocked the fastest time by a college runner in the US this year with a 3:57.22 mile in Boston.

"In my head that is what I see when I think about achieving in my sport and reaching a level of excellence. He is definitely inspiring me," Hintz said.

"It might sound a bit idealistic but I would like to go to America to university. I have to shave four seconds off my PB so that is going to be interesting. Hopefully I will get a good end to this season and trim off some time."

Western Bay secondary school athletes won 24 titles and had 42 placings against the best of the Waikato schools on Saturday.

Samantha Bitcheno (Tauranga Girls' College) won the Senior Girls 100m in 12.82 seconds and the 200m (26.70), while Johnny O'Donnell (Tauranga Boys' College) took out the Senior Boys 100m (11.30) and 200m (23.09) titles. Ethan Holman (Tauranga Boys') won the Intermediate 100m (11.25) and 200m (23.29).

Dylan Sperling (11.37) and Thomas Rawstron (11.54) made it a Tauranga Boys' clean sweep in the Senior Boys 100m. They combined with O'Donnell and Holman to win the 4x100m relay.

The sprint domination continued with Makaylah Rae (Otumoetai College) winning the Junior Girls 100m in 13.37. Ollie Reed (Otumoetai College) took out the Intermediate Boys 400m in 53.32 and the Triple Jump in 13.13m.

Madison Rennie (Bethlehem College) won the Intermediate Girls 1500m (4:55.75) and was second in the Intermediate Girls 800m. Hannah Philpot (Tauranga Girls') and Arapeta Ormsby (Tauranga Boys') triumphed in the open Pole Vault.

* Tauranga runner Brooke Somerfield had a memorable Australian under-20 championships in Sydney at the weekend. She was part of the NZ team that set a new national 4x100 relay record of 46.32s, came second in the 200m and fourth in the 100m, just 2/100ths off a medal.