Athletics: Talented teens make their mark

Bethlehem College record breakers Madison Rennie and Sam Tanner. Photo/George Novak

Bethlehem College's two athletic record breakers - Madison Rennie and Sam Tanner - are anything but one-dimensional runners who plod along a track.

Madison, who specialises in the 1500m distance, says swimming has helped with her circulation and breathing.

"I would really like to make it to North Islands this year, which I managed to last year in swimming alone, so I am hoping that specifying my athletics training will help me to get into the North Islands," she said.

"But to reach that goal I have to place in the top three at Bay of Plenty and Waikato/Bays [meetings]."

Madison has recently joined top coach Kerry Hill's stable of athletes in Tauranga which she says will help her achieve her goals as "he is so knowledgeable and can relate so easily to us".

Sam has a rich background of sporting success, with gold medals from the last two AIMS Games in cross country the recent standouts.

He is ranked No1 in New Zealand for cross country in his age group after that AIMS success but is relatively new to track running.

He says he used one of the school's top athletes in the open Year 9 to Year 13 field in the 3000m to run such an amazing time at the Tauranga Domain last week.

"I followed in the older runner Hamish Miller's footsteps and just drafted behind him," Sam said. "That is the fastest I have run for the distance in 10.01."

He also enjoys surfing, skating, swimming, kite surfing, ... but he is after a new challenge for later this year.

"I think I will get into triathlons next as I find them more challenging and give me more adrenalin rush."