Young Hamilton athlete runs off to the US

Hamilton track runner Krystie Solomon is off to Salt Lake City in August. Photo / Supplied

Sacred Heart Girls' College track runner Krystie Solomon, 17, will be travelling to the United States in August to accept a scholarship offer from Brigham Young University (BYU).

BYU in Salt Lake City in the state of Utah was one of the numerous American universities offering the Hamilton teen a scholarship based on her sporting success.

Krystie won national club champs in the under-18 age group two years in a row and placed third in the under-20 group this year.

"American athletes are the best the world, so I can't wait to train with the best. I want to push my body to its fastest capabilities and get as close as I can to the world's fastest athletes," she says.

Krystie hopes to study a four-year-degree in graphic design and says she decided on BYU because she found their coach inspiring and down to earth.

"It is also a Christian uni and I am member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints myself. BYU has different standards and even an honour code, so by deciding for them, I hope to get away from peer pressure as well," Krystie says.

Although she says she loves New Zealand and training in Hamilton, Krystie thinks going to the US would get her out of her comfort zone. "I want to be the best runner, but also the best person I can be. And it will be good having some independence," she says.

Sacred Heart Girls' College principal Catherine Gunn says: "I have every confidence that Krystie will be competing on the world stage. Her dedication and determination to succeed as a young athlete is inspiring and she sustains exceptional standards in all her academic endeavours."

Krystie finished school in December. Now she is trying to find a job and save some money for her big trip. "And I am studying for my SATs that I have to sit before going over."