New Zealand schools representatives Anna Kean (left) and
Rebekah Greene train at the Caledonian Ground for the
Pacific Schools Games in Canberra. Photo by Linda
Robertson.
Two Dunedin athletes will represent New Zealand at the
Pacific Schools Games in Canberra which start on November 30.
Rebekah Greene has a problem, because she is talented at two
sports and will need to make a choice between them in the
future.
But at the moment the 14-year-old St Hildas Collegiate School
pupil is able to compete in both sports at a high level.
In last month's New Zealand gymnastics championships at
Hamilton she finished fourth overall in level 8 and had the
highest score of 14.2 points on a single apparatus in the
vault.
When she returned, Greene received good news from another
sport when she was added to the New Zealand athletics team in
the 3000m for the Pacific Schools Games at Canberra.
She proved it was no fluke when she ran a personal best time
by 19sec to win the Otago girls aged 15 and 16 3000m title at
the Caledonian Ground on Saturday.
Her time of 10min 11.77sec was an Otago record for girls aged
14, 15, 16 and 17. It beat the old record set by Andrea
Elvines (Alexandra) 25 years ago.
Greene followed her older sister Jamie (17) - a New Zealand
gymnastics representative and wing in the Otago Spirit
women's rugby team - into gymnastics at the age of 6. She has
been running competitively for five years and sees a bigger
future for herself in athletics than gymnastics.
"I prefer running," she said.
"I'm over the moon to make the team for Canberra. It's the
first time I've represented New Zealand. I'm stoked and
really looking forward to it."
Anna Kean (14), a pupil at Bayfield High School, has been
selected for the 800m. Her best time in the event is 2min
17sec, which is a promising time for a 14-year-old.
"It's a good opportunity for me to see how far I can go
against runners from the other countries," she said.
"I'm looking forward to it."
Kean comes from a sporting family.
Her mother Lynne Kean (nee Collie) represented Otago at
swimming and was a member of Duncan Laing's training squad.
Both athletes are coached by former Sydney coach Jim Baird.
His daughter, Fran, is also in the team in the 3000m walk.
Baird sees his role as a development coach for other Otago
coaches. He identifies talent from children's and schools'
athletics and works with most of the other coaches in
Dunedin.
He originally worked with two of the other athletes who have
been picked for the Pacific Schools Games - Guy Woodhouse
(sprints) and Ben Jowsey (400m and 800m), who are now trained
by Otago's international sprint coach, Brent Ward.
• Anna Kean (14)
School: Bayfield High Sshool.
Sport: Athletics.
Record: NZ Colgate Games, 2nd 800m 2007; 2nd in 400m
and 1500m 2008. NZ team for Pacific Schools Games, Canberra.
Best times: 400m (61sec), 800m (2min 17sec), 1500m
(4min 52sec.
• Rebekah Greene (14)
School: St Hildas Collegiate School.
Sports: Athletics, gymnastics.
Record, Athletics: 7th NZ secondary schools junior
girls' cross-country; NZ team for Pacific Schools Games,
Canberra.
Best times: 800m (2min 18sec), 1500m (4min 45sec),
3000m (10min 11.77sec).
Gymnastics: NZ championships 2008, 4th overall at
level 8; highest score on single apparatus with 14.2 points
on vault.
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.