Whyte (20), a University of Otago commerce student, leaves New Zealand on January 5 to take up an athletics scholarship at Texas University in Austin.
Whyte chose Texas because it has two top sprint coaches in Tonja Burford-Bailey and Kareem Streete-Thompson.
Burford-Bailey competed in the 400m hurdles at three Olympic Games and won a bronze medal in Atlanta in 1996. Her best time was 52.62sec. She was coach of the United States team at the London Olympics. One of her athletes is Ashley Spencer, who won the women's world junior 400m title last year.
Whyte will be training with three United States sprinters who are running about 46sec for the 400m. Another important factor in favour of Texas was that its focus is more on outdoor athletics than the indoor season.
''At Texas they focus on the individual athlete,'' Whyte said.
''At other universities they are focused on the relays and indoor athletics.''
New Zealand's promising middle and long-distance runners have previously been snapped up by university coaches in the United States.
It is rare for New Zealand sprinters to receive athletics scholarships to the United States. A clincher for Texas was the quality of its business school. The university's finance department is ranked sixth in the world. Whyte is a second-year business and finance student at the University of Otago.
The scholarship covers Whyte's course fees and accommodation. Whyte only has to cover the cost of his flight from New Zealand. The university pays for internal travel to athletics meetings in the United States and the cost of all clothing and athletics equipment.
Recruitment by United states coaches is based on times recorded on the Athletics New Zealand website.
The recruiters then hunt out the athletes they want in their team.
Whyte is the New Zealand senior champion and he will be ranked second in the 400m at Texas.
The initial scholarship is for six months and it will be re-evaluated after that.
Whyte's goal for the year is to make the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year. The qualifying time is 45.60sec.
''I will get heaps of races in April-May next year that will help me qualify,'' Whyte said.
''I can race every week if I want to.
''They told me I could pick and choose my races so I will pick out the big ones.''
Most of Whyte's racing in the United States will be over 200m and 400m with the occasional 4x400m relay in the big competitions.
''The level of competition I will get in the United States will help me,'' Whyte said.
''At the moment I need to go to Australia to compete against athletes running 45sec for 400m. I can get that every week in the States.
''It will be a learning experience for me from the different coaches,'' he said. Whyte admits being a bit apprehensive about the prospect of shifting to the United States.
''I'm a bit nervous,'' he said.
''I don't know what it is going to be like. It's good that it is only for six months at the start and I can see if I like the life and the environment.''
His Dunedin coach, Brent Ward, sees it as a good opportunity for Whyte.
''I hope that his needs are well looked after,'' Ward said.
''There are some good training partners for him there. I hope it works out for him.''
Ward said few New Zealand sprinters who had gone to the United States on scholarships had represented New Zealand after their return home.
Whyte comes from a sheep and beef farm near Clinton, in South Otago, and was educated at South Otago High School before he started his studies at the University of Otago. Before he leaves for the United States, Whyte will attend a New Zealand relay camp in Hamilton in December, to cement his place in the 4x400m squad for the Commonwealth Games.
Austin is the capital of Texas and has a population of 800,000. Whyte travels to the United States for a week-long visit on November 6, after his University of Otago examinations finish.
Andrew Whyte
At a glance
Age: 20.
Education: South Otago HS, University of Otago.
Record: NZ secondary schools 400m champion (2011), NZ junior 200m and 400m champion (2012), NZ senior 400m champion (2013), Silver medal Australian senior 400m (2013).
Best time: 400m (46.25sec) Otago senior men's record.
