Local wins for her American university

Robyn Kaltenbrunn, a former Benoni High School learner and Benoni resident, recently competed in the shortened Hawaii University cross country season winning all three of her races.

“I also achieved an academic achievement for the Fall 2020 semester, which placed me on the dean’s list of top students,” explained Kaltenbrunn.

ALSO READ: 

Team Running win ultimate bragging rights in the inaugural Battle of the Sports

Robyn has been studying at Hawaii Pacific University for the past four years.

“I romped to victory in all three races, competing against three other island universities, I also won my home event.”

Despite this, the Hawaii Pacific woman lost the team title to the Big Island Hilo University for the first time in many years.

“We as Hawaii Pacific, however, enjoyed revenge a week later at the Hilo Universities home race taking the team prize as well as the individual win,” she said.

“The last race was held at Hawaii’s home course where we narrowly beat Hilo for the team prize by only three points. In all three races I was never really challenged,” she said.

“I won all three races by over a minute in the 5 km distance. I have been training under JJ Smith from Menlo Hoër in Pretoria while in South Africa over the Covid-19 period. I continued my training under the university’s coach Jackie Sgambati.”

ALSO READ: 

Disability doesn’t stop local DJ from achieving his dreams

Robyn will be returning to South Africa in May for the American summer break and will again train under JJ Smith to ready herself for the full cross country season starting in September.

“I will be competing against several universities from the West Coast of America in the Pac West region. I aim to make the Pac West team to compete in the regional championships, and then hopefully make the regional team to compete in the US Cross Country Championship,” she concluded.