MADISON – Samantha ‘Sam’ Burns has found her niche in sports by running in cross-country meets and preparing for events in track and field contests.

“My favorite sport is cross country, but I’m better at track,” Sam said. She is a senior and four-year letter winner at James Clemens High School.

Sam recently signed a scholarship for cross-country/track with the University of Montevallo. She runs the 5K in 00:20:45, the mile in 00:05:50 and 3200/2 mile in 00:12:45. At James Clemens, she also participates with Art Honor Society and Students for Life.

Sam has four siblings: Zach Burns, a senior at James Clemens; Conrad, an eighth-grader at Liberty Middle School; Cecily, a sixth-grader at Heritage Elementary School; and Gabby, who also attends Heritage.

“My mom stays at home, and my dad is a program manager for Scientific Applications International Corporation or SAIC,” Sam said.

“I have always lived in the area, but I moved to Madison County in 2004 and then to Madison City in 2010,” Sam said. “We were moving for a shorter commute for my dad and all our activities, and we chose Madison City for the school system,” Sam said.

Q&A

Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Madison?

A: Saigon Vietnamese restaurant.

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: Steak.

Q: What are your favorite sports teams?

A: “My family members are big Alabama football fans,” Sam said.

Q: What’s your favorite sports memory?

A: Sam’s favorite memory is attending “the pasta parties the team has the day before the meet, where we carbo load at a themed party.”

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: “I like to run, paint, draw, knit, crochet and other crafts,” Sam said.

Q: What are your plans for college?

A: Sam plans to study graphic design at Montevallo.