11.06.2009

Foster fires at NCAA finals

When he updated his Facebook status just a few hours ago it read, “Ryan Foster has packed his victories in his knapsack, put on the white singlet and developed a plan.  Time to go make mum and dad proud!”
 
And that he did. 

At the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this morning (AEST), Foster won his heat of the 800m in 1:47.57, sending him to number two on the Tasmanian all-time list behind world junior bronze medallist Brendan Hanigan.
 
The 20-year-old Penn State scholarship holder passed through the halfway mark of the two-lap race in 51.85 and sitting in second place, but with 200m to go had dropped to the back of the field and was forced to come home strong to take out the race and move through to the semi-finals as the fastest qualifier of the four heats.
 
Moving to the USA almost 12 months ago to take up the Penn State scholarship, Foster has continued to reach new heights, running personal best times over 800m, 1000m and the mile in the past year. 

With strict qualification procedures in place, simply making it to the start line of the NCAA Championships is a feat, athletes needing to compete in multiple runs at local, regional and state level to ensure only the top collegiate athletes from across the USA contest the all-American finals.

Such is the strength of competition at the NCAA titles, the meet is considered second only to the World University Games for college athletes around the world. 

Foster is one of eight Australians in action at the four-day event. He will line up in the men’s 800m semi-finals on Friday morning (AEST). 

View Foster's winning run at Fayetteville here.