Sports

Vapor trail

See Foster run. See Foster run fast. See Foster win the race by running really, really fast.

By Samica Knight
The Daily Cougar

For four years, senior sprinter Robert Foster has been leaping over hurdles, sprinting across tracks and passing pitons to train and compete for UH as only a champion would.

In high school, Foster had the speed of a champion.

The first time his cleats gripped the track to compete as a sprinter, Foster won the meet, breaking the Highlands High School record in the 100-meter, 200-meter and the 4-by-100-meter relay.

His winning speeds led to offers from Penn State, South Carolina and Pittsburgh.

But Foster was more impressed with the UH track program.

"I chose UH because they had a good track program and I knew other runners from New Jersey who had come to UH and were successful," Foster said.

Foster has been nothing but successful at UH.

He was named Conference USA Sophomore-of-the-Year for the outdoor and indoor seasons in 2000.

The following year, Foster was named C-USA Champion. Heis collected six conference titles in three years.

Like previous seasons, his junior year started well, with Foster representing UH as the top runner in the 200-meter. But his season ended quickly in a meet against Louisiana State.

Foster was just about to cross the finish line in the 4-by-100 when he pulled his hamstring.

"I was so disappointed," Foster said. "It left me with a sour taste in my mouth and it hurt pretty bad."

He sat out almost half of the season. Throughout his recovery, he said he held strong to his faith in God.

"Sometimes things happen to me that I donit understand but I have faith that I will benefit from them in the long run," he said. 

Foster recognizes the impact the coaching staff has had on his recovery and the track program.

"The program has made a big improvement with Coach (Leroy) Burrell," he said. "It is more organized and it has almost reached its peak."

He attributes a lot of success to Floyd Heard, a volunteer track coach.

"He has spent a lot of time with me, helping me work on my start," Foster said.

This season heis staying healthy and said he hopes to finish out the season maintaining his high speed.

Foster wants to pursue a career in computer engineering and said he looks forward to becoming the first person in his family to graduate from a Division I school.

The Pittsburgh native used track as a deterrent from a possible negative lifestyle.

"I ran track so that I could stay off of the streets," Foster said.

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