May 4, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After anchoring the men's sprint medley relay to a winning performance at the prestigious Penn Relays, senior Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia) has been named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week. Foster closed out a school-record performance at Franklin Field last Friday, before following up by running an outstanding leg on the second-place 4x800-meter relay a day later.
Foster mounted a gutsy finishing kick to break the tape in a school-record 3:17.10, out-leaning competitors from Florida and Texas A&M in a furious finish of the men's SMR. The title was the first Penn Relays victory on the men's side since 1987, and the first in the sprint medley since 1942. Foster was joined on the relay by teammates Aaron Nadolsky (Altoona, Pa.), Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.), and Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.).
A day later, Foster would run the third leg on the Lions' second-place 4x800, which clocked a blistering 7:12.90 - the seventh fastest time in collegiate history, and second in the Penn State record books. T
Foster split 1:48.78 on the SMR - the fastest readout of the race - and came back to run 1:47.95 on the 4x800.
The Nittany Lions will be in action this weekend, competing at the Jim Thorpe Invitational on May 7, at Nittany Lion Track. For more on Nittany Lion track and field, log on to www.GoPSUsports.com.