Edison’s Sarah Foster and the Ohio State Buckeyes women’s cross country team finished 29th in the their first-ever trip to the Division I National Finals.

Foster finished third best for the Buckeyes, crossing the finish line in a time of 21:42, good for 125th overall.

Villanova won its ninth NCAA title with a total of 86 points, followed by Florida State with 133. Oregon, the 2008 champion, finished in third-place with a score of 188. The Buckeyes finished 673 points.

Monday’s race brought to an end the most-successful season in the history of the women’s cross country program at Ohio State.

The 2009 squad won its first All-Ohio championship in 18 years, improved its standing at the Big Ten championships, and finished second at the Great Lakes regional finals to qualify for the first national championship appearance in school history. With all but one regular starter returning in 2010, the future of the team looks bright.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Sarah Foster (#143) is second runner from left.

Edison’s Sarah Foster, a junior, has helped lead Ohio State women’s cross country to a remarkable turnaround this season.



For the first time in its 28-year history, the OSU women’s cross country team will compete for a national title on Monday, Nov. 23 at the NCAA Division I Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.



Foster was one of three OSU runners to make the 2009 Great Lakes All-Regional team by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The three student-athletes are the first members of a Buckeye squad to be named to the All-Regional team in school history.



Her sophomore season in outdoors, Foster set the second and third-best 10000m times in school history. She also finished fifth in the 10000m at the Big Ten Championships and 11th in the 5000m.



In indoor season this year, she owned the top team time in the 5000m, a 14th-place run of 17:01.06 at the Big Ten Championships.



At Edison, Foster was a Division II state champion in the 3200m in 2005, while also earning All-Ohio honors.

Stay tuned for a feature story by Zach Dzurick on Foster and how OSU does in the NCAA Championships.

swalker@MorningJournal.com