Ahead of the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., we’ll highlight each of Clemson’s six entries by recapping their spectacular indoor seasons thus far!
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Andrea Foster has proven this season that she’s one of the top talents amongst women’s middle-distance athletes in the NCAA. Under the direction of Clemson’s Director of Track & Field, Mark Elliott, Foster has flourished in Tigertown, as the senior has once again secured her spot on the start line at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the women’s 800 meters.
Foster’s journey to Fayetteville started on Jan. 9, when the senior contested the women’s 600m at the Orange & Purple Elite. By crossing the line in 1:32.15, it was a good indication that Foster was heading in the right direction early on in the campaign.
The following week at the Clemson Invitational, Foster ran 2:12.36 in her season debut at 800m. For an athlete who had a personal best of 2:04.98 coming into the meet, Foster’s performance in the Tigers’ second meet only added fuel to her competitive flame.
Foster’s next competition was during Clemson’s Bob Pollock Invitational, a meet that provided another opportunity for the senior to showcase her prowess in the half-mile race. Foster ran a brave effort and was rewarded with a result of 2:06.15, a time which served as a then sizable season’s best. The performance on her home track signified that Foster was ready for more as the level of competition was set to increase as the season progressed.
The following week in Columbia, S.C., Foster loaded into the blocks to run the 400m. A consistent member of the Tigers’ 4×400-meter relay, the South Carolina Invitational provided Foster a rare opportunity to run through the line and attempt to earn a new personal best. Foster seized her moment to shine, running 54.14 to become the Tigers’ fastest competitor in the event since 2018 while also setting a personal best.
Riding the momentum from the quarter-mile performance, Foster entered the Tiger Paw Invite prepared to perform in the women’s 800m. Exactly 2:05.88 after the starter fired their gun, Foster crossed the line in yet another season’s best. This performance was an excellent setup for Foster to excel at the upcoming ACC indoor championships.
At ACC’s, Foster was called upon by the program to be a diverse contributor to the team’s efforts. Over the three-day meet, Foster contested the prelims of the women’s 800m, ran the lead-off leg of the women’s DMR, the final of the 800m, and served as the lead-off leg of the women’s 4x400m relay. Despite the demand of her schedule, Foster showcased her top-class form each time on the track.
In the women’s 800m, Foster won her heat in 2:06.60 and advanced to the final as the fourth-fastest qualifier. In the DMR, Foster ran a strong lead-off leg for the Tigers, handing the baton off in second after a gritty 3:27.18 split. Foster was courageous from the gun in the final of the 800m and led the field through 400m before finishing in third with a sizable new best of 2:03.54. Foster’s time from the final was the third-fastest mark in program history. Foster’s last effort at the meet came in the 4x400m relay, as the native of Georgetown, Guyana, led the Tigers to a second-place finish after a valiant effort on the opening leg.
With just one event to contest this weekend in Fayetteville, Foster’s preparations are set to pay-off when the time comes to compete in the prelims of the women’s 800m.
