From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

In his first crack at the 42-inch hurdles over 110 meters, Lumberton’s Greg Foster moved into the No. 6 spot in Princeton history.

Foster, a Princeton freshman who prepped at Lawrenceville, ran 14.30 to win the 110 highs at the Oscar Moore Invitational in Glassboro in cold, blustery conditions not condusive to fast times.

In his first lifetime race over the 42s at 110 meters, Foster ran 14.36 in the prelims to lead all qualifiers into the finals. Boys high school hurdles are set at 39 inches. In all open and collegiate competition, the hurdles go up to 42 inches.

Because Foster chose not to compete at U.S. Juniors last summer, he hadn’t raced the 110 hurdles over 42 inches yet, although he did run 7.89 over the 42s for 60 meters indoors at a meet at Harvard in January. That’s No. 3 in school history. Foster remains eligible for U.S. Juniors this summer.

As for the 14.30, Foster is now one of two Princeton freshmen to add his name to the all-time Princeton hurdles list already this spring. Easton Tan ran 14.29 a meet at Navy two weeks ago, so he’s No. 5 in Princeton history and Foster is No. 6 1-100th of a second behind. Tan, from Winchester, Mass., was 2nd Saturday in 14.30.

Foster also won the long jump Saturday with a 24-4 ¼ on his only legal attempt. He fouled five times. He jumped 24-5 ½ at a meet in Austin last month in his only other outdoor long jump competition so far as a collegian. That’s No. 2 in the Ivy League this spring and No. 11 in NCAA Division 1 so far among freshmen.

Indoors, Foster PR’d at 25-9 to break the Ivy League Championships record and post the No. 2 mark in Princeton history (and best in 33 years). His outdoor PR is 25-6 ¼ from his final high school meet, at Franklin Field last June. That’s No. 2 in state history behind Carl Lewis’s 26-8 ¼ in 1979.

Foster also ran on Princeton’s 400-meter relay team Saturday, the first time he’s run on any relay team as a collegiate athlete. The Tigers won the 4-by-1 in 40.56, No. 2 this year in the Ivy League.

Foster hasn’t triple jumped yet this spring. Indoors, he went 50-7 ½ to place 2nd at Heps at Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. That’s No. 8 in Princeton history indoors. Foster’s outdoor triple jump PR is his state-record 51-0 ¾, also from Franklin Field last June.

World Athletics doesn’t seem to have Foster’s correct age in its database, but he should be in the top 10 in the world in the Under-20 age group in the hurdles and long jump.