Updated
Former United States Olympic silver medalist and all-time great American hurdler Greg Foster has died at the age of 64, according to NBC Sports track and field analyst Ato Bolden.
Foster lived in St. Louis, where he was an assistant track and field coach at Mary Institute and Country Day School (MICDS) and the Coordinator for Student Engagement at the school. He will be remembered as one of the top hurdlers in USA track and field history.
For a 10-year period between 1981 and 1991, Foster was a dominant force in the 110-meter-high hurdles, his specialty event. He was a three-time gold medalist at the IAAF World Championships in 1983, 1987 and 1991.
He was a silver medalist at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, when he was edged by USA teammate Roger Kingdom at the final tape. He was also a gold medalist at the Goodwill Games in Russia in 1986 and the World Indoor Championships in 1991. He was a 10-time USA national champion.
A native of Chicago, Foster went on to have a brilliant collegiate career at UCLA. He led the Bruins to the NCAA national championship in 1978. He won individual national titles in the hurdles in 1978 and 1980 and in the 200-meter dash in 1979.
During the early 1980’s, Foster had some memorable races with Renaldo “Skeets” Nehemiah, who was the world record holder in the 110-meter high hurdles at the time. Nehemiah left the sport to play in the National Football League in 1983. Foster continued on to enjoy a brilliant career on the track.
Foster was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1998.
In 2016, Foster was diagnosed with Amyloidosis, a rare disease that causes damage to the heart. On January 18, 2020, Foster received a heart transplant at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
Vashon girls eye first state title
Vashon High girls’ basketball coach John Albert has quickly turned the Wolverines into a top program in the state of Missouri.
In 2021, he guided the Wolverines to their first Final Four berth in the school’s history and won the consolation game to finish third in the Class 4 state tournament.
The Wolverines reached another milestone by winning their 20th game last week against Gateway Legacy, the program’s first 20-win season since 1992. Vashon is currently ranked No. 1 in Class 4 in the latest Missouri Basketball Coaches Association polls.
The next goal for the Wolverines is a 2023 state championship. That quest begins next week with Vashon as the No. 1 seed at the Class 4, District 6 tournament, which will be held at Cardinal Ritter.
Leading the Wolverines’ charge this season has been its talented trio of senior Raychel Jones and junior guards JaNyla Bush and Chantrel “Tutu” Clayton.
The 5’11” Jones is a four-year starter and the foundation of Albert’s rebuilding of the Vashon girls’ program. The UMKC recruit is currently averaging 15.7 points, nine rebounds and two steals a game.
. The 5’5” Bush is a Missouri State commit who handles the point guard duties. She is averaging 14.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists. The 5’7” Clayton is an excellent shooting guard who can score from anywhere on the court. She is averaging 15.6 points, 2.6 assists and 2.2 steals a game.
*McCline leads ESL to regional crown
Senior guard Shakara McCline of East St. Louis was in top form last week in leading the Flyerettes to an IHSA Class 3A regional championship at Mascoutah. McCline averaged 35 points in the two games as the No. 6 seed Flyerettes’ upset Taylorville and host Mascoutah to win the championship.
McCline had 42 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 78-74 victory over Taylorville. She followed that up with 28 points in a 50-47 victory over Mascoutah. Her 3-pointer with four seconds left gave East Side the victory. McCline is averaging 25 points a game, which currently leads the St. Louis metro area in scoring.
