May 25, 2001

Houston, Texas -

May 25, 2001

Houston, Texas - Houston's Conference USA sprint champion Robert Foster and junior All-American Rhian Clarke have qualified to compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 30-June 2 in Eugene, Ore.

Foster provisionally qualified for the men's 200 meters with a time of 20.70 seconds. His time ranks as the 22nd fastest time in the nation.

Foster is a two-time Conference USA indoor and outdoor 200-meter champion. His qualifying time came at the 2001 C-USA Outdoor Track and Field championships in Tampa, Fla.

He also won the 100 meters at the 2001 C-USA meet with his fastest legal time of the season, 10.32 seconds.

Foster is the first Cougar sprinter to compete in the 100 or 200 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since Sam Jefferson won the 100 meters in 1994.

Meanwhile, Clarke automatically qualified to compete in the women's pole vault with a vault of 13 feet, 5 1/4 inches at the Texas Relays on April 6. She also cleared 13 feet at the Texas Invitational on May 5 when she won the event with a vault of 13 feet, 1 1/2 inches.

Clarke won her second Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field pole vault championship on May 12 when she cleared 12 feet, 5 1/2 inches.

She earned All-American honors at the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a seventh-place finish in the women's pole vault when she cleared 13 feet, 1 1/2 inches.

Earlier this year, Clarke was named a 2001 NCAA Indoor Track and Field All-American when she finished fourth in the event with a career-best mark of 13 feet, 9 1/4 inches.