Tara Jeffrey
Blake Foster is eager to get back to doing what he loves — throwing heavy objects as far as possible.
“I haven’t had a real track-and-field season in a couple of years because of COVID-19,” said the Northern Collegiate grad, who has landed an athletics scholarship at Michigan’s Oakland University.
“So I’m really looking forward to getting over there, and being consistent and competing, really.”
The 18-year-old — recently named to Athletics Ontario’s 2021 All-Ontarians — competes in four of the five throwing events (hammer throw, discus, shot put, and weight throw) and expects to continue all four into his first year as a ‘Golden Grizzly.’
“I’d say my favourite is provably weight throw,” he said. “I’ve just done well at it, and I find it fun.”
Foster, who attended Rosedale Public School in Sarnia, didn’t start his track and field career until Grade 9 at Northern.
“I was mostly a sprinter but then I got put into a couple of the throwing events, and started doing well, so that summer I joined the club team (Sarnia Athletics Southwest Track & Field) and that’s when I started taking it serious.”
In 2019 he was a double gold medalist at the OFSAA West Regional Track & Field Championships, winning both the junior boys’ shot put and junior boys’ discus in Grade 10.
“I definitely missed my Grade 11 and Grade 12 high school track seasons, and that’s something I was really looking forward to,” said Foster.
But he was able to represent the local club at the Ontario U20 Track & Field Championships in Toronto last summer — winning gold in discus, silver in shot put, and bronze in hammer throw.
“That made up for it a little bit.
“We made the most of it.”
Foster will specialize in Marketing at Oakland University, where his academics will be just as important as athletics, he noted.
“I think it’s a great way to get into school, and focus on my academic career as well,” he said.
He added that he’s grateful he was exposed to various sports and activities as a kid.
“I played football and hockey growing up, too,” he said. “It definitely helps in a lot of aspects — not just the athletics part — I think it helps with the mental and psychological side of the sport as well.”