For the first time in his high school running career, West Central Valley junior Louden Foster has qualified for the Iowa State Cross Country race. Foster advanced as one of the top 15 finishers in the Class 1A State Qualifying race last Thursday in Guthrie Center. He placed third overall with a time of 17:46. The Raccoon Valley Radio Network taped an interview with Foster last week for yesterday’s Wahl McAtee Tire and Service Center Guthrie County PM Sports Page. He shared his thoughts of qualifying for this week’s state meet. “It’s a great feeling,” Foster said, “I’ve been working for it all summer. It’s surreal.”

Foster, who placed 35th in last years state qualifying race in Mount Ayr, registered over two thousand miles this summer in preparation for the 2018 cross country season. He entered the state qualifying race as the 19th ranked runner in the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Top 30 Class 1A poll. Foster will run in the Class 1A Iowa State Cross Country meet beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge. The Raccoon Valley Radio Network will be on hand Saturday afternoon with reports from the 2018 Iowa State Cross Country Meet.