LOS GATOS -- Born to Run might be better known as a signature Bruce Springsteen song. It also describes Los Gatos cross country runner Chris Foster.

Foster comes from a family of runners. Both his parents ran in high school. His father, Grant, ran at Monta Vista, where he was a Central Coast Section champion in 1981. His mother, Peggy, ran at Homestead. Older brother, Grant, was a standout runner at Prospect and Los Gatos and now runs at UC Santa Barbara. Younger sister Jennifer also runs for Los Gatos.

So Chris Foster has run from an early age. He started competing in all-comers meets at Los Gatos as a member of the Silver Bullets Track Club when he was in third grade. This year, as a junior, he won the Division II race at the CCS finals with a time of 15 minutes, 13 seconds -- the fastest time turned in by any runner that day on the 2.95-mile course at Crystal Springs.

He followed up that strong performance with a ninth-place finish in the Division II race at the state finals, clocking 15:29 on the 5-kilometer course at Woodward Park in Fresno. Again, Foster had the fastest time by any CCS runner, making him a relatively easy choice as Mercury News boys runner of the year.

As for the future, Foster said he'd like to help Los Gatos improve on its second-place team showing at the CCS Division II cross country finals.

And as far as track and field goes, he'd like to drop his mile time by 5 or 6 seconds.

"I feel I'm better at the two mile,'' he said. "But I like how the mile is a lot faster and more exciting.''

All-mercury News
boys cross country

Chris Foster, Los Gatos
Kevin Lehr, St. Ignatius
Steven Sum, Saratoga
Ben Zaeske, Los Altos
Alex Sasser,
Bellarmine College Prep
Logan Marshall,
Half Moon Bay
Ryan Dimick, Carlmont

Best of the Fall: Mercury News boys cross country first team, honorable mention

Bay Area News Group

Posted: 12/11/2013 04:13:25 PM PST | Updated: about 19 hours ago

ALL-MERCURY NEWS Boys cross country TEAM

Runner of the year

Chris Foster, Los Gatos

First team

Ryan Dimick, Carlmont

Chris Foster, Los Gatos

Kevin Lehr, St. Ignatius

Logan Marshall, Half Moon Bay

Alex Sasser, Bellarmine College Prep

Steven Sum, Saratoga

Ben Zaeske, Los Altos

Honorable mention

Marcus Avila, Bellarmine

Michael Bereket, Carlmont

Gerardo Castro, El Camino

Corey Gonzales, Harker

Ben Haderle, Los Gatos

Abdinur Hussein, Willow Glen

Miles Meijer, Bellarmine

Tucker Meijer, Bellarmine

Xander Olivero, St. Francis

Jose Pina, Lincoln

Zach Plante, Menlo-Atherton

Justin Robison, Lynbrook

Rohit Sarathy, Lynbrook

Matt Seidel, Bellarmine

Cooper Sloan, Homestead

Brandon Sutton, Homestead

Mark Vingralek, Carlmont

PALO ALTO -- Sarah Robinson's high school cross country career ended in the cold and wind in Portland, Ore., as she finished 11th at the Nike Cross Nationals.

But even before she stepped on the course at Portland Meadows Race Track last weekend, the Gunn senior had already secured her spot as Mercury News girls cross country runner of the year.

Committed to Stanford to play soccer, Robinson became just the sixth girls runner to break the 17-minute barrier on the 2.95-mile Crystal Springs course in Belmont while winning the Central Coast Section Division I championship.

After finishing that race in 16 minutes, 59 seconds, she went on to place fourth in the Division I race at the state championships in Fresno.

Robinson improved her previous best time on the 3.1-mile Woodward Park course by 31 seconds, crossing the finish line in 17:16.

"I was definitely really happy with it," Robinson said of her season. "I kept on improving as the races went on."

Robinson achieved her marks even as she balanced a fall season of club soccer, although, if you ask her, she doesn't see doing both simultaneously as that daunting. "I actually think they complement each other pretty well because for cross country, soccer definitely helps me get my speed work in," Robinson said. "And cross country gives me endurance for soccer."

For now, Robinson plans to just play soccer in college. But, she added, "If given the opportunity, I'd really love to do both."

ALL-mercury news
girls cross country

Sarah Robinson, Gunn
Lauren Jacob,
Los Altos
Bridget Gottlieb,
Monta Vista
Julia Bounds,
St. Francis
Melissa Reed,
Mountain View
Hannah Allen,
Homestead
Niki Iyer, Harker

Runner of the year

Sarah Robinson, Gunn

First team

Sarah Robinson, Gunn

Lauren Jacob, Los Altos

Bridget Gottlieb, Monta Vista

Julia Bounds, St. Francis

Melissa Reed, Mountain View

Hannah Allen, Homestead

Niki Iyer, Harker

Honorable mention

Lindsay Allen, Homestead

Madeleine Baier, Menlo-Atherton

Katie Beebe, Menlo-Atherton

Kelly Bishop, Monta Vista

Nicole Colonna, Pinewood

Zoe Enright, Menlo School

Jacqueline Escalera, Fremont

Cecily Johnson, Los Gatos

Lizzie Lacy, Menlo School

Julia Lemak, Archbishop Mitty

Grace Ling, Lynbrook

Amy Lynch, Mountain View

Riley Mason, Leland

Gillian Meeks, Gunn

Duyen Tran, Independence

Jenny Xu, Monta Vista

Madeline Yip, Monta Vista