April 29, 2008

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell senior Hope Foster (Washington, D.C./Dunbar), a three-time First Team All-Patriot League selection and a member of the Bison women's basketball team, received a special award at the University's annual Senior Athletic Awards Banquet, sponsored by the Bison Club and held in Sojka Pavilion on Tuesday, April 29.

Foster won the Bryan-Humphreys Award, presented to the senior athlete "who has exhibited exceptional versatility within his/her sport, displaying outstanding achievement and the selfless determination to help the team succeed by contributing in a variety of ways." Foster shared the award with Corey Curnutte of the men's soccer team, who was the male selection.

In addition to Foster, several other student-athletes were honored at the banquet, including the winners of the Christy Mathewson Award, given to the most outstanding athletes in the senior class.

Foster, this year, became the second three-time First Team All-Patriot League player in Bucknell women's basketball history. She is just the sixth Patriot League player overall to accomplish the feat. The 2007 Patriot League Player of the Year, Foster concluded her career with Bucknell records for blocked shots (344) and rebounds (904). Her blocked shot total ranks her tied for 18th in NCAA annals.

The 2006 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, Foster racked up 1,256 points in her four-year career to stand ninth on the Bison ledger. This past year she led Bucknell in scoring (11.1 ppg.), rebounding (7.2 rpg.) and blocked shots (84), marking the second consecutive season she has paced the squad in those three categories.

A team co-captain as a senior, Foster appeared in a Bucknell-record 120 games and helped lead the Bison to 64 wins over her four years, the fourth-best total in program history. Additionally, Foster averaged 6.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in three Patriot League Tournament contests in 2008, helping Bucknell to its second-ever Patriot League title and an NCAA Tournament berth.

Bucknell is a highly-selective, privately endowed liberal arts institution with an enrollment of approximately 3,400 undergraduate students. Bucknell competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Patriot League and has full membership along with American, Army, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy. Bucknell has won the Presidents' Cup, signifying the Patriot League's all-sports champion, in 13 of 17 years, including nine of the last 10.

Recently, 17 Bison programs - the seventh-most in Division I - earned NCAA Public Recognition for having Academic Performance Rates in the top 10 percent nationally in their respective sport. In addition, Bucknell ranks fifth in Division I in the total number of CoSIDA Academic All-America selections, with 114 national Academic All-Americans since 1970.

Foster's Career Accomplishments/Awards
- 2005 Patriot League All-Rookie Team
- 2006 First Team All-Patriot League
- 2006 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year
- 2007 First Team All-Patriot League
- 2007 Patriot League Player of the Year
- 2008 Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year
- 2008 First Team All-Patriot League
- Bucknell's all-time leader in blocked shots (344)
- Bucknell's all-time leader in rebounds (904)
- Ninth on Bucknell's all-time scoring list (1,256 points)