Bolles sophomore Charles Hicks competed at the Foot Locker South Regional Championships, and qualified for Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego after finishing ninth overall, running a new personal-best and FL #1 15:07.50. He was the only male athlete from Florida to qualify this year.

After the race, Hicks said that it was unbelievable what he’d accomplished.

“My dad and my teammates were all screaming at me as I finished and it’s just a really great feeling,” he said.

Running alongside the likes of Caleb Pottorff (who he battled with and finished second behind weeks prior at the state meet), Joshua Collins, and Matthew Clark, Hicks kept his head down and moved with the pack. Through the mile, the lead pack was around 4:40, and the race continued to move. This year’s race was slightly different than usual because there wasn’t a moment when you could say that one individual or another would win it outright. This year, the race was open to anyone. Hicks saw the opportunity, gave it everything he had, and it paid off with a punched ticket to the “America’s Finest City”.

Hicks later tackled the historic San Diego course, finishing 36th at this year’s championships, running 15:54 respectively. With both trips being his first introduction to the Foot Locker family, his first time out at Balboa Park was an impressive day for the sophomore, and perhaps a momentum builder as well.

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