Titus Winders has had a perfect season in Tennessee this year.
The Henry County senior won all nine races to start off his final high school campaign.
Now he'll suit up one final time in San Diego for Foot Locker Nationals.
Back on Thanksgiving weekend, Winders finished sixth at Foot Locker South, fulfilling his season-long goal of qualifying for Foot Locker.
Afterwards, he still couldn't believe it.
"It's crazy," Winders told Milesplit following his race. "It's unreal. A few years ago you just kind of dream...last year I thought I might go for it and I wasn't really that close. It's still crazy thinking about getting top ten and being able to do all that fun stuff. I'm so thankful."
Winders went out hard with the front group. He crossed the finish line just ten seconds behind the winner.
Despite some disappointment with only finishing sixth, he left satisfied.
"I just wanted to get up there kind of quick with the front group and just hang there the whole race," he said. "I didn't quite do 100% what I thought I would, but I'm happy I qualified.
"I just wanted to get top ten. It didn't matter if it took a really fast time or a really slow one, I just wanted to get top ten."
This has been a goal for Winders all season.
The first step was winning a state championship. But qualifying for Foot Locker was the driving force that motivated him.
"Even though I was always focused on state, I was using this as a motivator too, keeping it in the back of my mind.
"It's a little hard to believe. It's still unreal."
Winders plans to run for Southern Indiana University next season. He joins his brother Javan, who was a Division II All-American on SIU's 4th-place distance medley relay last season.
