Creekside cross country runner Jimmy Clark strengthened his claim as one of the best-ever high school distance runners from this area when he placed seventh in the 32nd annual Foot Locker Cross Country Championships Saturday at Balboa Park in San Diego.

Clark was competing against 39 other runners who recorded a top-10 finish in one of the four regional races in the South, Midwest, Northeast and West contested two weeks ago. Clark is the first Jacksonville-area runner to have a top-10 finish at the national race.