Charlie Anne Wins Larry Hall Memorial Award.
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fter wrapping up her senior cross country season, Charlie Anne Phillips received an award that is near and dear to her heart. She was awarded the Larry Hall Memorial Award at the All-County Banquet. The Larry Hall Memorial Award (for girls) and the Charlie Spencer Memorial Award (for boys) are awarded to runners based on leadership, scholastics, and stellar representation of the running community, school and team.
But what makes this award even more special? Charlie Spencer, Charlie Anne’s uncle & namesake, was also a beloved member of the running community. He joined the Auburn cross country team after transferring from Bevill State. Spencer was a member of the 2000 Bevill State National Champion cross country team and the 1998 Murphy High School 6A State Champion cross country team. While home for Thanksgiving break 2002, Charlie passed away while on a run with his three dogs. In order to keep his memory alive, Charlie Anne was named after him and was destined to have the same love for running.
During her time as a Wildcat, Charlie Anne cheered for 4-years and started running her sophomore year. She always knew she wanted to run, but felt like she didn’t have friends to do it with until she was convinced by Mohammed Shahrouj (Class of 2022) to put on her favorite running shoes (Saucony) and run for St. Luke’s. She hasn’t stopped running since.
With so many miles on her shoes, Charlie Anne has found that running is also a stress reliever. She always has the desire to run even on cold, early mornings. It doesn’t hurt that she has a strong running support network made up of her team and family. She contributes a lot of her success to being a part of a team composed of the most supportive and encouraging people. Her parents are also some of her biggest supporters as they never miss a race!
What’s next for Charlie Anne? Charlie Anne is looking forward to indoor track season and then outdoor track season. She is still keeping her options open for possibly running in college.
Charlie Anne has been an incredible captain of the cross country team helping lead the way to St. Luke’s first ever state championship for running.
