Nobles has been named to the National East Central Conference Team and will complete at the 2012 Down Under International Games sponsored by Down Under Sports. This summer, he will travel to Australia to run in two major events.

Down Under Sports was founded in 1989 and has grown to include not only the Down Under International Games, but also the Down Under Bowl and Down Under Hoops Classic. These events and the beauty of the region draw in athletes from all over the world each year.

Nobles is one of 300 cross country runners from the United States to be chosen for the team. Recruiters and coaches with Down Under Sports look at runners’ stats from state meets and invite the best prospects to the games.

“We thought Austin would be a good option for the team since he is an underclassman,” said Job Cyril, Area Program Director with International Sports Specialists, Inc.

After qualifying for the state meet, Nobles finished in 45th place overall. He was also all-county and all-region.

“When Austin joined the team in the fall of 2010, I knew he was going to be a strong runner,” said CHS Head Cross Country Coach Joel Rexford. “His work ethic is exceptional as he never misses a practice and always works hard, often doing more than what is required.”

Nobles will be in Australia June 24 to July 2. He will first run in the all-American race as part of the 16-athlete North Carolina-South Carolina team.

Later in the week, Nobles is scheduled to run in the Down Under International Cross Country Meet, a 5K that is part of the Gold Coast Airport Marathon; 33 different nations will be represented in the 5K event.

“I’m excited about the opportunity,” he said. “I’m ready to go and race against these other runners.”

Nobles added that he is eager to make new friends from South Carolina and around the world who have the connection of racing.

Being a part of this international event will benefit Nobles when he starts applying to colleges.

“He will be able to get his stats from the races and add them to his resume to later submit college recruiters,” Cyril said.

Nobles and his family are in the process of raising the $4,500 he needs for the trip. Austin’s mother, Jeri Lynn, is also hoping to travel to Australia as a chaperone and will need an additional $4,500.

People are invited to sponsor Nobles for an amount of their choosing. The family will later hold a chicken stew fundraiser.

People who donate will be entered into drawings for a luxury vacation and Caribbean cruise. Donations can be made online at www.downundersports.com or by downloading and mailing in a sponsorship form. So to not violate NCAA rules, any checks must be made out to International Sports Specialists, Inc. or ISSI.