Ku dhameystir weedhan soo socota: Hulst wuxuu dhigan jiray Dugsiga Sare ee Laguna Beach, halkaas oo uu ku tartamay tartanka orodka iyo orodka. Asal ahaan, wuxuu damacsanaa inuu ciyaaro tennis, laakiin wuxuu ku fiicnaaday xilli ciyaareedkiisii ugu horreeyay ee dalka oo uu ka sii waday halkaas, isagoo ku orday 2-mayl 9:04.6 (min: sec) isagoo ahaa arday cusub. Laguna Beach HS, tababarihiisu wuxuu ahaa Len Miller, oo raacay falsafada tababarka masaafada dheer ee caadiga ah ee 1970s ka dibna wuxuu tababari lahaa Hulst ee UC-Irvine. Hulst waxaa si fiican loogu xasuustaa bulshada orodka sababtoo ah qaabkiisa tababarka ee halista badan. Markii uu 15 jirka ahaa, Hulst wuxuu tababar ku socday 100 mayl toddobaadkiiba, wuxuuna inta badan kacay 5:00 subaxnimo si uu u ordo inta udhaxeysa 10 ilaa 13 mayl kahor fasalada oo bilaabatay 8:30. Safarkiisa subaxnimo wuxuu ka bilaaban jiray Emerald Bay ilaa Corona del Mar iyo gadaal, wuxuuna si joogto ah u xiran jiray jaakadda 10-pound lead. Intii lagu guda jiray xirfadiisa dugsiga sare, tartan tartan ah ayaa ka dhex dhacay Hulst iyo Ralph Serna oo ka soo baxay Dugsiga Sare ee Loara. Sanadkii 1974-kii tartankii National Postal cross country, Hulst wuxuu kaalinta labaad ka galay tartankii ugu fiicnaa ee dugsiyada sare ee dalka, kaliya wuxuu ka dambeeyay Serna. Waxaa la dhihi karaa, guushiisii ugu caansanaa ee dugsiga sare waxay ahayd 1975-kii California Interscholastic Federation tartanka horyaalka gobolka 2-mile, kaas oo uu ku dhammeeyay kaalinta koowaad waqtigii rikoodhka dugsiga sare ee gobolka ee 8:44.9 ka hor Serna; labaduba waxay ku dhammeeyeen rikoodhka Rich Kimball 8:46.6 ee la dhigay sannadkii hore. Sanadkii ugu dambeeyay dugsiga sare, Hulst waxaa loogu yeeray xulka qaranka Mareykanka
1976 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, halkaas oo uu ku guuleystay tartanka ragga ee ragga. Sidaa awgeed, wuxuu ka soo muuqday sawirka bogga hore ee majaladda "Runner's World" ee bishii May 1976. Waxaa dhiirigeliyay Dave Wottle, Hulst wuxuu xirtay koofiyad inta uu ku tartamayey dugsiga sare. Intii lagu guda jiray xilli ciyaareedkii orodka ee sannadkaas, wuxuu hoos u dhigay CIF-SS iyo rikoodhkiisa gobolka 2-mile illaa 8:44.6 ee CIF-SS Masters Meet wuxuuna ku guuleystay horyaalkiisii labaad ee gobolka oo isku xigta dhacdada.