BRUSH PRAIRIE — Nolan Mickenham clocked the fastest 100-meter of his Prairie High School track and field career at last Saturday’s Centennial (Ore.) Invitational, an annual event that’s drawn in top athletes for five decades.
That same day, Mickenham took notice of the nation’s top prep sprinter, Matthew Boling of Houston and his wind-aided 9.98-second 100 time at the Texas regional meet. That boasts the fastest open high school 100-meter time under all conditions.
“That’s insane,” Mickenham said. “That’s Olympic level.”
Indeed so, but Mickenham also has quietly run in the fast lane throughout high school to become one of Washington’s elite sprinters.
Coming off of two podium finishes at the 3A state meet in the 100 and 200 meters in 2018, he and Prairie coaches believe the best has yet to come approaching the final three weeks of the season.
Mickenham plans to race Friday in Nike/Jesuit Relays’ boys 100-meter elite heat, which features Oregon state record holder Micah Williams of Benson. Williams’ best time is 10.36 seconds.
Three other sprinters have a 10.69 seed time, precisely the time Mickenham’s aiming before season’s end. Already Prairie’s 200-meter record holder, Mickenham is eyeing the 10.7-second school-record time set in the 1990s. He ran 10.83 at the Centennial Invitational preliminaries.
“All those fast times will push me to go faster,” Mickenham said.
Prairie assistant coach Kawan Martin said Mickenham’s races Saturday were “phenomenal”, but went a step further acknowledging there’s still plenty left in the tank.
Two years ago at the bi-district meet, the coach said, is when Mickenham came into his own. Then a sophomore, he ran a state-automatic qualifying time in the 100 (11.05 seconds), lowered that again at state (11.01) and continues to do so.
Teammate Zeke Dixson is in awe watching what he calls the best form of a high school sprinter from Mickenham.
“I wish I was that quick,” Dixson said. “Nolan is a tank, but he runs so fast. We don’t know how he does it. … you see him run, and it’s agile.”
Dixson runs Prairie’s third leg of its 4×100 relay team that’s clocked 3A’s 10th-fastest time this spring, according to athletic.net. Dixson knows the baton is in great hands with Mickenham as the anchor leg down the final straightaway.
“I’ll lose sight of him,” Dixson said.
Team success is just as important to Mickenham as individual success. Mickenham calls the 200 his better event, running a school-record time of 22.07 at March’s Tiger Invitational in Battle Ground. The 100 he enjoys more for another reason.
“It’s that quick burst of adrenaline,” he said. “You prepare for it, warm-up for an like an hour, and it’s a 10-second race. It’s pretty fun. You have to think about a good start and a fun burst of adrenaline.”
Martin said what sets Mickenham apart is the drive, preparation and attention to detail. The most noticeable improvement is Mickenham’s block starts, Martin said, a one-time weakness in the sprinter’s races early in his career.
Not so anymore.
“Other guys would get out and he’d try to catch them 40-60 meters into the race,” the coach said. “A lot of times, those first few steps is what made those other guys faster.
“It’s come a long way and he’s worked quite a lot on it.”
Mickenham will compete in football and track and field at Linfield College next year, but he isn’t done yet leaving his mark at Prairie heading toward a sprint finish.
“I want to lower my times and make the people around me proud,” he said.
