This season, Clark’s track team has the distinct privilege of having the fastest men’s sprinter in the entire NWAACC. Freshman Nate Washington, from Mariner High School in Everett, Wash., boasts the fastest 100-meter dash time in the conference so far this year.
While he was in high school, Washington was actually not a sprinter until his senior year. “My first three years of high school, I did the pole vault," Washington says. "My senior year I long jumped, I did the 100 (meter), and the 4x100 (meter relay).” He also played football all four years of high school as a cornerback, including varsity experience during his junior and senior years.
Washington has quite a unique story for why he became a sprinter. “My friends were making fun of me, saying I can’t run fast... so, I had to prove that I was faster than them, and then I ended up going to state and placing sixth in state.” A sixth place state finish, and now being the fastest man in the NWAACC will probably show Washington’s friends that he’s faster than they are.
Washington may not be a very experienced sprinter in terms of being on a track team, but with his incredible speed, no one would be able to tell that he’s relatively new to the sport.
Washington said that his favorite event is the 100-meter dash, for which he has a personal best of 10.9 seconds. Although he is already the fastest in the conference, he’s looking to improve on that time as the season goes on. “My goal this year is to get 10.7," Washington says.
Washington is one of the members of the 4x100-meter relay team this year. There were seven sprinters who attempted to make the team. Washington says that the other three sprinters on the relay team are Ryan Barrett, Richard Lane and Brian McMaster. Washington already has goals for the relay team as well. “I believe we can win the NWAACC (Championship) and run a 41, that will be our goal time… if we get the hand-offs right, I’m sure we can get it,” Washington says. For the team to get a 41 second lap, each member of the team would have a 100-meter leg of just over 10 seconds, including the time it takes to pass the baton.
Since Washington is the fastest man in the conference, the relay team wants him to be carrying the baton the longest. Washington says, “I try to get the baton early in the (passing) zone so that I can have it the longest. We try to have it where I hand the baton off late in the third zone.”
With Washington being just one of the many talented track athletes, there will be plenty to watch at a meet besides the speedy freshman. Watching the fastest man in the conference pull away from his competition would also be a lot of fun.
