Seventeen-year-old senior Mikalah Edwards and her family have lived in Oak Creek for five years. “What I love most is our access to the neighborhood gym and the soccer field,” she says. “I’ve actually taken soccer lessons at the gym and briefly worked there as well! Our neighbors are very friendly, too.”

For Mikalah, track and field is a year-round commitment encompassing school track, summer track, and indoor track. As a skilled sprinter and jumper, she competes in the long jump, 100 meters, 4x100-meter relay, and 4x200-meter relay. On the varsity track team at Legacy High School, she and her teammates have broken the school record in the 4x200-meter relay three times this past year, in addition to qualifying for regionals. Her individual talent also earned her an elite spot at the Nike Outdoor Nationals meet.

Mikalah began running track in the seventh grade and found out pretty quickly that she was fast. She strives to improve every season, modeling her work ethic after Olympic gold medalist long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall, whom Mikalah describes as "extremely confident, immensely talented, and very entertaining to watch. She is never afraid to try new things.” Mikalah also credits two influential mentors for her development: Coach Adams, her middle school coach who first inspired her to fall in love with the sport, and Coach Chancellor, her high school coach, who constantly motivates her to push her limits.

As busy as Mikalah stays on the track, she makes sure to prioritize school through rigorous time management. She maintains a stellar 3.89 GPA by refusing to procrastinate and keeping a highly organized schedule, though she admits she also works great under pressure.

Through her athletic experiences, Mikalah has learned valuable lessons about the essential nature of rest, recovery, and nutrition. “Eating healthy is also a must, which is actually what I struggle with the most because I love snacks, chocolate, and Dr Pepper,” she laughs. For other aspiring young athletes, she offers clear advice: stay coachable, remain respectful, don't slack on schoolwork, and always prioritize rest.

All of her hard work and dedication culminated in her favorite athletic memory, where she broke the 12-second mark by running a blistering 11.8 for the first time. “I felt so proud because running a sub-12 time was my number one goal,” she says. “Breaking the school record three times was also amazing; last season, my relay team ran faster at every single meet.” Looking ahead, Mikalah aims to attend college on a track scholarship and pursue a career in nursing, with the ultimate goal of becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). With her drive, focus, and ambition, there is no doubt that Mikalah will continue to set records and inspire others, both on and off the track.