Madison hurdler Nathan Mullins is on a mission. After a winter spent testing himself against the nation's best, the junior standout is poised to make a serious run at a Division 3 state championship.

Mullins recently captured the LCAA title in the 300-meter hurdles with a personal-best 40.97 seconds, while also finishing as runner-up in the 110 hurdles at the league finals. Already qualified for the Division 3 state meet in Kent City with an early mark in the 110 hurdles, he's quickly become one of the area's most formidable hurdle specialists.

But the journey to this point started long before the outdoor season began.

In March, Mullins competed at the Adidas Indoor Track Nationals in Virginia Beach, taking on the National Elite division of the 60-meter hurdles. He clocked 8.58 seconds, finishing 17th out of 145 competitors—missing the finals by a razor-thin .08 seconds. That national-level experience sharpened his focus and set the stage for a breakout spring.

"Last year at indoor states, I tore my IT band in the prelims," Mullins said. "I wanted to come back this year and medal at states. I did indoor twice my sophomore season just to see how it went. Then I decided to go all out my junior year to try and win states."

Balancing indoor track with varsity basketball during the winter required serious discipline and year-round conditioning. Mullins earned his spot at nationals after posting back-to-back 8.81-second performances at the MITCA MITS Indoor Championships.

That momentum has carried into the outdoor season, where Mullins now owns a school-record 14.94 in the 110 hurdles—breaking a Madison record that had stood since 2003. With the state finals on the horizon, all eyes are on the Trojans' rising star.