Helker breathes easy after successful senior season
His goals were set. The end to a fantastic high school career was within reach.
Edmond Memorial cross country runner Jed Helker wanted that first-place finish at the state meet. He had come close as a sophomore and as a junior, finishing fourth both years.
As a senior, Helker was determined to take home first. He would just have to put in the work to get there.
After an early victory to start the year, Helker was excited about the chance to run at a meet in Arkansas against top competition from several surrounding states.
But during the race, Helker had trouble breathing. Unable to catch his breath, he was forced to sit.
"When it gets really hot, I sometimes have issues with my breathing," Helker said. "But this time it was worse and it didn't go away."
Helker was forced to watch his team race without him as the season continued. If he raced, he could risk the possibility of making his condition worse, but not racing meant possibly hurting his chances at his ultimate goal of a state championship.
"You really use all the races throughout the year to get ready for state," Helker said. "It was a struggle being away."
After a few visits to the doctor and a new medication,
Helker said he felt ready to get back on the course. His first meet back was at the conference championships in Stillwater, one of the lastraces before the state meet.
"I had this moment when I was running that just felt like a breakthrough," Helker said of that meet. "After that I felt like I was ready to run my kind of race."
Helker went on to take first at regionals and then crushed it at the state meet, finishing with a time of 15:46.91 and almost eight seconds ahead of the next closest runner.
With the individual title, Helker is The Oklahoman's All-City Boys Runner of the Year, the second time he's earned the award.
Helker was swarmed by friends, former teammates and family after he crossed the finish line and lifted up in the air, a moment that means more to him now than even the win.
"It almost consumes me too much thinking about it," Helker said. "Through all the struggles and hardships, it really just made it all that