He’s a national champ, 8-time state champ. Now he’s Idaho’s top male track athlete
Recent Emmett High graduate Landon Helms has already moved on and made a name for himself on the national stage. But the Texas A&M-bound track star wrapped up his high school career with one last honor Wednesday as the state’s all-class Gatorade boys track and field athlete of the year.
Helms won four 4A state championships this year: the 110 hurdles (13.69 seconds), 300 hurdles (38.15), long jump (23 feet, 1 inch) and pole vault (15-0). His time in the 110 hurdles broke one of the oldest remaining all-class state meet records, originally set in 1985, and his best pole vault this season (17-2) ranks fifth nationally.
The medal haul left him with eight state titles in his high school career. He won the 110 hurdles and pole vault each of the three seasons with a state track meet. Idaho did not have a state meet in 2020 during the initial outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Landon is very driven in everything he does,” Emmett coach Molly Yates said in a news release. “No one works harder at succeeding than he does.
“He excels at any and every track event we put him in. Landon is a very gifted athlete. His athletic ability combined with his work ethic is a rarity.”
Helms’ banner spring season didn’t end at Dona Larsen Park in May, though. He added decathlon titles at the 2022 Nike Outdoor Nationals and the U.S Track & Field U-20 Outdoor Championships earlier this month.
Helms graduated from Emmett with a 3.98 GPA, is a member of the Business Professional of America, and has volunteered locally coaching track and with his church.
He is just the second in school history to win the all-class athlete of the year honor in boys track and field, joining Matt Lamb (2005).
Other recent Idaho winners include Borah’s Nathan Green (2021, 2019), Kimberly’s Peyton Bair (2020) and Timberline’s Caleb Stamper (2018).
This story was originally published June 29, 2022 at 11:56 AM.
