After 15-5 Clearance, Freshman Landon Helms Looking To Go Higher

By Mary Albl of DyeStat 

Landon Helms wasn’t sure what to expect.

Making his first appearance at the New Balance National Outdoor meet this past weekend at North Carolina AT&T Stadium in Greensboro, the rising sophomore all the way from Emmett, Idaho made the nearly 2,500-mile trip a memorable one as he won the freshman pole vault and 110-meter hurdles. 

“I didn’t have a clue of what I would run because that’s the first time running the 110 hurdles at 33 inches. I usually run them at 39 inches,” Helms said. “(But) it was really nice, everyone was friendly. It was a good atmosphere to compete in.” 

Helms won the 110 hurdles in 14.30 seconds and cleared 15-5 (4.69m) to win the pole vault. This Saturday, he’ll compete for Team Idaho at the Region 11 Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships in Bozeman, Mont., for a chance to qualify for the USATF Hershey Junior Olympic Nationals on July 22-28 in Sacramento. 

Helms, who started pole vaulting in the sixth grade, took naturally to the sport. His older brother, Kimball, who just graduated from Emmett High, started vaulting as incoming freshman. Their dad was also a pole vaulter in high school. 

“They had me try it, and I fell in love with it,” Helms said. “It’s not like any other event in track and field.” 

This past indoor season Helms benefited from working with former U.S. Olympian Stacy Dragila, who won gold in the pole vault in the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. Helms said his dad jumped with Dragila briefly in college at Idaho State. 

“My dad, he just started talking to her and he asked me if I wanted to train with her over indoor,” he said. “So I agreed and it was pretty good.” 

At New Balance Nationals Indoor in March, Helms placed fifth in the emerging elite pole vault with a 14-10 clearance (4.52m). 

Emmett, a small country town of about 6,800 people, isn’t really known for its track and field exploits. Helms, who also plays wide receiver for the football team, is working on changing that. At the Idaho 4A state championships, Helms cleared 15-6 (4.72m) to break the classification state record. He has another foot to go to break the overall record of 16-6 (5.02m) set by Donovan Kilmartin of Eagle in 2003. 

“It kind of puts me as an underdog in the school. Leading up to high school, I always watched my older brother compete at the meets and I just looked at everyone and the competition was so tight and close, I thought I was going to be getting third or fourth every meet,” Helms said. “But then when the season actually came, I was getting first most of the time. Everyone is focused on football and people started to notice track this year when I won the 110 hurdles and set a boys state record in the 4A pole vault.”