Hall of Fame
JIM HELTON
Hometown: Riverside, Calif.
Sport: Track & Field
Years: 1966-67
One of the most decorated athletes in Utah State history, Jim Helton was a three-time track All-American and is one of just 11 track athletes in school history to accomplish that feat. During his senior season in 1967, Helton was the national runner-up in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Provo, Utah with a still-school-record leap of 25-02.25 (7.68m) as he helped USU to a 14th-place team finish, its second-best finish in school history. Helton also earned All-American honors in the long jump during the indoor season as a senior as he placed fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Detroit, Mich., with a leap of 24-03.50 (7.40m), helping the Aggies place 34th as a team. During the 1967 indoor season, Helton set the then-school record in the long jump with a mark of 24-03.75 (7.41m), a leap that still ranks fourth all-time in school history. Helton, who was the Aggies' team captain in 1967, was also named Utah State's Athlete of the Year during his senior season. During his junior year at Utah State in 1966, Helton earned his first All-American honor as he was the national runner-up in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Bloomington, Ind., with a leap of 24-08.50 (7.53m) as he helped USU to a 24th-place team finish. During his two-year Utah State career, Helton also competed in the triple jump, high jump and 100-yard dash, and set the then-school record in the triple jump with a mark of 47-05.50 (14.46m) as a junior, while his time in the 100-yard dash (9.8) as a junior ranked second all-time in school history. Helton transferred to Utah State following two years at Riverside (Calif.) Community College, where he twice earned All-American honors in the long jump. Following his collegiate career, Helton participated in the U.S. Track & Field Federation in Albuquerque, N.M., and in the Pan-American Trials in Minneapolis, Minn., in the summer of 1967.
