A three-sport athlete during his time at Salem Community High School, 2007 graduate Justin Helpingstine made his biggest impact in track and field. Helpingstine set four school marks in the 800-meter run, all of which he still held at the time of his induction into the Salem Sports Hall of Fame. They included the freshmen time of 2:03.7, the sophomore time of 1:59.2, the indoor mark at 1:57.64 and the varsity outdoor record of 1:53.5. He was also part of three varsity relay records, which included times of 3:22.5 in the 1600-meter relay, 7:56.1 in the 3200-meter relay and 3:37.7 in the sprint medley relay.

Helpingstine advanced to the Class AA state meet as a junior in the 800 meters when he met the state qualifying time with his third-place mark at the Marion Sectional at 1:56.2. He was also a member of the 1600-meter relay team that advanced to state and included Corey Hopkins, Chris Williams and Grant Reed. That foursome was second at the sectional at 3:24.5.
As a senior in 2007 Helpingstine earned a return trip to state in the 800 meters when he won the Belleville East Sectional with a time of 1:56.2. Helpingstine along with Adam Wilkins, Wes Villalobos and Kory Pruden also won a sectional title and earned a state berth in the 3200-meter relay with a school record time performance of 7:56.1. Helpingstine closed out his high school career with a strong showing at state when he finished third in the 800 meters at 1:54.4.

Besides his accomplishments on the track, Helpingstine also had a solid cross-country career with the Wildcats as he was a three-time member of the Southern Illinois Coaches Association All-South Team for Class AA. Helpingstine took home the team Most Valuable Player Award in both cross country and track as a senior. Helpingstine was also a two-year member of the Salem boys basketball team in high school before he shifted his full focus towards running.

Helpingstine continued his track career for two more seasons at the collegiate level at Eastern Illinois University. During his time with the Panthers he helped set the school varsity 3200-meter relay record. He was also a member of 3200-meter and distance medley relay freshmen records.

During his freshmen season at EIU he was fifth in the 800 meters at the Ohio Valley Conference Meet followed by a sixth-place finish in the 1500 meters as a sophomore. Helpingstine was sixth in the 800 at the 2008 OVC Indoor Meet and was a member of EIU’s runner-up distance medley relay at the 2009 OVC Indoor Meet.

One of Helpingstine’s biggest honors at EIU came in the classroom as he received the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, which is given annually to the student-athlete who achieves the highest grade point average in a conference-sponsored sport.

After two years at EIU Helpingstine concluded his education at the University of Illinois when he received a Bachelor and Master’s Degrees in civil engineering.
At the time of his induction into the Salem High Sports Hall of Fame Helpingstine resided in Summerville, South Carolina where he served as a structural engineer.

Corey Hopkins earned his ticket to the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame by being one of the best jumpers the school has ever produced. At the time of his induction the 2006 graduate held or was part of four outdoor track and field varsity records, one indoor record and two underclassmen marks. Hopkins put his name in the record book the first time in 2003 when he set the freshmen school record in the High Jump with a mark of 6-0. A year later as a sophomore Hopkins struck again when he established a new sophomore record in the triple jump with a leap of 43-5.

As a junior in 2005 Hopkins established his first outdoor varsity record when he went 23-2 in the long jump. It was also the long jump that earned Hopkins a trip to the Class AA state meet as he met the state qualifying mark with his third-place finish at the Marion Sectional when he went 22-6 1/2. He capped off his stellar season with a third-place finish at the Class AA state with a mark of 22-5 3/4. His performances for the season helped land Hopkins the team Most Valuable Player Award.

Hopkins finished his Salem career with a tremendous senior season. It began when he set a new school indoor record in the long jump with a mark of 22-3. He followed that with a new outdoor school record in the triple jump when he went 46-3. Hopkins was also part of two school record relay teams in 2006. He teamed up with Justin Helpingstine, Chris Williams and Grant Reed for a new standard of 3:22.50 in the 1600-meter relay. He also joined Reed, Helpingstine and T.C. Hargis for a school record time of 3:37.7 in the sprint medley relay.

Hopkins, who shared the team MVP with Reed for the 2006 season, earned a return trip to the Class AA state meet. This time he advanced in two events as he met state qualifying marks with a third-place leap of 22-9 in the long jump and 45-7 1/2 in the triple jump. Hopkins ended his high school career with another state medal as he was sixth in the triple jump at 46-3 to go along with a 12th place finish in the long jump at 22-0.

Hopkins went on to compete in track and field at the collegiate level at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville where he posted a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Great Lakes Valley Conference Indoor Meet in the long jump with a mark of 21-10 1/4.

At the time of his induction into the Salem High Sports Hall of Fame Hopkins was residing in Maryland Heights, Missouri where he was working as a senior robotic surgical specialist.

Grant Reed, a 2006 Salem Community High School graduate, was a multi-state medalist for the Salem Wildcats track team as well as the owner of multiple school records. Reed put his name in the record book for the first time in 2004 when he established a new sophomore school mark in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 40.7. It was his senior season in 2006 when Reed made his biggest impact. It began with a new school indoor record in the 55-meter high hurdles with a time of 7.6.

When the scene shifted outdoors Reed established new school marks in the 110-meter high hurdles at 14.1 and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles at 38.7. Reed was also part of two school relay record teams. He completed the foursome of Corey Hopkins, Chris Williams and Justin Helpingstine when they posted a time of 3:22.50 in the 1600-meter relay. It was Reed, Hopkins, Helpingstine and T.C. Hargis that posted a new school mark in the sprint medley relay with a time of 3:37.7.

Reed, who claimed the Apollo Conference championship in the 300 intermediate hurdles as a senior, qualified for the Class AA state meet in both hurdle races at the Marion Sectional. Reed advanced as the champion in the 300-intermediate race with a time of 38.7 and as a runner-up in the 110-meter highs at 14.2.

The highlights did not stop there as Reed advanced to the finals in both events at state and took home eighth place finishes in each of his races as he had times of 15.04 in the 110 highs and 39.4 in the 300 intermediates.

Reed, who shared the Wildcats Team Most Valuable Player Award with Hopkins, would continue his track career in college as he attended Rend Lake College and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

At the time of his induction into the Salem High Sports Hall of Fame Reed resided in Salem and was a PLC Programmer.

It was not just the North Egypt Conference where Jett dominated the sprints. Jett was a two-time individual qualifier for the Class AA state meet. The first occasion came during his sophomore season in 1993 when he qualified in the 400-meter dash with a runner-up finish at the sectional in a time of :50.9. Jett earned a return trip to state in the 400 meters as a senior in 1995 when he won the sectional championship with a school record time of :49.5.

Besides his varsity school record in the 400 meters, at the time of his Hall of Fame induction Jett held the school freshman record for the 200-meter dash with a time of :23.6 and the 400-meter dash at :51.9. He also owned the sophomore school record in the 400 meters at :50.7 along with school indoor records for the 200-meter dash at :23.7 and the 300-meter dash at :33.5.
Salem won NEC team championships all four years with Jett in its track program.

While Jett also participated in cross country and basketball during his time at SCHS, it would be track that would be Jett’s ticket to the collegiate level as he competed the next four season with the Murray State University Racers. While Jett remained in the sprints at Murray State, he was inserted into the hurdles competition. Despite being a novice at the hurdles, by the time Jett finished his time in college he was less than one second off the school record in the 400-meter hurdles.

After graduation Jett worked nearly 20 years as a construction manager of health care facilities from Alaska to Florida before he returned to school to pursue a Masters Degree in cybersecurity.

A 1996 graduate of SCHS, Boyles began to make a name for himself on the track during his sophomore season in 1994 when he won the North Egypt Conference championship in the 3200 meters with a time of 10:03. Later that season Boyles earned a ticket to the Class AA state meet in the 1600 meters with a runner-up finish at the sectional in a time of 4:35. Boyles added an NEC championship in the 800 meters during his junior season in 1995 as well as a runner-up finish in the 1600 meters to SCHS Hall of Famer Chris Owen. The same scenario repeated itself during Boyles’ senior season in 1996 when he once again won the NEC 800 meters and was second to Owen in the 1600 meters. Boyles, who won Salem’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1996, earned a return trip to the AA state meet in the 1600 meters with a sectional championship time of 4:31.

Boyles was a key contributor to the 1993, 1994 and 1995 Salem cross country teams that reached the Class AA state meet. He ran No. 6 and finished 151st at the 1993 state meet where Salem finished 21st as a team. A year later Boyles jumped all the way into the No. 1 spot for the Wildcats at the state meet where he finished 40th as an individual and Salem was 20th as a team. During the 1995 postseason run Boyles ran No. 2 for the Wildcats and 88th overall at the state race as Salem improved its team position to 16th.

Boyles later went on to run cross country and track at Eastern Illinois University. Twice Boyles earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors for the Panthers in cross country. On the track Boyles was twice All-OVC in the 1500 meters, the steeple chase and the medley relay. At the time of his induction into the SCHS Hall of Fame Boyles was a member of EIU’s second and seventh fastest teams in the 4 X 1600 relay.
Boyles served as a team captain during his senior season at Eastern Illinois in both track and cross country during his senior season.

Fredericks was selected to the Southern Illinois Coaches Association All-South Team three straight years beginning with his sophomore season in 1990 followed by return berths in 1991 and 1992. Fredericks also received Salem’s team Most Valuable Player Award in each of those three seasons. Fredericks had to settle for a runner-up finish at the North Egypt Conference Meet held at Salem’s Bryan Park during his senior season in 1992. That setback came to Jason Zieren of Carmi, who later went on to win the Class A state championship and starred at the University of Illinois.

Fredericks led Salem to a Class AA regional championship by winning the individual title with a time of 16:41. While the Wildcats were unable to advance to state as a team, a seventh place finish by Fredericks at the sectional race in a time of 15:47 earned him a trip to the state race as an individual. Fredericks was 54th at state with a time of 15:42.

Twice Fredericks competed at state in track. As a junior in 1992 he was a member of the sectional champion 4 x 800 meter relay team that qualified with a time of 8:06.1 That team posted an 18th place finish at the state race. Fredericks got back to state as a senior in 1993 when he won the sectional championship in the 3200 meters and finished 13th in that event at the state race. Fredericks received the team Most Valuable Player Award in track during his senior season in 1993.

Fredericks continued his running career at the University of Southern Mississippi where he lettered in track and cross country in all four years he was at the school.

Hargis carried a heavy athletic workload during his high school days as he participated in baseball, cross country, football, track and basketball. His biggest athletic success came in track where he was a member of Salem’s 4X800 relay team that qualified for state during his 1976 junior season. As a senior in 1977, he qualified for state as an individual in the 880-yard run.

Hargis set the school record in the 880-yard run, now 800 meters, during his senior season. That record held for 22 years until 1999. He was also a member of the 4X800 relay team that established a school record in 1977. That mark would hold for 30 years until it was broken in 2007. He received Salem’s Best Runner Award for the 1977 season.

As a basketball player Hargis earned Salem’s Free Throw Award, Defense Award and team Most Valuable Player Award during his senior season of 1976-77. He took those skills on the hardwood to Kaskaskia College where he played the 1977-78 season for the Blue Devils. Hargis completed his education at Eastern Illinois University.

Upon graduation from college Hargis landed at Centralia Junior High School where at the time of his induction has spent the last 36 years. During that time he has compiled a record of 386-136 record as the school’s boys’ basketball coach. His teams won Class L state championships in 2002, 2005 and 2010. Hargis has also served as cross country and track coach at the school. Also at the time of his induction he was serving as a sixth grade health and physical education instructor at Centralia Junior High School as well as the school’s Athletic Director.

Doug Hargis is the son of SCHS Sports Hall of Famer J.D. Hargis, who was inducted as an individual in 2008.

While his first Salem boys track team in 1985 came up short at the North Egypt Conference Meet, his squads came back to win the title in each of the next 16 seasons. Phillips’ greatest success with the Wildcats track program came in 1999 when Salem grabbed a share of the Class AA Murphysboro Sectional championship. That remains as the program’s only sectional title. That 1999 team later finished fourth at the state meet. During Phillips’ track tenure Salem qualified more than 30 individuals and 15 relay teams for the Class AA state meet in a two-class system.

When Phillips took over the boys cross country program in 1987 his teams won 15 straight NEC championships. Eight times his teams qualified for state, which began in 1987 followed by trips in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Salem won six regionals with Phillips at the helm (1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998) and four sectionals (1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998). The 1998 squad cracked the top ten at state for the first time when it placed ninth.

Phillips took over the girls cross country program when the sport was still in its infancy. It was not until 1996 when the NEC held its first girls meet. Salem won that inaugural title followed by championships in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001.

The Lady Wildcats qualified for the Class AA state meet six times during Phillips’ tenure with the first advancement in 1987 followed by trips in 1988, 1991, 1996, 1997 and 1998. The 1998 team posted the best finish among those squads with a 15th place mark. Phillips’ girls’ teams won regional titles in 1991, 1996, 1997 and 1998 and the program’s only sectional crown in 1996.

Phillips was named the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Cross Country Coach of the Year for the state’s southern division in 1998 and received the same honor for the 1999 track season.

Phillips has been a lifetime Wildcat having played football and track at SCHS from 1967-1971. Phillips was part of a shuttle relay team that set the school record. Phillips attended Kaskaskia College and Eastern Illinois University before he returned to SCHS as a biology teacher. Phillips began coaching with the Wildcats football program in 1976 as sophomore coach and varsity assistant. Phillips continued that role until 1981 when he moved to the freshmen level.

During Phillips’ tenure as an underclassmen football coach his teams compiled a 48-13 record. Phillips’ best freshmen squad was the 1982 team that went 10-0. His 1984 team went 9-1.

It is not just athletic venues where Phillips enjoyed success. During the 1986-87 school year he filled in as scholar bowl coach and led that team to a second place finish at the state meet. While Phillips’ head coaching duties ended in 2002, he has remained active as a volunteer assistant boys track coach.

At SCHS he qualified for 3 state meets, placing 2nd at the sectional in 1998 and winning the sectional championship in 1999 and 2000. Cosby placed 7th in the IHSA state meet in 1999 and 3rd in 2000.

Along the way Cosby established the North Egypt Conference record of 15’0″ in 2000 and the SCHS record of 15’3″, set at the East St. Louis Invitational in his senior year.

Cosby continued his career at Ole Miss and at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. In college his personal record was 17’3″. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference champion in 2004 and an NCAA qualifier in 2005.

Cosby also ran sprints in high school, and his times in the 100 and 200 meter dashes are among the top 10 in SCHS history. He also participated in football and cross country.

At the time of his induction, Cosby lives in San Diego, where he is Vice President of Sales for Fortune Builders, Inc.

The 1999 boys track team is the first track team to be inducted into the SCHS Hall of Fame. The accomplishments of this team, undoubtedly, make it one of the best teams in any sport at Salem Community High School.

Coached by Kirby Phillips and assisted by Orlando Ramos, their success began early in the season when they won the Sterling Indoor Meet, edging out Springfield Lanphier. Throughout their season, the team totally dominated all dual and triangular meets. In large, multiple team meets they were champions of the Paducah Tilghman Invitational, Wamac Invitational and Marion Relays, and finished an impressive second place at the Mineral Area Meet at Belleville West, Orphan Relays, Al Joyner Classic, and Mt. Vernon Relays.

They were runaway champions of the North Egypt Conference, scoring 228 points to second-place Olney’s total of 105. Many conference records were set by this talented team. SCHS Hall of Famer Noah Cosby set a new record in the pole vault while Jeremy Silvey, Ed Cox, Cosby and Conor Kain set a new 4 X 100 conference mark. SCHS Hall of Famer Nathan Purcell set a new record in the 1600 meters, and workhorse and SCHS Hall of Famer Mike Minton became a four-time conference champion in the shot put and three-time champion in the discus.

The 1999 boys track team was the first and only sectional champion track team. Eighteen different individuals contributed points toward the team’s total, sending seven Salem athletes to the state meet in Charleston.

Results at the state meet were as impressive as the team’s entire season. Leading the way was Minton, finishing first in both the shot put and discus. Purcell finished fifth in the 1600 meter and Cosby vaulted to finish seventh. The 4 X 800 meter relay team of Billy Beer, Brian Diefenbach, Tim Tolka and Tommy Oliverio ran a strong 8:08 but failed to make it into the finals. At the end of the day, Salem Community High School proudly finished fourth at the IHSA state meet. This is an accomplishment that has never been matched in track at SCHS. To date, the 1999 boys track team still holds 3 SCHS indoor records and 10 outdoor records.