THE FRONT ROW WITH BRUCE BOURQUIN, October 11, 2013

Imagine being a 22-year-old young man running on an NCAA Division I cross country team at the University of Idaho, while taking a demanding full course load toward your degree in mechanical engineering, like calculus, physics and an electronic keyboard course.

Now imagine being married for two years and the demands of all that entails. If that's not enough on your plate, now imagine expecting a baby girl in November and all the excitement, joy and of course the nervous energy that involves being a new parent.

That's the life of Cody Helbling, former Lake City High cross country and track and field star, who transferred to Idaho from Brigham Young University this year. He is married to the former Nicole Danner, who he met at a weights class in both students' sophomore year at Lake City, and they became friends from that point on.

Cody was a runner, Nicole would go on to play on the varsity girls soccer team all four years at Lake City and this past spring, graduated from BYU with a degree in exercise and wellness. The two married after their freshman year at BYU in August of 2011, at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Spokane.

"It's getting closer and we're kind of nervous," Cody Helbling said of the pending birth. "We took a six-week Lamaze course and that kind of calms the nerves a bit. We've been getting our home ready, we've been really prepared."

THE DUE date for Nicole to deliver is sometime around Nov. 14. They plan to have her deliver at the Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d'Alene and they want to name their soon-to-be-born daughter McKinley.

"We both liked it," Cody Helbling said of why they chose the name. "That's the one we felt most strongly about."

In mid-November, Cody and Nicole face a possible dilemma. Cody could qualify for the NCAA West Championships, scheduled for Nov. 15 in Sacramento, Calif.

Depending on what happens with Nicole, that date could conflict with her delivery.

"That's a big question," said Cody's mother, Selina Helbling. "The last time I talked with him, I think he's still thinking about what he's going to do. He's waiting to see what happens."

Helbling also wants to go to medical school after he graduates from the University of Idaho.

"He was pre-med his sophomore year at BYU," said Selina Helbling, who like her husband Art has worked as an emergency room nurse the past several years. "He's still figuring out what kind of doctor he wants to be."

Cody Helbling ran for two years at BYU, then took two years off from running to focus on his academics. Now keep in mind, Helbling was carrying a 3.7 grade point average at the time.

"He's the kind of kid who needs a 4.0 GPA or he's not happy," Selina Helbling said. "He's a big-time perfectionist."

Cody transferred because he said Nicole and he wanted to live closer to home. Currently, they live in a mobile home in Moscow. So far, Cody carries a GPA well above 3.0.

"I like it a lot, compared to what I'm used to in Provo (Utah)," Cody said. "It's a lot slower pace. "I like coach (Wayne) Phipps. I'm in the early stages of looking on the Internet and checking out medical school programs. I'm looking at the University of Washington, the University of Wyoming. I want to stay close to home."

PHIPPS, DIRECTOR of track and field at Idaho, has been the director for four years and has spent 19 years with the program. He said he does not recall coaching a runner who was married with children, as Seth is about to become.

"He's battling a little bit of hecticness at home," Phipps said of Cody and Nicole's upcoming addition to their family. "As a runner, as a team leader, he's been fantastic. He has returned to a very high level very quickly."

Helbling, a junior, will run track and field at Idaho next spring. He will compete in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs at indoor meets, as well as the 5,000 and 10,000 at outdoor meets.

"I think he can be an NCAA (national) qualifier in cross country and in track," Phipps said. "I think his best event is in the 10,000 but he's equally as good in cross country and track ... in cross country, the hillier the course is, the better he is."

ON OCT. 5, Helbling, who was named Gatorade Idaho boys cross country Runner of the Year in 2009, was the first runner to cross the finish line for the Vandals at the Dellinger Invitational in Springfield, Ore. With his parents cheering him on, Helbling finished in 34th place overall, with a time of 25 minutes, 1 second.

Cody said his best race so far came at the Sundodger Invitational on Sept. 14 in Seattle. The men's team finished fourth, while Helbling ran a personal-best time of 24:14.01 on the 8,000-meter course and he finished 10th.

Helbling's main goal is simple - to stay healthy.

"I've never been able to train year-round," Helbling said. "I want to stay consistent."

In the 2009 state 5A state boys cross country meet, Helbling finished second with a time of 16:02.59. In the Foot Locker West Regional Championships in December of that same year, Helbling finished third in 15:32 and qualified for the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in San Diego, where he finished 30th in 15:32. He also won Lake City's athletic scholar of the year award.

It was during track season at Lake City where Helbling struggled with injuries. He had a stress fracture on his femur near his left leg that caused him to miss the state track and field meets in both his junior and senior seasons. He also dealt with shin splints his sophomore year at BYU but has not had any major injuries during his college career.

"It was like any injury," Helbling said. "I got used to it. It was kind of frustrating. Luckily, I had the whole college thing figured out."

Helbling had the whole running thing figured out, too. As a BYU freshman on the track and field team, Helbling picked up a personal-best record at the Husky Invitational, finishing in ninth place out of 23 runners at 8:15 in the 3,000.

FOR HIS mother, Selina Helbling, having a girl is a new thing for the family. Cody has a younger brother, Seth Helbling, who attends the College of Idaho in Caldwell, near Boise.

"We had Cody and his younger brother Seth," Selina said. "It's pretty cool and exciting. I'm a little worried about him finishing school first, but if anybody's going to do it, he can. He's about 2 1/2 years away from graduating."

FOR NICOLE Helbling, life is pretty busy. But the family's all set to welcome their little bundle of joy into the world, all while Cody is running as hard as he can and of course, studying as hard as he can.

"We're super excited," Nicole said. "We're happy to start our little family."

Nicole talked about what she liked about Cody from the beginning of their days spent attending Lake City.

"I like his hard-working nature," Nicole said. "He's always sweet, he's always thinking about other people."

The two appear to have a bright future and imagine the possibilities this young family can achieve.

Bruce Bourquin is a sports writer at The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2013, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at bourq25.