Runner’s Death Remains a Mystery

The father of a 17-year-old cross-country runner who collapsed during a race and died said Friday that his son was in good condition despite a heart murmur and had been cleared by a doctor to compete for Victorville Silverado High.

Jason Kortekaas was in a coma for 11 days and died Wednesday, leaving behind a five-month-old son and a grief-stricken family searching for answers, his father said.

“He was in good condition,” Ron Kortekaas said of his son.Kortekaas, a senior, was in his first season of cross-country, but he ran track--in events ranging from the 100 to 800 meters--as a sophomore and junior. He also played junior-varsity football last fall.

“His determination to finish what he started was always there,” his father said. “He didn’t like to leave things unfinished.”

Kortekaas’ death is the second cross-country-related death in a month, and the 14th since 1982. On Friday, organizers of today’s Inland Empire Challenge said they would reevaluate how the cross-country meet will be conducted.

Kortekaas fell to his knees and rolled onto the ground near the second mile of a three-mile run at Yucaipa High that took place on Sept. 29, with temperatures close to 100 degrees. In an e-mail sent to reporters after the meet, Yucaipa Coach Jim Clendaniel referred to the conditions as “very hot” and said that temperatures “greatly affected times.”

Kortekaas had a systolic heart murmur, generally considered a benign abnormality, according to his father.

Ron Kortekaas and his wife, Carole, did not attend the meet but were informed of their son’s condition from the wife of Silverado cross-country Coach Phil Dotson, who drove to the family’s house because her husband did not have emergency phone numbers at the meet.

Told only that their son had fainted, the couple headed to Redlands Community Hospital expecting to find their son suffering from dehydration. Instead, they were told by a doctor that Jason was, “a very sick boy.”

Jason was transferred to Loma Linda Hospital within three hours for more in-depth cardio-pulmonary care. He never regained consciousness. A formal cause of death has not been determined.

A 15-year-old sophomore in Rocky River, Ohio, died Sept. 12 after collapsing during practice. Moriah Lydon told a teammate she felt tired before she collapsed a mile into a team run. Lydon, who died that night, had a heart defect, according to a county coroner’s report.

“Two [deaths] in one year is not a trend, but we’ve had less than one a year [on average] until now,” said Dr. Fred Mueller of the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury.

Kortekaas’ death, coupled with predicted high temperatures for today, have led some coaches to take precautions for meets.

Jeff Swigart, co-director of today’s Inland Valley Challenge in Ontario, said he would allow coaches to give runners water during the race despite California Interscholastic Federation rules that prohibit runners from receiving any type of aid during a competition that would give them an edge.

Swigart also might allow runners to be sprayed with water as they pass a certain point during the race.

“If a little extra water is going to help a kid get to the finish line in a healthier state, I’m not going to make a big deal about it,” he said.

Excessive heat led to postponements of more than a dozen cross-country meets last month.