B-W: Cross Country Runner Has Rock Lodged in Her Throat

BEREA, OHIO -- Baldwin-Wallace College junior cross country runner Jamie Luketic (Rootstown, Ohio) fought the battle of her life last Saturday (September 13) at the Mel Brodt Invitational Meet at Bowling Green State University.

Luketic, a speech pathology major, was running in the Division III 5K race when all of a sudden, the runner in front of her "kicks up a stone." Unfortunately for Luketic, the stone enters her mouth and travels down her throat. The stone then becomes lodged in her windpipe.

That is when the battle for her life ensued.

First, Luketic takes a few more steps. She then stops and drops down to her knees and then to all fours. She begins to choke.

"At first I thought it was a bug or a fly that flew into my mouth," said Luketic. "But then I couldn't catch my breath. I began to get scared. I was looking around for someone, anyone. I lost my sense of where I was but could feel someone behind me."

The only two people around Luketic at this time are another male cross country runner who had earlier completed his race and first-year John Carroll University cross country and track coach Mark McClure. Good thing that McClure knew what to do.

McClure gets behind Luketic and presses on her back and her abdomen. Jamie spits out the stone which flies some eight feet away.

For Jamie Luketic, it was all she needed to begin breathing normally again. Mark McClure saved her life.

"I am so grateful to Coach McClure for being there and helping me," said Luketic. "At first, I really didn't know what to think. But after a little while it all began to come back to me. He saved my life."