There will be many top candidates for the Male Athlete of the Year awards for 2012-13, but the winner should be a determined young man who cannot run or walk.

His name is Jordan Houdeshell, and he's one of the most inspirational athletes you'll ever meet. And yes, he's definitely an athlete.

Houdeshell, a senior at Linn-Mar High School, won his second straight title at the state cross country meet Saturday in the wheelchair division. He became the first-ever state wheelchair champ in 2011 and gave an encore performance Saturday at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

If you don't think it takes athletic ability to do what he does, try racing around a golf course for 18 minutes and 37 seconds in a wheelchair, using only your arms for locomotion over a 5-kilometer course.

Houdeshell trains relentlessly the year-round and won three titles at the state track meet in Des Moines last May. He's the most accomplished wheelchair athlete in the state and a terrific young man with great spirit.

Houdeshell was born with spina bifida and has no functional use of his legs. He's developed an extremely strong upper body, however, and navigates quite well in his regular every-day wheelchair and also in his aerodynamic racing bike.

The first few times you see Houdeshell, you might see a young man confined to a wheelchair. But after you've talked to him and watched him compete, you quit staring at the wheelchair and see a supreme athlete who is determined to conquer his environment.

Houdeshell had only one regret Saturday at the state meet. He was the only wheelchair athlete on the course and had to compete against himself. Last year, another young man participated in the meet and became the first runnerup in state history.

"I'm just hoping that as time goes on, maybe five or 10 years from now, there are more kids doing it," Houdeshell remarked after his victory.

Houdeshell accepts no barriers in his life and it will be fun to see what he accomplishes as he moves into adulthood. Chances are, he'll become a leader in whatever field he selects and will continue to be an inspiration to the rest of us.

In addition to the sheer physical exertion of wheelchair racing, there are environmental challenges that must be overcome.

Two weeks ago at the state qualifying meet in Marshalltown, Houdeshell had to maneuver around a wet, slippery course that had sharp turns, slopes and valleys. And Saturday in Fort Dodge, the course was a little spongy from recent rains.

"It was definitely harder than last year," he said. "The ground is a lot softer."

Houdeshell was clocked in 17:02 when he won the race in 2011. His time was 18:37 Saturday, due to the soft course.

Someday his record of 17:02 will be broken. And when it is, Houdeshell will be the first man to congratulate the winner on a job well done.

Houdeshell plans to compete in a cross country meet this weekend in Ankeny for all high school seniors, then plans to race in the Nike regional meet in Sioux Falls, S.D., in two weeks with the rest of his Linn-Mar teammates.

Don't bet against him. He's a winner, on and off the course.