Lone Clark Fork runner hoping to nab 2A state cross country title

CLARK FORK - A lot can run through the mind of the long distance runner, a breed of athlete who churns out mile after solitary mile, eyes fixed on the next stride while racing against both opponents and the clock.

For Clark Fork senior distance ace Adam Denham, the lone male runner for the first-ever Wampus Cat cross country team, running takes on a sort of cathartic quality, a place and time where the mind is free to wander as his feet pound the dirt and pavement.

"It's a good place to think and get a lot of my anger out; a good stress reliever," says Denham, one of the top male distance runners in north Idaho. "I just love going out. I love the competition."

Denham has set his goals high this year, hoping to make a run at the 2A state cross country title and possibly earn a chance to run in college. He finished 9th at state in the 3,200 last year and 10th in the 1,600, and admits to running cross country partially to help drop those times this spring. He recently beat 48 runners at the 1A/2A Regionals in Potlach as he continues to drop time before state.

His coach, Megan Olson, believes Denham can go even lower when pushed, saying his strengths are shear guts and mental toughness.

"He has the ability to push everything out of his mind except running," Olson explains. "His ability is hard to pin down because he can kick it into gear in the big races. I don't know why that is, but it's impressive. We've yet to see his full potential."

While he competes alone for Clark Fork, in a jersey that reads Clark Fork Track, he's got surrogate teammates in the Sandpoint Bulldogs, whom he practiced with all year. He's made many close friends and was even on hand at the 4A district meet at Dover Bay recently to root them on, a great show of class.

"They like it and I love it," says Denham of practicing with Sandpoint, admitting it can be lonely in competitions without teammates in the pack-driven sport. "I've made some really good friends and it helps to have that competition in practice."

Olson hopes Denham may inspire more Clark Fork kids to take up the sport, perhaps even fielding an entire team sometime in the future.

"This is Clark Fork's first cross country team," admits Olson, who also coached junior girls Jessica Cartmell and Diana Geiger. "Adam has raised the bar for years to come."

The 5A/4A/3A/2A cross country championships are this Satruday, at Eagle Island State Park.