His chance at gold

Dave Denny can be forgiven if he doesn’t get much sleep the next couple of nights.
“Much sleep?” asks Denny, the former Lee’s Summit High School track and field/cross country coach who helped shape 2000 graduate and U.S. Olympic distance runner Matt Tegenkamp. “I doubt if I get any sleep the next two nights. I’m just too excited.”
That’s because the former Tiger star, the American record holder in the two-mile (8:07.07, set in 2007) is competing at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday (Kansas City time) in the 5,000 meters in the Olympic Games in Beijing.
“I’ve coached some wonderful kids, and had some come very close to making it to the Olympics,” Denny said Monday night. “But Matt’s the first one I’ve had make it to the Games. And it’s just so special, almost like watching a son or daughter.”
Tegenkamp finished second to Bernard Lagat in the 5,000 at the U.S. Olympic Trials, finishing in 13 minutes, 29.68 seconds to earn his first trip to the Olympics.
Earlier this year, the former 1,600, 3,200 and cross country high school state champion, won the men’s 3,000 meters with a time of 8:02.52 at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston.
“It’s been a big year for Matt, and a big year for me,” Denny said. “I was there when he placed second in the Trials (in Eugene, Ore.). What a great moment. The fact that Matt’s competing in the Olympics really hasn’t attracted that much attention out in Lee’s Summit.
“I don’t think people know how tough it is to make the Olympic team. You have to go to the Trials and finish in the top three. Now, he’s going to be competing in one of the two heats Wednesday morning.
“They will take the top six from each heat, but the next three fastest runners make up the 15 who will compete for the medals. It’s going to be very tough, competing against the Africans and Ethiopians, but Matt is always ready for a challenge.”
The finals are set for Saturday at 7:10 a.m. (Kansas City time). His family, which lives in Lakewood, has traveled to China to cheer him on after getting help with a recent fundraiser there.
Tegenkamp set a Missouri state cross country record (15:26.7) as a senior and also owns the state record in the 3,200 (8:57).
Tegenkamp then starred at the University of Wisconsin. After redshirting his freshman season, he stunned the track world by defeating two-time high school national champion Dathan Ritzenhein at the U.S. Junior Cross Country championships, handing Ritzenhein his first cross country defeat in several years.
Tegenkamp then placed fifth at the World Junior Cross Country Championships behind Ritzenhein and future world record holder Kenenisa Bekele, who just won the gold medal in the 10,000 meters for Ethiopia earlier this week.
Tegenkamp graduated from Wisconsin in 2005 and chose to stay in Madison to train as a professional under his collegiate coach, Jerry Schumacher. In 2006, he set personal bests at 1,500 meters (3:35.96), 3,000 meters (7:34.98) and the two-mile (8:16.50).
In 2007, he won the USA Indoor National 3K in 7:46.08. Tegenkamp will move to Portland, Ore., area after the Olympics to follow Schumacher, who recently signed on with Nike track team. Tegenkamp, who is sponsored by Nike, will train at the shoe company’s track and field headquarters in Portland.
“It’s one of the greatest training facilities in the world,” Denny said. “The kid’s done all right for himself.”