Few distance runners in the state can match what Stephen Clark has accomplished over the past two years at Skyline.

Clark won back-to-back 5A cross country championships in 2006 and 2007. In track and field last year, he also enjoyed a memorable junior season — a state title in the 800 meters and a runner-up finish in the 1,600.

The senior also made a splash at the prestigious 2007 Foot Locker meets, taking third in the West Regional and qualifying for the Nationals, where he finished 12th.

It was the highest finish for an athlete from Skyline and one of the best ever for a runner from Utah.

"Running is not really rocket science, if you get right down to it," Clark said. "There's lots of books and great runners out there that have posted all their stuff. I just try to put together the formula that fits my body best to help me perform to my potential."

Whatever formula he put together works great. Clark enters his final spring with the Eagles as a state title contender in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.

His rise as a distance runner was not an unforeseen development. When Clark first joined Skyline's track and cross country teams, his raw potential instantly grabbed the attention of longtime coach Tom Porter.

"As a freshman when he came in, we saw unbelievable amounts of talent," Porter said. "I would dare say, as far as pure natural ability, in my 14 years I have been coaching I haven't seen a kid like that."

Clark's early years at Skyline were a rough road. Going from junior high track to high school competition proved to be tougher than he anticipated. Training was much more intense; competitors were much more experienced and talented.

But Clark responded to those challenges by working overtime to tap into his potential.

"It's an evolution that takes place where he has to take baby steps at it," Porter said. "It just doesn't come overnight. But little by little — we do a race, evaluate it, pick out things we need to improve on, try and go after those things and then go onto the next one."

Clark's efforts at self-improvement were realized in a dramatic way upon winning his first cross country state title. It marked the first time he had ever beaten Davis runner Jared Ward, who finished second, in a cross country meet.

That breakthrough earned him scholarship offers from a host of colleges, helping to compensate for his distance-running sacrifices — missed time with family and friends, early morning workouts and grueling meet schedules.

"I started getting letters," Clark said. "They would deliver them to my classes and I would rip them open. I was so excited to see all the hard work that it takes finally paying off."

Clark narrowed his final choice down to Florida State and Duke, ultimately signing with the Blue Devils. He chose them over the defending champion Seminoles because Duke offered a mix of academics and athletics he found more appealing.

He also relished the idea of being a building block for a middle-of-the-road ACC program looking to move up nationally. He is the highest Foot Locker finisher to sign with the Blue Devils so far.

"I feel like they're a growing team and they're kind of unknown now, but I feel like it can go somewhere," Clark said. "I feel like it really has potential."

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E-mail: jcoon@desnews.com