West Des Moines Valley runner, Alabama signee Addison Dorenkamp committed to being best

Addison Dorenkamp had something important to do before boarding an early-morning flight to Whitefish, Montana, for spring break last year. Dorenkamp, a distance runner at Valley High School in West Des Moines, was so determined to get in a workout that day that she set her alarm for 4 a.m., ventured to a nearly empty gym nearby and hopped on a treadmill.

“There were a few guys lifting,” Dorenkamp said. “But I was definitely the only one cranking out 10 miles on the treadmill.”

It was nothing new for the hard-working Dorenkamp, whose running career is full of these tales. That work ethic is a big reason why the Valley senior is the most accomplished distance runner in the state. It’s also why Dorenkamp, who will run at Alabama next season, was a heavily sought-after recruit by college track and cross country coaches throughout the nation.

“She has a gift," said Dorenkamp’s mom, Jan. "And she's so disciplined."

That gift will be on full display this week when Dorenkamp runs at the Drake Relays. The iconic event on the blue oval usually ends with a high school athlete becoming the star of the show after some impressive performances. The 17-year-old Dorenkamp, already a state champion in cross country and track, could be that athlete this year.

“What she has done over the course of her career and the times that she has put out there, she would be a legitimate candidate to be someone to be talked about for the next several years,” said Valley girls track coach Keith Borness.

'Well, how many races are there?'

Dorenkamp grew up in a family of runners. But she originally didn't want anything to do with the sport. Her parents, Jan and Steve, were from small-town high school teams in Iowa that didn't even have their own tracks. Steve helped CAL of Latimer to a state title in 1987 and become a frequent attendee of the Drake Relays over the years. He was the one who encouraged Addison to sign up for the Stilwell Junior High School team in seventh grade. At the time, Addison was more interested in soccer.

"It was kind of a last-minute thing, let's try it," Addison said. "It would keep me in shape for soccer."

Neither Addison nor her parents had big expectations, at least not early on. In fact, she surprised everyone during her first competition in the 2-mile run. The race featured tons of competitors in seventh and eighth grades. But she stood out.

Jan, who driving back from a work trip in Waterloo, was surprised when she got phone calls from Steve and a neighbor of theirs. They were raving about Addison as they explained how she finished in the top 15. Jan couldn't believe it.

"I'm like, 'Well, how many races are there?'" Jan recalled.

It shocked everyone, including Addison. But the success quickly fueled a love of running. There was more to come. Addison's team could run only in that event and the state meet that year. So as the season went on, Jan tracked the times of other runners to she where her daughter's times stacked up. She was among the best. Addison proved it wasn't a fluke later in the year when she helped her seventh-grade team to a state title.

"That was kind of when I was like, 'Oh, I'm kind of good at this,'" Addison said.

Addison wanted to be even better. So she devoted all her energy toward running. She quit soccer and focused on her new sport. When Addison got to high school, she started showing up to voluntary cross country workouts at Valley seven days a week at 7:30 a.m. During her sophomore year, she started lifting weights as many as three days a week. Addison began a strict diet regime. She managed it herself by doing her own grocery shopping and prepping her own meals.

Her running routine would be just as intense. Borness said her post-practice cool downs sometimes consist of runs as far as eight miles. The Dorenkamps planned spring break trips around her passion for the sport so she could find places to run. The devotion to be great was endless.

"Her discipline is crazy," Jan said.

The hard work has paid off.

Dorenkamp becomes one of the state's top distance runners

After winning state in cross country in 2021, she entered the 2022 season as the favorite. But Dorenkamp, who dealt with an inflamed quad and glute, missed most of the season. Dorenkamp's first race came less than 20 days before the state meet, and she couldn't even finish it. As runners passed her, she heard an opposing coach talk about how another runner was able to break her. Dorenkamp was determined to prove them wrong. So she showed up to Ben Tilus' business, XLR8 Performance Lab in Ankeny, and worked for up to four hours a day to get ready for the state meet.

The two plotted a plan to get her healthy for the meet, which was at the same location as her first race. They even came up with an idea for her to take control of the race at the very spot she went down at. It worked to perfection. Dorenkamp not only won a state title but tallied the fourth-best time in state history.

"No one in the state could match her work ethic," Tilus said.

The success attracted the attention of college coaches throughout the nation. Just a week after teams could start reaching her, Dorenkamp got her first phone call. And then another. And another. Jan says she's heard from at least one school in every major conference.

Addison wanted to live somewhere warm and run in the Southeastern Conference. She loves the coaches at Alabama and their plans for developing her into an even better runner. Dorenkamp felt at home on the campus and was in awe of the team's facilities. So she signed with Alabama in November.

"It was very special and it just felt like home," Dorenkamp said. "The second I got down there, I knew that's where I wanted to go."

The success (including back-to-back state titles in the 1,500 and 3,000 in 2022 and 2023) and the signing with prestigious program have made Dorenkamp the star of the track and field season. All eyes will be on her during this week's Drake Relays. The event always features the best runners in the state. Dorenkamp watched as runners such as Paityn Noe of Ballard and Ali Frandsen garnered awards, accolades and attention in recent Relays.

This year, it could be Dorenkamp's time to shine as she sets her sights on breaking records in the 1,500 and 3,000. She'll also run in the 4x800.

"Not many people have been able to do what she did," Borness said.

With the end of her high school career coming to a close, Addison has a chance to go down in history as one of the Drake Relays' biggest names. She's ready for it.

"The opportunity to potentially be that athlete is definitely something really special because it's my last year at the Drake Relays as a high schooler," she said. "So, I'm just excited to see what happens."

Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: West Des Moines Valley's Addison Dorenkamp one of Iowa's top runners