The list of names that Denson has worked or trained with throughout the years reads like a who¹s who of competitive distance running, from UAM legends such as Damon Martin and Jeff Pope, to Jeff Wells and John Lodwick, who both earned All-American honors at Southern Methodist, to Frank Shorter, who won the gold medal in the 1972 Munich Olympics in the marathon, and the silver medal in the 1976 Montreal Olympics in the same event.

Denson will rely on his experience and determination in the hopes of bringing the UAM cross country program back to the level of success it enjoyed from the 1960s all the way up to the 1980s.

The Monticello native lettered in football and track at Monticello High School before graduating in 1972, and moving on to UAM, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1976 and earning four letters in cross country and track.

Denson moved on to Texas, graduating from the Baylor University College of Dentistry in 1979. While at Baylor, Denson still found time for competitive running, joining the Dallas Cross Country Club and the Steak & Ale Distance Running Team, earning the team championship in 1978.

After returning to Monticello to practice dentistry, Denson served as a volunteer assistant with the UAM Cross Country and Track program from 1979-88.

Denson got back into coaching in the fall of 1999, serving as a volunteer assistant at Monticello High School from 1999-2005 with cross country, and 2000-2005 with track.

Denson still runs 35-40 miles per week while practicing dentistry in Monticello four and a half days a week. He estimates he has run over 75,000 miles since his college days. He has qualified for the Boston Marathon five times, running in four, turning in a best time of 2:34.

He has run in numerous road races ranging from one mile to marathon, competing in two national masters indoor track championships; finishing third in the two-mile run at LSU in 1988 and 5th in the 3000-meter event at Ohio State in 1989, earning All-America honors both times.