Jenna MacPherson runs cross country for Deary to help improve her endurance for the Moscow High swim team.

Between juggling classes as a home schooler and taking classes at Deary High School and the University of Idaho, MacPherson squeezes in not one but two competitive sports-swimming for Moscow High and cross country for Deary.

"Actually, I play three sports," MacPherson reminds you. "Don't forget about my ultimate Frisbee team at Idaho."

It might be an intramural team, but you better believe she counts it.

AN UNLIKELY BEGINNING

MacPherson's path to the pool is a short one that started with tragic heartbreak.

When her father was a teenager, he watched his sister drown. Neither one of them could swim nor could the other teens nearby. They were helpless. As a result, her father decided years later that all his children would learn to swim.

All four of his children learned-and young Jenna never wanted to get out of the pool. As her swimming times improved, she sought a way to be better.

"The only reason she started running was because she wanted better endurance in the pool," Deary cross country coach John Sutera says. "Jenna is a very driven person."

MacPherson uses every piece of competitive leverage she can to improve.

When her older sister Ailene began running track, MacPherson's times showed a marked improvement.

"I know this sounds bad, but I couldn't think of a single thing worse than having my sister beat me at track," MacPherson admits. "I couldn't imagine her being smarter than me and beating me at track. As soon as my sister started running, I started running faster."

MacPherson's freshman year, she and her sister competed in the 3200-meter race at the state track meet.

"It was a great day," MacPherson says. "We got to be on the podium together after the race since we finished third and fifth."

Any question as to who finished third and who finished fifth?

1 IF BY LAND, 2 IF BY SEA

MacPherson's biggest challenge - aside from juggling a daunting daily academic and athletic schedule - is to refrain from training too much.

"I am very careful competing in two sports at once because you can train too much," says MacPherson, who will have a Spanish minor by the time she completes her classes at Deary High next year. "I won't practice both sports every day."

But she will compete in both sports. At the highest level of competition. On the same day.

Last season's state cross country meet fell on the same day as the district swimming meet. But it made no difference to MacPherson. Not even waking up with the flu stopped her.

She ran in the state cross country meet, finishing in the top third. Then, she drove three hours to her district swimming meet-and posted a new personal record in the butterfly.

This season, MacPherson is at it again, performing at a high level in both sports.

And if things go her way, swimming on a college scholarship awaits. With a 1:02 time in the butterfly stroke event, MacPherson understands that she needs to shave another two seconds off to get under one minute to have a chance at a scholarship.

"It's definitely doable," MacPherson says. "I've just got to stay focused and keep training hard and maybe I'll get there."

Is there really any question if she will?