The 2023 Brighton cross country team is positioning to make a move this year under the leadership of coaches Angie Welder and David Edmunds.

"A third of our team are seniors who have developed well over their four years here and have worked hard to make an impact this year. The depth of our senior-led boys and girls teams has been unmatched in the eight years since I've been here," Welder said.

Welder and Edmunds are co-head coaches that share responsibilities with both girls and boys teams. In cross country the top seven boys and girls race in varsity races and the top five boys and top five girls score with the lowest score winning. The girls squad placed second last week at the Premier Invite. 

"We have three senior girls in Mesia Evans, Avery Parry and Hope Edmunds who have worked really hard through adversity and injury and should be grouped near the top of our region. We got the surprise of adding Daisy Dastrup from Maryland over the summer who is really fast and will help our girls compete really well at region and state. If we can keep everyone healthy this season this could be the best Brighton cross country team we have seen," Edmunds said.

"Vance Langston, Carter Summers, Talmage Howe, Austin Langston and Cruz Hazen are all great runners and highly competitive, and I am excited to see how they help each other to compete for a region championship on the boys side," Welder said. "I am really proud of our whole team of 70 runners. Everyone gets an opportunity to compete and a place to belong. Our student-athletes really get along well and are supportive of each other through the JV ranks and are good about including our freshmen as well."

"We have preaching 'Better Together' to our teams this summer," Edmunds said. "In a sport like cross country, each individual is running as fast as they can. And more importantly, each individual performance contributes to the team's success. A rising tide lifts all ships and we see that start in practice and continue to race day, and coach Welder and I are excited to see how that plays out this year.”

Brighton cross country will race several meets this fall with the region championships on Sept. 29 at Sugar House Park and state on Oct. 24 at the Rose Park Athletic Facility. λ