With the change of the academic trimester at Brighton comes a change in sports seasons. Here is a review of the past season accomplishments and a glimpse into the hopes of the spring season.  

Wrestling

 Coach Burke Gappmayer ends his fourth and final year as head boys wrestling coach on the state consolation finals mats where Mei Mei Engebretsen ended her four years at Brighton with a third place finish. Jarom Gappmayer won post season honors by being named an Academic All-State student-athlete. 

Seven Brighton wrestlers qualified as state wrestlers in 2026:

-Amelia Black 100

-Mei Mei Engebretsen 120

-Elise Lewis 125

-Aubrey Ayala 125

-Jarom Gappmayer 138

-Landon Hill 150

-Nando Cortez 180

 A highlight of the wrestling season was the 56th annual Battle of the Axe hosted at Brighton versus Hillcrest. Brighton boys retained the rights to the boys axe with a decisive team victory. The girls axe (established in 2023) has yet to be won by Brighton's girls wrestling team.  Hillcrest girls won that battle by a slim 3 points. The JV Battle of the Hatchet was won and retained by Brighton. 

Christine Yee took over the head coach role for the girls team from Joidee Gappmayer who is battling brain cancer. The teams dedicated the year to coach Gappmayer’s cancer battle by wearing “Team Joidee” gray ribbons. 

Girls Basketball

The girls basketball season was punctuated by senior Sophie Nielsen reaching unmatched scoring records. The prolific senior has scored more career varsity points than any girl or boy basketball player in Brighton’s 56-year history. She is equally dominate on the lacrosse field where she is the leading career goal scorer for girls varsity lacrosse. Her crowning achievement may be her four years of a perfect 4.0 grade point average and being named as an Academic All- State student-athlete. Her lacrosse coach Melissa Nash simply states, “Sophie is amazing in every way!”

Swimming

 Brighton’s storied swimming program earned the right to be elevated to 6A competition. It is Brighton’s only sport competing in 6A in a region with Farmington, Davis, Weber, Syracuse and Layton. The girls team dominated the region tournament with 521 points to second place Farmington's 301 points. The boys team nearly match that feat dominating their region tournament with 511 points to Layton’s 327. 

At the state tournament, the story was all about senior Luan Barnard who peaked at the 6A state tournament. “It feels amazing to be able to come out here and swim my best and do what I did in practice. Just being able to come here and swim my heart out and see how far I’ve come from last year, just pushing myself to the limit and faster than I thought I could ever go,” Barnard said. 

Barnard set new 6A and state records in the 100 Back (47.72 sec.) and the 200 Free (1:39.85 min.) to become a two-time 6A state champion. While the Brighton trophy cases highlight swimmers who have state champion titles, Barnard differentiates himself by having bested the 5A teams last year as a 100 back state champion and following up this year by besting the 6A field with double state championships. 

Barnard committed to the University of Utah for the next level of competition. 

Brighton’s Athletic Director Garrett Wilson says of the coming spring sports season, “We’re really excited about the start of the new season at Brighton High School. Our programs have built a great tradition of hard work and competitiveness, and this year’s teams are ready to carry that forward.” 

Wilson added that Brighton will add two new coaches to its leadership: John Gygi as boys soccer head coach and Chris Opheikens as softball head coach.

Girls Golf

 Girls golf is coming off an impressive fifth-place finish at state last year. Senior Cate Cook and sophomore Claire Olafsson, who both finished in the top five individually in 2025, will lead that group again this season. New talent includes Phoebe Selander and Gwen Romney. In the opening tournament at a cold and blustery Glendale Golf Course, Cate Cook shot a respectable 68 and took first place as an individual. 

Brighton Boys Tennis

The boys tennis varsity team returns most of its lineup and is poised for a strong tournament run, 36 tennis players are on the teams this year with the influx of many aspiring freshmen. Henry Owen returns as the No. 1 varsity singles anchor. Other varsity returners are Owen Maxfield, Nigel Mansell, Ollie Hopkin and Argo Tarr. “The Brighton Bengal tennis boys are gearing up for a strong season. We aim to always give 100% and bring a strong force to reckon with,” coach Natalie Meyer said.

Track and Field

The Brighton boys track and field team defended their region championship this year. The girls team is led by top scorer from 2025, Bridget Smit. The sophomore runner looks to repeat her podium finishes in the distance: 3200, 1600 and 800. Sophie Crespin is a strong candidate to compete for medals in the sprints as well as jumps. 

The boys team is paced by 110 hurdler Calvin Hawkins who was a top athlete in 2025 as a junior. The team boasts the top disc thrower in the state in football star Jaxon Nettleton. 

Boys Lacrosse

Coach Chris O’Donnell is clear on his preseason expectations: “Compete in every game we play—win region and three-peat as state champions.” The competitive environment in 5A has become more complex with the addition of Judge (two-time 4A champions) and West Field high schools to the classification. The path to a third straight championship and a proper dynasty will depend largely upon the underclassmen stepping in to fill the graduated seniors’ roles. 

“We’re excited to get the season going and challenge ourselves to the best we can,” O’Donnell said. 

Boys volleyball

The boys volleyball team has been young the past couple of seasons. But with that experience now under their belts, the senior-rich team is ranked fifth in the state in 2026. The team is coached by 32-year veteran Mondo Begay who coached Skyline girls to a state championship and dedicates his spring volleyball season to the Brighton boys.  

Baseball

Brighton baseball is coming off back-to-back state championship appearances. While the program graduated a talented group, it becomes an opportunity for many new players to step up for the Bengals on the diamond. Last year, Brighton baseball finished the season nearly undefeated with a sizzling 20-1 record. That record can only be slightly improved. 

“Overall, it’s a great time to be a Bengal. We have outstanding student-athletes, dedicated coaches, and a community that does an incredible job supporting our programs. We’re looking forward to a fun and competitive spring season,” concluded Wilson.