Christopher Kafkakis
The seniors on Brighton High School's boys cross country team pose for a group photo on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, Brighton High School’s cross country teams recognized their seniors at their annual Senior Night at Huron Meadows Metropark following their wins against Plymouth High School. The boys defeated Plymouth 21-40, and the girls defeated Plymouth with a perfect score of 15-50, taking home the first 12 places. This was Brighton’s second and final home meet of the season and followed their meet last week against Salem and Northville.
As part of the Senior Night activities, parents hung up banners with the seniors’ names and photos along the fence behind the pavilion where the teams were set up. The seniors on the girls team also made posters with pictures of their accomplishments and their records. After the races concluded, each senior stepped forward to be recognized. The coaches shared each senior’s favorite cross country memory and their advice for their teammates; after every senior was recognized, they gathered for a group photo.
While each senior had a different story to share, what tied them all together was their collective sense of community and bonding as a team.
“I’ve only ever done track, lacrosse and cross country, but I still can say that this is one of the best communities in the school,” senior Liam Plank said.
The athletes’ parents shared similar views.
“Well, I just think cross country is really great. The kids are super nice,” Corrine Shourds, parent to junior Noelle Shourds, said. ”They’re very inclusive and just very supportive of each other. It’s a good program.”
The cross country teams are among the oldest at BHS, with team records dating back to the 1970s. It is unique among them because it typically lacks a distinction between varsity and JV teams; at dual meets where only two schools compete, such as this one, the entire team runs in one race. The only time a “varsity” team is distinguished is at invitational meets where many schools compete at once, in which case the top runners from the team race in a separate division. This combination of a well-established team history and the equal status of all its members contributes to an exceptionally strong team bond.
Despite this, cross country also features characteristics more typical of an individual sport, such as the selecting of top players for finals and the striving of runners to set new personal records. Self-improvement is a major motivation for many of the runners as they find out what they are capable of achieving and how they can improve.
“I guess just the discipline you build up over time makes you want to do it more,” Plank said.
In any case, the accomplishments of all the athletes, not just the seniors, were on display on Tuesday. While each individual runner may set a new personal best, it is the performance of the top five runners on each team that determines the team’s score.
Shourds said, “I’m super proud of her. It’s hard work running” in reference to her daughter, who set a personal season record of 23:50.61.
While this was their last home meet, both teams still have many races to go before the end of the season. Though the seniors may be leaving after they graduate, their cross country stories are far from over; every additional mile they run until the MHSAA state finals on Nov. 1 will provide more opportunities for bonding and growth.
As Plank put it, “It’s a great day to run.”
Find out more information about Brighton athletics at godogs.org.