Star Staff Reports
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Tanner Burnett, a senior at Brighton High School has signed to run Cross Country and Track for King University in Bristol. Burnett was a multi-sport athlete during his four years at Brighton. He lettered in varsity football as a freshman kicker and was a standout varsity soccer player his freshman and sophomore years leading the team in scoring both years, garnering All-District, All-Region and several team accolades. Burnett has always enjoyed running and he competed at the AAU Junior Olympics in his younger years. He holds the Brighton High School record for the mile. Burnett decided to focus solely on running after his sophomore year in hopes of being able to run in college someday. He narrowed his choices to Mars Hill University in North Carolina, Mississippi College in Mississippi, and Lindenwood University in Missouri but ultimately chose King University. “After visiting several schools and coaches I quickly realized that King was the best fit for me,” Burnett said. “It’s a very competitive nationally ranked program with an outstanding coach. Coach Peter Dalton is probably the main reason I decided to attend college there. “He really made me feel comfortable, he has tons of coaching experience and he was a Division I collegiate runner himself,” he added. “I really feel that under his coaching I will be able to reach my full potential there. I love his coaching philosophy and I am extremely excited to join the Tornado team in the fall.”
King University is a NCAA Division II University and is a member of the Conference Carolinas Conference. The men’s cross country team has qualified for, and competed at the National Cross Country meet the past two consecutive years. Burnett is the son of Jim and Peggy Burnett of Atoka.
