Student Athlete of the Week: Brighton Langenegger

Because his days on the Niwot High School boys basketball team are limited, Brighton Langenegger has dedicated his senior season toward "inspiring the younger guys."

Langenegger's motive stems from an acronym he learned while attending a PGC (Point Guard College) Basketball camp: E.T.D.M.T.Y.S., which stands for "Expect To Do More Than Your Share." Essentially, the instruction promotes going above and beyond in all aspects of life.

"Every moment, no matter what you're doing, do it more-that means picking up trash after games, helping out teammates, family and friends," Langenegger said. "When everybody's embodying this acronym, it really goes a long way, especially on the basketball court when people are doing extra to get their teammates open and diving on loose balls. I really want to inspire that in the next generation of guys."

As one of only two seniors on the varsity team this season, Langenegger has access to plenty of knowledge-hungry teammates who are gathering both his advice and any post-game trash.

"It's actually been really cool to see a lot of the young guys who are now picking up trash after games and taking care of each other," Langenegger said. "We've grown really strong on and off the court. It's been cool to see the cultural changes that are happening."

It probably would have been easy for Langenegger to throw in the towel during his senior season. Niwot hired a new head coach, Walker Bounds, in August, and all signs pointed to this being a rebuilding year. Nevertheless, Langenegger has dedicated himself to helping his younger teammates along with fellow senior Jackson Carano.

Langenegger, who spent his freshman year at Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder, added that Bounds has helped turn what could've been a difficult senior season into an enjoyable experience.

"He (Bounds) really cares about making sure that we have the best senior season possible," Langenegger said. "We're the building blocks for his next generation of coaching guys. We set the groundwork."

After playing in only a handful of games last year before suffering a season-ending concussion, the 6-foot-6-inch forward is back healthy and currently leading the 3-5 Cougars with 7.1 rebounds per game. He's also third on his team in points per game (8.1) and tied for second in average assists (1.8).

"My post moves are feeling automatic, I've gotten a lot better at getting to the basket (and) my defense has gotten better," he said.

Looking at the future, Langenegger hopes to play basketball in college.

"I'd love to continue my love for basketball at the next level," he said. "To continue playing and learning and improving, it's always been my dream and it's what I want to do. I've already been accepted into a couple of high academic STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) schools - I'm really excited about that - that I could possibly play basketball at."