Coach Elton Wright was a Cross country and track & field coach known as the “Father of Cross Country” in Mississippi. He is a native of Kosciusko who lettered in track for 5 years and ran with the 1962 SEC Championship Mississippi State cross country team. He also ran on record-setting track squads at Holmes Junior College before serving as captain of the Mississippi College track and cross country teams in 1964 & 1965. He led Forest Hill track and cross country teams from 1966 to 1994 and organized the first high school cross country team in Mississippi. He was instrumental in proposing that the MAC suggest to the Legislature to add indoor track to the Mississippi Coliseum in 1970. He was a guiding force behind the development of cross country and indoor track in MS high school and JUCO programs. He coached MSHOF member and Olympian Larry Myricks at Forest Hill. Coach Wright led Forest Hill to numerous conference and division track titles. He was the first coach in United States to chair the cross country committee for National High School Athletic Coaches Association. Elton served as SEC and USA Track & Field official and was a Multi Coach of the Year honoree.