Coaching Staff
Cross Country

5K Personal Record:
14:53

Notable Victories:
1980 Atlanta Marathon Champion
1988 Atlanta Marathon Champion
1993 Masters 5K National Champion
1998 USATF SE Region 5K Champion

'Coach Wes' Wessely
Training / Community Coach (since 2004)

After ending my 37 year career at Delta Air Lines we moved to Clermont in 2004. I was a relatively successful road racer with over one hundred wins overall for my age group. That included two Atlanta Marathon wins and numerous national masters championships.

In the fall of 2004, I took several coaching courses and qualified to coach at Chestatee. The program was steady and had teams heading to state to get into the top ten. In 2008 one of my female athletes broke through at region and got 3rd and 4th at state! I have continued to coach both cross country and distance track now for 22 years.

In 2019, the boys got our first podium finish (4th) at State with the help of Luke Gaddis, who later would be an All-American in college. In 2020 and 2021 the boys dominated Marist for the GHSA 4A State XC Championship and lowest cumulative score in all classifications. From that team, Garrett Grader became Gainesville Times' Runner of the Year following in the footsteps of his sister Lindsey, an All-American academic and sports athlete. That group of young men, with some help from multi-sport athletes, scored podiums at State Track in the 4X800!

Most recently, in 2024, I coached Emma Dobson, also an All-American, to 3 State MS Titles in XC, 1600m, and 3200m. I also coached 4 Chestatee runners to GHSA State XC Runner-up finishes: Luke Gaddis (2019, 2020); Garrett Grater (2021); and Emma Dobson (2025).

5K Personal Record:
20:20

Briannah Henry
Head Coach (since 2024)

My name is Coach Henry, and I am excited to continue my journey as a teacher and coach. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education in the spring of 2023, and I completed my master's degree in August of 2024. I’m truly honored and privileged to coach cross country at Chestatee, especially because I ran cross country myself in high school and at the collegiate level.

Being able to give back to a sport that shaped so much of who I am is incredibly meaningful. I'm also passionate about helping students develop their physical skills and encouraging them to achieve their personal best, both in the classroom and on the field. I'm looking forward to a fantastic year of growth and learning together!

5K Personal Record:
20:23

Virginia Borths
Head Coach (since 2026)

Hello, I’m Coach Borths. I am a recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass) with my Bachelor's in Mathematics and my Master's in Secondary Education. I am currently teaching Algebra and Advanced Algebra at Chestatee High School as well as coaching Cross Country.

I consider myself a teacher, mathematician, runner, puzzler, knitter, and much more! In particular, my love for running has gone back as far as I can remember. I raced my first mile at 7 years old and raced my first 5k at 9 years old. I also played soccer as a kid for the longest time, but I quit Sophomore year of high school to run cross country, which ended up being my favorite part of high school. Back then, I ran a 20:23 5k, but don’t ask me to replicate that today. Throughout college, I was a part of the UMass running club. During that time, I ran 2 half marathons, which is my proudest running accomplishment.

A fun fact about me is that I was born and raised in California, but I haven’t been back there since I was 16. This is my first time coaching cross country and I look forward to an amazing season with you all!

5K Personal Record:
14:53

Notable Victories:
2024 Running Lane XC Community Race Champion

Cameron Bensley
Assistant Coach (since 2026)

Coming soon.

Connie Dobson
Community Coach & Race Coordinator (since 2025)

Coming soon.

SUPPORT STAFF

Josh Dobson
Statistician/Data Analyst & TalonSplit Editor (since 2025)

I was born and raised in Southeastern Wisconsin. My high school career consisted of playing 4 years of varsity soccer and 4 years of varsity basketball. After graduating high school, I attended and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside with a degree in Business Management and Accounting. I married my wife Connie in 2007 and we were blessed with twins, Jeremiah and Emma, in 2010. A career change brought our family down to Gainesville in late 2013.

After being involved as a parent in the Sardis/Chestatee schools since my kids started in kindergarten, I was invited to be the Assistant Coach of the Women's Varsity Soccer program at Chestatee High School. So in 2024, I took several training courses and got my GHSA certification to coach in 2024. I will now be entering my 4th season with Chestatee this school year.

My involvement with Cross Country comes from watching my daughter Emma run on the team and my professional training in Business School in both statistics and web design. In 2025, I launched TalonSplit.com to feature Chestatee runners in both Cross Country and Distance Track. I also take race photos of our runners as most parents do not venture deep into the woods along the courses to see their kids and I also serve as the team's cartographer (mapping and measuring our trail system).

Aside from coaching, I enjoy spending time with my family and playing guitar both recreationally and professionally. I have been invited by several different Worship Bands to play in churches in Georgia and Tennessee. I also spend a lot of my free time away from sports watching and supporting my son Jeremiah, who is a member of several bands both at Chestatee and at local churches.