Coaching Staff

Coach Duerk Brewer has a passion for coaching and developing athletes to help them achieve their full potential. Brewer discovered his potential as a runner late, not competing in cross country until his senior year after years competing in swim and football.  Year later, he got back into running competing in 5k and 10k road races and XTERRA off-road triathlons. Brewer has been coaching at ALA Queen Creek since 2013. Prior to that, Brewer was an assistant coach with a local USATF club team. He also founded and served as head coach for Queen Creek Lighting, a USATF club team which he ran for distance athletes for 6 years, now coaching for the USATF club Arizona Speedstars. Brewer has coached multiple athletes to qualify and compete at the USATF Junior Olympics Nationals in both Track and Cross Country. Coach Brewer was assistant or head coach for ALA Queen Creek's Junior High Cross Country program when the girls won 10 consecutive State Championships from 2013-2023. After taking over the High School Program at ALA QC in 2023, the girls team won back-to-back AIA High School Girls Cross Country State Championships in 2023 and 2024. The boys also finished 3rd place in 2023 and 2nds place, the highest finishes in school history.   Outside of coaching, Brewer is a Chief Operating Officer for a commercial real estate brokerage company.  Brewer and his wife Sue who is a teacher and coach at the school have 8 children, 3 of whom have graduated from ALA Queen Creek with 5 currently attending.

Coaching Accomplishments

• • Coached the ALA QC Girls High School Cross Country Team to Back-to-back AIA State Championship Titles in 2023 and 2024

  • Coached the 2024 ALA QC Boys High School Cross Country Team to State Runners-up

  • Coached ALA QC JH Girls to 10 Consecutive CAA State Titles

  • Coached 2 boys JH cross country State Titles and 6 time runner-up.

  • Coached 4 individual JH State Champions, 4 runners-up and had 6 girls voted as CAA Runner of the Year.

  • Coached 2 Individual JH Boys State Champs and 3 boys voted as CAA Runner of the Year.

  • Coached ALA Queen Creek Boys JH Track to 7 CAA State Titles and Girls Track to 8 State Titles.

  • Coached Tally Call to 7th Place Finish in the 1500m at the 2023 National Junior Olympics and a 5th place finish in 2024

  • Coached Distance for AIA D3 State Runner-up for Boys and Girls HS Track in 2024  

  • Coached 2024 AIA D3 4x800 State Champions

  • Coached Tally Call to individual AIA D3 800M State Title in 2024

  • Coached Talya Workman to AIA D3 3200M State Runner-up 

  • Voted as Boys or Girls Coach of the year for Cross Country or Track 15 times by peers

  • Awarded the JH Coaches "Vinny Award" By the CAA in 2021 for outstanding sportsmanship

  • USATFCCA Girls High School Cross Country Coach of the Year - Arizona 2024

Coach Brittney Vilt is the newest member of the ALA cross-country team! While she is new to coaching, she has been around the sport for a while—her oldest son has run with ALA QC for the past four seasons, two in junior high and two in high school. Over the last four seasons, Coach Vilt has been a consistent supporter of the program, supporting the athletes at summer training programs and cheering them on at meets.  She has always been active, but running didn’t really catch her interest until 2018 when a friend convinced her to be her running buddy. From that moment on, she was hooked! She has since completed two road Ragnars, three trail Ragnars, and a half marathon, with more on her list. She can’t help but wish she had taken the advice of a family friend back in high school when he suggested she try cross-country. But better late than never, right? She absolutely loves seeing these kids work so hard and show up every day.

Coaching Accomplishments

• Coached the ALA QC Girls High School Cross Country Team to State Title 2024

• Coached both ALA QC High School Boys and Girls Cross Country Team to sectional wins in 2024

• Coached ALA QC High School Boys Cross Country to State Runners-up in 2024