GILBERT - Former Eveleth-Gilbert runner
Stacey Peterson (Gilbert, Minn./Eveleth-Gilbert HS) entered the College of St. Scholastica three years ago with high expectations - both in the classroom and on the track.
She clearly reached her goals as she received her master's degree in exercise physiology last weekend and finished her track career with 14 school records and five conference marks.
"It was a good season and career," Peterson, 22, said in a telephone interview.
The daughter of Don and Terri Peterson of Gilbert improved year by year in her three seasons with the Saints after taking two years off to attend Mesabi Range College.
Peterson graduated from Eveleth-Gilbert High School with three trips to state in gymnastics, diving and the 400 meters in track.
Even with a two-year layoff from track, St. Scholastica track coach
Kirk Nauman was happy to have her on the squad as he began his first year with the Saints.
The sprinter basically kicked off the rust in her first year, because she was not back in the sprinting mode yet and her fast twitch muscles weren't all the way there. "I had to get those muscles back," Peterson added.
As time went by her times continued to improve as she upped her conditioning efforts. This past year, she even switched her routine around to make it more conducive to track and specific to sprinting. She continued to see benefits.
In addition to the special training, Peterson said she wanted to make her senior season special. "I wanted to make sure that I gave it my all."
"She works so hard at everything she does," Nauman said. "She had a heck of a senior season."
Asked what has made her so successful, he added that it was Peterson's tenacity. "She is always looking to succeed and is always prepared."
Nauman was also impressed with how Peterson was successful in both her academic and athletic careers. "I think very highly of her. I'm going to miss her."
Peterson's 14 school and five Upper Midwest Athletic Conference records are as follows:
- Indoor: 55 meters, 60 meters, 300 meters, 400 meters, 500 meters, 4x200 meters, 4x400 meters and sprint medley relay.
- Outdoors: 200 meters, 400 meters, 4x100 meters, 4x200 meters, 4x400 meters, sprint medley relay.
- UMAC indoor: 400 meters, 4x400 meters.
-UMAC outdoor: 400 meters, 4x100 meters, 4x400 meters.
In addition, St. Scholastica won the 2010 indoor team conference championship (the first year it was contested) and the outdoor team conference championship each year she was on the team (2008, 2009, 2010).
Peterson was also named All Conference all three years for outdoors and in 2010 for indoors; named Academic All-Conference all three years; and competed at the prestigious Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, all three years.
Peterson stated that some of her biggest accomplishments include winning the 400 meters at the conference meet the past three years, being on the 4x400 relay team that was just a whisker away from going to nationals this season and competing at the Drake Relays.
Ironically, she found success in the 400 meters, which her father Don ran as well and relayed to his daughter at an early age. "My dad had me running when I was little."
Peterson said her father was a 200 and 400 runner and she tried them both throughout her track career, which began in seventh grade. She ended up concentrating on the 400, though, because she felt she didn¹t have the speed for the 200.
She was sad to run her last 400 for the Saints, but she is also looking forward to the next stage in her life.
Peterson plans on applying to medical school and her No. 1 choice would be the program at the University of Minnesota Duluth. After four more years of schooling and two or three years of residency, she hopes to focus on rural medicine and family practice.
"I want to come back to the Range and be a small town doctor," she said. "I love the Range."
