Mesa Community College Cross Country 2022
Meet Assistant Coach Paul Spencer Peterson
From 1988-2001, Coach Peterson guided the men’s and women’s cross country programs as head coach and was an assistant track & field coach (distance), serving under Head Coach Steve Jacobs. Coach Peterson has many ties to the local, state, and national running communities. Over the years, Coach Peterson has held several positions with MCC in student and support services. He was born and raised in Ludington, Michigan, where he graduated from Ludington High School in 1978. He was a two-time All-State athlete in cross country (1977) and track & field (1978). He still holds the LHS record in the 2-mile (9:25.7), set in June 1978, and was inducted into the Mason County (MI) Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. After graduating high school, Coach Peterson was awarded an athletic scholarship to attend Saginaw Valley State University (MI), where he was a six-time All-American (NCAA Div. II and NAIA Div. I) and a member of the 1982 and 1983 national championship indoor track & field teams (NAIA Div. I). Coach Peterson still holds the SVSU record in the 10,000 meters (29:10.0), set in 1982. After graduating from SVSU in 1983, Coach Peterson trained for the 1984 US Olympic Trials 10,000m, and the Marathon in 1988, representing the Brooks and Adidas racing teams respectfully. Unfortunately, he fell a little short of qualifying in both attempts. In 1987, Coach Peterson completed his Master’s Degree in Physical Education from Northern Arizona University. In 2013, Coach Peterson was inducted into the Saginaw Valley State Hall of Fame as a member of the first national championship team
in its history (1983 NAIA National Champions, Indoor Track & Field). Five years later, Coach Peterson was inducted into the 2018 Saginaw Valley State Hall of Fame as a member of the 1978 cross country national championship runner-up team. Coach Peterson retired from competitive racing in 2003 and his list of personal records from middle-distance (1,500m: 3:50.85) to long-distance events (10,000m: 28:56.70 and Marathon: 2:24:41.80), and other events in between, were impressive. On October 28, 2022, Coach Peterson was inducted into the Saginaw Valley State University Sports Hall of Fame as an individual for his accomplishments in Track & Field and Cross Country. Coach Peterson is employed full-time with MCC as a Student Services Analyst in the Academic Advisement Department. He lives in Mesa with his wife, Gina, and his daughter, Autumn, who is majoring in Psychology at the University of Arizona. His son, Skylar, transferred from MCC to Michigan in 2017, where he is currently employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service as an Air Tactical/Air Attack pilot coordinating aerial firefighting aircraft over wildland fires throughout the United States. He is also a corporate pilot based out of Traverse City, Michigan. Coach Peterson believes "Hard work, persistence, and a positive attitude makes all the difference in attaining your life goals, dreams, and aspirations. The difficult we can do! The impossible takes a little longer."
Yotuel Garcia 5
Mesa Community College Cross Country
