Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2005
- Class:
- 2000
Peterson was one of the most accomplished track and field athletes in Missouri history who specialized in the 800 meters. He dominated the half-mile winning virtually every title of distinction during his time – he was a two-time NCAA champion, six-time all-American, eight-time Big 12 Conference champion, 15-time all-Big 12 performer and a four-time Drake Relays champion. He swept the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor championships at 800 meters in 1999. His winning time of 1:45.88 indoors was the U.S. men’s collegiate indoor record. He was a perfect eight-for-eight in winning Big 12 indoor and outdoor 800-meter championships from 1997-2000. He was a three-time runner-up in the NCAA Indoor (twice) and Outdoor (once) Championships. Peterson holds both the MU indoor (1:45.88) and outdoor (1:45.18) records at 800 meters. He went on to an outstanding professional career, winning the 2002 U.S. Indoor title and finished as runner-up indoors in 2004 and outdoors in 2001. He qualified for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, as part of the U.S. Track and Field Team, based on his third-place finish in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials. He also was the first alternate for the U.S. team for the 2005 World Championships, after finishing fourth at the U.S. National Championships. The Jonesboro, Georgia native spent nine years on the Missouri coaching staff and coached one year at crosstown Columbia College helping establish their first track team. He became the head cross country and track coach at DePaul University in Chicago in 2016.
