Derrick_Peterson
Derrick Peterson
American middle-distance runner
Derrick Peterson (born November 28, 1977, in Waycross, Georgia[1]), raised in Atlanta suburbs, is a retired American middle-distance runner who specialized in the 800 meters.[2] He represented the USA at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece , 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, Canada. Was 2002 Indoor USA Track and Field Champion. He won the silver medal in the 800m event at the 2001 Summer Universiade and the bronze(800m) and gold as a member of the 4x400 meter relay at the 1999 Summer Universiade.
As a Coach, he was the assistant coach of long sprints, hurdles and Middle Distance at his alma mater, the University of Missouri from 2006 to 2012.[3], assisted in establishing the first full men's and women's track and field programs at Columbia College , former Associate Head Coach for men's and women's cross country/track and field coach at DePaul University, where he assisted with winning two Men's Big East track and field championships, a first for the university.
In high School at Lovejoy High School, Georgia, he won three AAAA state championships in track and field. 1995 (1600m) and in 1996 repeated as state champion at (1600m and 3200m). Not limited to the track the middle distance specialist was also very effective on the grass , he was 1995 AAAA runner-up in GHSA cross country championships, helping his team to a state runner-up finish.
As a collegiate athlete for Mizzou, he won nine Big 12 conference championships at 800 meters, the first conference athlete to ever be undefeated in a single event from freshman to senior year. in 1999 he won two NCAA National championship for the Tigers, indoors setting the then American Collegiate Record of 1:45.88. then in Boise, ID he claimed the outdoor championship title in a time of 1:46.97.
