Pembroke Hill Senior Cross Country & Track star Evan Peterson has had quite a high school career. He finished second overall in the Missouri Cross Country State Championship this past year. Evan has broken every Pembroke Hill long distance school record from the 800M to the 5K.
He signed a National Letter of Intent to run Cross Country at the United States Military Academy at West Point just a few weeks ago. And, Evan is this week's Hy-Vee 41 Five-Star Athlete of the Week.
"It's a good feeling to have," Peterson said. "[It's] a huge honor to be the Athlete of the Week. So, I was really happy to here it."
Evan is well-liked around the school and on both of his teams. He's been a team captain on the Cross Country team both his Junior and Senior year's. He's been on the Cross Country team all four years (three years on the Track team) and it certainly seems like he's getting better and strong. But, his coaches say he doesn't share in the success by himself. He encourages his teammates to be better.
"His teammates voted him for the first annual Allison Smith Award which was for the one runner whose spirit uplifts other runners," Pembroke Hill Cross Country Head Coach Tom Medlock said. "I don't know anyone who dislikes Evan at all. He's been runner up in Cross Country and Track and he's been our number one varsity runner since he was a Freshman."
Pembroke Hill Track Head Coach Steve Kapp also had great things to say about one of his best runners.
"Our hardest speed workouts, those are days where the team is really quiet and everyone just has the head at the ground," Kapp said. "Since Evan's come along, those days [are gone]. He comes in [saying] 'Guys, this is an opportunity to get better. No, these aren't the worst days. These are the best days."
Evan certainly understands pushing himself and his teammates to the limits, not just in practice, but during competition.
"Just making it to state [championships] it was really cool. I [went through] the postseason, the districts. Literally like the last five races, I got a personal best. Each week, I'd get a little bit faster," Evan said.
NOTE: The Hy-Vee 41 Five-Star Athlete of the Week segments air every Thursday night during the 10 p.m. sportscast for the entire school year.
