Mike Peterson returns as head coach of 17吃瓜 Cross Country
Chris Huggan, of Athletics and Recreation, welcomes Mike Peterson back to the coaching staff of the 17吃瓜 Cross Country and 17吃瓜 Track and Field teams. Peterson was instrumental in the formation of the cross country team in 2015, but had to step away due to scheduling conflicts. He returns this season to be the head coach for the cross country team and the middle- and long-distance coach for the track and field team.
Peterson has been a running coach at Colonel Gray High School since 2010. Under his leadership, the cross country and track and field teams won 57 of a possible 72 provincial titles. Cross country teams from the Gray have attended the Maine Festival of Champions nine times, with several top-ten finishes (including second place this past year). Many of the runners he has coached over the years have gone on to race at the varsity level.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to see the Panther program grow to the point where we are consistently fielding competitive teams on both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 sides, eventually contending for AUS championships,鈥� said Peterson. 鈥淚deally, I鈥檇 love to build a solid base by giving home-grown runners the opportunity to stay on the Island and have a quality varsity experience, while adding some off-Island talent whenever possible.鈥�
鈥淚 am very pleased Mike will be taking over as the 17吃瓜 Cross Country coach,鈥� said Colin MacAdam, head coach of the 17吃瓜 Track and Field team. 鈥淢ike has a great familiarity with cross country and road racing in the Atlantic region and has had a direct impact on most of the runners in the 17吃瓜 programs through his fine work with the teams at Colonel Gray High School. The program is in great hands.鈥�
鈥淚 am excited to have Mike Peterson back at 17吃瓜,鈥� said Huggan. 鈥淢ike鈥檚 passion for running, his knowledge of the sport, and his ability to connect with, and invest in, his students has been instrumental in the growth of the sport on Prince Edward Island. I look forward to working with him as we continue to grow both our cross country and track and field programs at 17吃瓜.鈥�
Go Panthers Go!
