Paul Spencer Peterson
Paul Spencer Peterson

Bio

Coach Peterson served as the head men’s and women’s cross country coach and distance assistant track & field coach for the Mesa Community College Thunderbirds from 1988 to 2001. Working alongside former head coach Steve Jacobs, Peterson built deep ties to the local, state, and national running communities. Today, he continues his dedicated service to MCC within the Student Affairs division, currently working as an Academic Advisor Analyst for the Business and CIT programs.
 

Athletic Pedigree & Hall of Fame Career
Before transitioning to coaching, Peterson put together a legendary competitive running career. A native of Ludington, Michigan, he was a two-time All-State athlete at Ludington High School, where he still holds the 2-mile school record (9:25.7) set in 1978. He was inducted into the Mason County Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

Peterson earned an athletic scholarship to Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), where he became a six-time All-American across NCAA Division II and NAIA Division I levels. He was a vital member of SVSU’s 1982 and 1983 NAIA National Championship indoor track & field teams, and still holds the school's 10,000-meter record (29:10.0). His collegiate success earned him two separate inductions into the SVSU Hall of Fame—first in 2013 as a member of the historic 1982 championship squad, and again in 2018 with the 1978 national runner-up cross country team.

Elite Post-Collegiate Racing
Following his graduation from SVSU in 1983, Peterson ran professionally for the Brooks and Adidas racing teams, respectively. He trained for the 1984 USA Olympic Trials in the 10,000m and the 1988 Olympic Marathon Trials, narrowly missing qualification in both. He holds elite personal records from middle to long distance, including a 3:50.85 (1,500m), 28:56.70 (10,000m), and a 2:24:41.80 marathon. Peterson completed his Master’s Degree in Physical Education from Northern Arizona University in 1987 before retiring from competitive racing in 2003.

Personal Life

Peterson resides in Mesa, Arizona, with his wife, Gina. They have two children: Autumn, a University of Arizona psychology graduate, and Skylar, a pilot serving as Second in Command on a DC-10 Air Tanker for the USA Forest Service dropping retardant over wildfires throughout the country to contain blazes and protect ground firefighters.

He operates under the guiding philosophy: "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 just takes a little longer."