Goessel grad Peters earns All-American status
Bethel College senior Yvette Peters, Goessel, finished her collegiate track career an All-American.
Peters took sixth place in the finals of the women's 400 meter dash at the 2003 Garmin-NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 22-24 in Olathe.
Her time of 56.42 was a personal best and placed her among the elite All-Americans. The top six finishers in each event are named All-American.
"Yvette has worked hard to attain this accomplishment, has been very focused and was rewarded for her efforts," said track coach Gerry Sieber. "The fact that she had been to nationals two times before was a real help to her, and she had a lot of supporters cheering for her."
Peters competed in the national meet during her sophomore and junior years. During her junior year, Peters finished tenth, and during her sophomore year she finished ninth.
Peters entered the national event ranked 16th with her best 400-meter run of the year clocked at 57.59. Each of her runs in the national championships knocked time off her personal record. In the preliminaries she finished sixth in her heat at 57.27.
Friday's semifinal race was to determine the top eight runners. Peters was assigned to lane three.
"I remember feeling tired halfway through the race, since it was the second race in two days," she said. "But I wasn't worried. With about 50 meters 'til the finish line, I could tell some of the other runners were tiring."
She passed two runners within the last 20 meters and finished in fourth place in her heat with a 56.79 that was enough to put her in the finals. It was the first time in her career she'd gone below 57.
During the final run, Peters appeared to be behind at the 200-meter mark, but running in lane one, she used the curve to her advantage, moving in front of two other runners. She finished with a time of 56.42.
"It was a good way to end," Peters said.
Peters and junior hurdler Chad Unrau, both Goessel High School graduates, were named NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes.
