Distance Standout Lauren Peterson Commits To Furman

Furman University scooped up another talented distance runner on Monday, gaining the commitment of Farmington (MN) High School senior Lauren Peterson

The Minnesota native is a two-time qualifier for Nike Cross Nationals and a one-time finisher of Foot Locker Nationals who's been a force in cross country over the last three seasons in the Gopher State, picking up one runner-up finish at the Class 2A Championships and two more top 10 performances. 

Peterson's versatility extends to the track, where she's produced personal best times of 2:16.29 in the 800m, 4:52.32 in the 1600m and 10:31.50 in the 3200m. The latter result won her a state title in 2017 in an exciting race where she sported a lethal kick.

"I felt right at home with the coaches and my future teammates," Peterson told MileSplit. "There is a lot of opportunities both in running and academically that I couldn't get at some other schools. I'm excited to get started next year with the girl gang because we have some big goals that we can accomplish! Furman has a clear vision of where they are going as a team and for me individually."

As a junior, she claimed a third-place finish in the 1600m at Minnesota's state championships and ran a best of 4:54.49. She was second in the 3200m in a time of 10:40.46. She's racked up five podium finishes in track and field. 

In cross country, Peterson had a banner year in 2017, picking up an eighth-place performance at NXR Heartland and a 36th-place finish at NXN. In 2016, she was 30th at NXN and 25th at Foot Locker Nationals. 

Peterson's senior season has already been met with success. She's coming off a third-place finish at Roy Griak and a season best time of 18:04.40. 

She'll join a Furman University women's team that reached the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2017 and that's been on the rise as a distance program in track and field. 

Peterson plans to enroll in the college's health sciences program and cited Furman's strong academic pedigree as a key reason for her commitment. 

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