Halee Peterson, a Cloquet, Minn., native, is one of five seniors leading the Minnesota State women's cross country team. Peterson is the daughter of Tom and Heidi Peterson and graduated from Cloquet Senior High School in 2011. Peterson also runs for the women's track and field team as a distance runner for MSU. She was a member of the NSIC Fall All-Academic team in 2012.
 
Peterson Career Highlights:
2:22 in the 800 meter run.
3:01 in the 1000 meter run.
4:46 in the 1500 meter run.
5:23 in the 1600 meter run.
11:24 in the 3000 steeple chase.
22:41 in the 6K run.                   
 
Coach Jen Blue on Peterson:
"Halee has been a consistent leader for us in the middle distances in track and a solid number 6-8 runner for us in cross country. The most memorable moment I have of Halee is when she ran her personal record last year in the 1,500.  She went into the race confident and ran strong the entire race.  I could see the determination in her eyes. The middle distance events (800, 1,000, 1,500) are her favorite, but she has turned into a solid cross country runner as well."
 
Q&A with Peterson:
 
Why did you decide to attend Minnesota State?
"I wanted a big school that was kind of far away from home yet close enough to go back if I wanted. MSU seemed liked the perfect fit, and I wanted to compete at the Division II level."
 
What are your plans after graduation?
"Since I'm majoring in international business, after graduation I want to find a job with an international marketing perspective. I would love to travel the world."
 
What do you enjoy most when competing for the Mavericks?
"I like being part of a team and representing our school."
 
How has your role developed over the last four years?
"I have gained more confidence through cross country and my time management skills have increased."
 
Do you have any game day rituals?
"I have to listen to a little Justin Bieber and I wear my lucky socks that I only wear for meets."
 
What is your most memorable moment in your four years at MSU?
"Every time I beat my personal record in a race it is such a good feeling. It shows that all my hard work pays off."
 
What is your goal for the season?
"My goal is to have fun but work hard so I can come into indoor track season strong."
 
Why did you decide to run cross country?
"I ran in high school and I wanted to stick with it."
 
Your team has a lot of inexperienced collegiate athletes, how has that impacted your season?
"It's good to have new people on the team, they are always working hard and they make our team stronger."
 
What advice do you have for the upcoming freshmen?
"My advice would be to have fun, but also work hard and have confidence."
 
How will you feel about leaving your team once the season is over?
"It'll be sad. I will definitely miss my team. Most of my friendships from college have been my teammates."
 
How do you manage being a full-time student and student-athlete?
"It is time consuming, but I just make sure I stay organized and healthy...and take a lot of naps."