MSU’s Peters Shatters Records to Follow Olympic Dreams

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — Anderson Peters is a javelin record holder at Mississippi State, in the Southeastern Conference and even in the NCAA.

Now, he’s going for the biggest achievement of them all. An Olympic gold medal.

“The Olympic standard sits at eight-five meters,” Peters said. “I would have already gotten the standard but the qualification period hadn’t started yet so I missed it. “I’m trying to get over the Olympic standard and get another personal record.”

A goal he wants so badly to achieve that his coach often has to remind him to slow down.

“Usually with him it’s ‘let’s take a day off and rest a little bit,” MSU assistant track and field coach April Thomas said.

It’s difficult enough to keep peters off the field but even more so with the NCAA Championship on the horizon.

“Being out here throwing i could literally throw every day,” Peters said.

Peters is going for his second consecutive national title but more importantly the tournament is the first step to achieving the personal record needed to qualify for the Olympics.

“The NCAA has great competition, great athletes coming together to fight for that number one spot. So I think the top twelve guys will be able to push each other to get personal record’s. There’s probably going to be at least five PR’s in that meet.”

Last year at the national championships Peters threw 82.82 meters. To qualify for the Olympics he has to throw 85 meters but Peters saying he wants to throw even further.

“We definitely have all eyes on us trying to come back and repeat,” Thomas said. “It’s not necessarily pressure but maintaining and making sure this is what we’ve trained for all year. this is getting you ready for training going to your world championships. ”

At the championships on June 5th, Peters launched a javelin 86.62 meters which not only marks a new personal best for the thrower and got him the gold but exceeded the standard needed to qualify for the Olympics.