Analena Peterson '25 Recruiting Profile

My name is Analena Marie Peterson. 

This coming year is my junior year of High School. The year will be challenging as my goals are high but attainable for my academic and track pursuits.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Milwaukee, WI, my track journey began in sixth grade – my middle school track team. Starting junior year, with a commitment to the process and consistent improvement, I aim to be one of the state's top 100M and 200M sprinters. My sophomore year finished with state meet finishes of fourth in the 100M and seventh in the 200M. Also, the year saw me capture the conference championship in the 200M for indoor and outdoor and a third-place finish in the 100M. This track season completed with me recording the second-best times for all sophomores in the state that competed in the 100M and 200M events.

My track plan for the offseason is to train effectively to improve my personal best times significantly. My best times are 12.27 seconds in the 100M and 25.05 seconds in the 200M. The goals are to lower my times into the 11s and 24s for the respective 100M and 200M events. For indoor, the goal is to qualify for the New Balance National meet in the 55M/60M and 200M.

Along the journey of training to improve my personal best performances, my goal is to capture the school records in the 100M and 200M events. An interesting story behind these records is when at a volleyball camp at Catholic Memorial after my first middle school track season; my thought then, in sixth grade, was that one day I could be the High School's record holder—my vision.

My interest in a professional career is in the medical field. I am still determining what precisely, but the medical field is my interest at this point. Biology interests me, and my interest intensified from my biology classes. Advanced biology classes await me this coming year. My academic path affords me the opportunity of a medical-related internship, for a high school student, during my senior year.

Scholarship recognition from colleges with strong track programs and outstanding medical education opportunities would be an honor. My goal is to find a college that supports my athletic ambitions and nurtures my passion for the medical field, allowing me to pursue my dreams of becoming a medical professional while thriving on the track.

Now the good stuff, my mother and father.

My parents continually teach me that you can make the most of the opportunities presented through hard work, dedication, and commitment to the process. My mother grew up in a small rural town in NE Wisconsin and earned a Ph.D. My dad came from meager beginnings, growing up in upstate NY, and earned a degree, graduating from the University of Notre Dame. They show me the value of goal-setting – setting meaningful goals and having clear objectives that guide progress towards the goals – in my case, academic, track, and personal growth. I trust my parents' life experiences and the knowledge they give me.

My dad is an excellent baseball player. From age five, I have attended many baseball/softball tournaments in which he participated – traveling around the Midwest to weekend tournaments. He did not play this year, and I asked why. He replied, "It is my turn to watch you now – it is your time Analena." Rather than playing baseball, my dad devotes his time to training me and helping me reach my academic and track goals. He never misses a detail – including ensuring I have a thermos of baked potatoes for my in-meet snacks. The weekends are now traveling to watch me compete at track meets. The weekdays are preparation for the weekends.

The humbling realization of my experience is that I may be the face of my success, but I am not the only contributor to that success. I am also extremely fortunate. With the support of my parents and the "tough love" that is sometimes required, they keep me grounded – they do not let me lose perspective or take anything for granted.

With that, balancing my rigorous athletic training and academic pursuits, I make time for community service activities – with the help of my mother, collecting books and distributing them globally to needy areas – about 16,000 books to over 100 countries. This aligns with my literacy platform as I also compete in pageants around the United States. Good fortune has enabled me to win a few. The reason for championing this cause is that at an early age, I was diagnosed with a reading disability. Working hard to overcome my disability and earning Honor Roll status every semester in high school while enrolling in advanced classes is extremely rewarding. 

The volunteering experience – sharing yourself with others has enlightened me that what you can do for others is often your most significant victory. And in this context, there are no small victories – they are all significant – they are all your personal best.

Thank you for reading my story, goals, and ambitions – getting to know me.