Chestatee's Noah Peters captured the gold medal in the 3,000-meter event at the USA Track and Field Regional Olympics.
The gold medal qualifies Peters for the National meed in Sacramento, Calif., later this month.
It was a bit of redemption for him as a stress fracture in his hip sidelined him for almost a month during the high school season.
Peters trained six days a week, two of which were speed work, for the regional event at Winthrop University.
“Noah is one of those kids who just works hard," Chaffin said. "He doesn’t make a lot of noise or call attention to himself. He takes care of his work and focuses on the task ahead. He has a goal and is willing to put the work in.”
To qualify for the regional event, Peters had to compete in USATF events, one in Tyrone, where he placed second in the 3,000 and 1,500-meter races. The second-place finishes qualified him for the state event in McDonough.
Peters captured the silver medal in both events to advance to the regional meet, where he ran against runners from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
