Rice University Athletics
Blackett Announces Addition of Hanna Peterson as Assistant Coach
7/31/2026 10:19:00 AM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
HOUSTON – Rice women's track and field/cross country head coach Andrea Blackett announced the addition of Hanna Peterson as an assistant coach for the track and field program, while also taking over the cross country program.
"I am excited to welcome Hanna Peterson to the women's track and field/cross country program," Blackett said. "She is the second distance coach ever in our program's history. She has a wealth of experience from her previous stops and brings great energy and fresh eyes to the program. Throughout this process, she has impressed me with her passion for collegiate athletics and her desire to ensure every student-athlete she encounters has the great experience they deserve. She is a great addition to our program, and I am thrilled to have her on board."
Peterson arrives to South Main after a stint at Monmouth, where Peterson developed several athletes into All-Conference honorees and saw multiple podium finishers. Her athletes set three school records and three freshman records and posted 19 top-10 performances in school history. At the 2026 CAA Indoor Championships, Payton Campbell won the 5000m, while teammate Krissy Sarnicola also reached the podium in third.
Prior to Monmouth, Peterson spent three years at William & Mary, coaching two CAA Rookie of the Year winners, Sofia Istnick and Catherina Garrison. Istnick became the first runner to earn all-region honors in cross country history for the Tribe, placing 19th at the Southeast Region Championships. Arianna DeBoer captured a pair of CAA titles in 2023, winning the indoor 3000m and the outdoor 10,000m.
Before arriving at William & Mary, Peterson spent time coaching at Arizona, UCLA and Air Force.
A distance runner herself at Arizona, Peterson helped guide the Wildcats to their first cross country conference championship in program history and also helped Arizona earn a runner-up finish at the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships, the best finish in program history.
Peterson graduated from the University of Arizona in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in film and television studies.
"I am excited to welcome Hanna Peterson to the women's track and field/cross country program," Blackett said. "She is the second distance coach ever in our program's history. She has a wealth of experience from her previous stops and brings great energy and fresh eyes to the program. Throughout this process, she has impressed me with her passion for collegiate athletics and her desire to ensure every student-athlete she encounters has the great experience they deserve. She is a great addition to our program, and I am thrilled to have her on board."
Peterson arrives to South Main after a stint at Monmouth, where Peterson developed several athletes into All-Conference honorees and saw multiple podium finishers. Her athletes set three school records and three freshman records and posted 19 top-10 performances in school history. At the 2026 CAA Indoor Championships, Payton Campbell won the 5000m, while teammate Krissy Sarnicola also reached the podium in third.
Prior to Monmouth, Peterson spent three years at William & Mary, coaching two CAA Rookie of the Year winners, Sofia Istnick and Catherina Garrison. Istnick became the first runner to earn all-region honors in cross country history for the Tribe, placing 19th at the Southeast Region Championships. Arianna DeBoer captured a pair of CAA titles in 2023, winning the indoor 3000m and the outdoor 10,000m.
Before arriving at William & Mary, Peterson spent time coaching at Arizona, UCLA and Air Force.
A distance runner herself at Arizona, Peterson helped guide the Wildcats to their first cross country conference championship in program history and also helped Arizona earn a runner-up finish at the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships, the best finish in program history.
Peterson graduated from the University of Arizona in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in film and television studies.
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