ISTANBUL, TURKEY- Former Western Carolina Track & Field standout Manteo Mitchell is now a world champion. The United States’ 4x400-meter relay team consisting of Frankie Wright, Calvin Smith, Mitchell and Gil Roberts finished just off of the world record time of 3:02.83, finishing in 3:03.94 at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey Sunday afternoon.
Mitchell ran the third leg of the event, taking the handoff from former University of Florida student-athlete Calvin Smith with the United States in second place behind Great Britain. Mitchell ran a personal best split of 44.8 to move Team USA into first place. Gil Roberts maintained the lead for the Americans to win the gold medal.
Mitchell is Western Carolina track & field's first athlete to have donned the Red, White and Blue of the United States. Only three other Catamounts have participated in Olympic trials including All-Americans Von Ross (women's long jump) and Tony McKinney (men's 400-meter hurdles) and Richard Rowe. Rowe qualified to represent Jamaica in the 800-meter run, but the country then decided to only bring sprinters to the 1988 Olympics.
Mitchell was a 32-time all-Southern Conference performer including being named the Southern Conference Most Valuable Track Performer four times. Mitchell holds the WCU record in the 200-meter (20.73) and the 400-meter (46.00). He also qualified for the NCAA Championships seven times.