Betsy Mitchell (born January 15, 1966) is an American competition swimmer who was a world record-holder, world champion, and Olympic gold and silver medalist. She also was a member of the United States' 1994 Rowing World Championship team. Q&A with Betsy Mitchell
," AthleticManagement.com (October/November 2008). Retrieved November 14, 2012. Mitchell began competitive swimming at age 5 as a member of the Marietta (Ohio) YMCA Marlins swim team. Her age group coaches in Marietta included Coaches Jim Everett and Bill Bauer. Graduating in 1983, she competed for

Mercersburg Academy Mercersburg Academy (formerly Marshall College and Mercersburg College) is an independent college-preparatory boarding and day high school in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Founded in 1893, the school enrolls approximately 4 ...

Mercersburg, Pennsylvania Mercersburg is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough is southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, the state capital. Due to its location in a rural area, it had a relatively la ...

during her High School years where she was coached by John Trembley."Trembley", ''The Knoxville News Sentinel'', Knoxville, Tennessee, 15 January 2012, pg. 30 graduating in 1983. Following high school, she attended the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

and competed for the

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels (also Carolina Tar Heels) are the college sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to ...

swimming and diving team during her first year, the 1983–84 NCAA season. Mitchell represented the United States at two consecutive Olympic Games. At the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...

in Los Angeles, she won a silver medal for her second-place performance in the women's 100-meter backstroke, finishing with a time of 1:02.63. She also earned a gold medal by swimming the backstroke leg for the winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the women's 4×100-meter medley relay.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes
Betsy Mitchell
. Retrieved November 14, 2012. After the 1984 Olympics, Mitchell transferred to the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

, and swam for the

Texas Longhorns swimming and diving The Texas Longhorns swimming and diving program represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's and women's swimming and diving competition. The Longhorns competed in the Big 12 Conference through the 2023� ...

team from 1985 to 1988. She won nine NCAA titles, and was a member of the Longhorns NCAA national championship teams in 1986, 1987 and 1988. Mitchell received the

Honda Sports Award The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Sports Award are automatically in t ...

for Swimming and Diving 1987–88, and was inducted into the Texas Longhorns Hall of Honor in 2000. She set an American and world record in the 200-meter backstroke at the 1986 World Championship Trials (2:08.60). The world record stood for five years. The American record stood for 19 years. ''

Swimming World Magazine } ''Swimming World'' is a US-based quarterly swimming magazine that was first published in a magazine format as ''Junior Swimmer'' in January 1960. It concurrently runs online websites ''Swimming World Magazine'' and ''Swimming World News'' (kn ...

'' named her as its American Female Swimmer of the Year in 1986. She again competed at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...

in Seoul, South Korea. She received a silver medal for swimming the backstroke leg for the second-place U.S. team in the women's 4×100-meter medley relay in the preliminary heats. Individually, she also swam in the final of the women's 100-meter backstroke, finishing fourth in the final with a time of 1:02.71. She was inducted into the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...

as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1998. Mitchell has a bachelor's and master's degree in education, specializing in sports administration, from the

. She also completed a one-year program at the

Harvard Graduate School of Education The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) is the education school of Harvard University, a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1920, it was the first school to grant the EdD degree and the first ...

, earning a certificate in educational administration, planning and policy.Caltech, Athletics, Staff Directory
Betsy Mitchell
. Retrieved July 23, 2015. She started her career as the women's swimming coach at Dartmouth College from 1990 to 1996. She then served from 1997 to 2003 as the director of athletics at Laurel School for Girls in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Mitchell was then the director of athletics and recreation at

Allegheny College Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college in Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1815, Allegheny is the oldest college in continuous existence under the same name west of the Allegheny Mountains. It is a member of the G ...

in Meadville, Pennsylvania from 2005 to 2011. She is currently the director of athletics, physical education, and recreation at the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes ...

in Pasadena, California. On January 6, 2025, she announced she would step down from her role at Caltech in the Spring of 2025.

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Betsy 1966 births Living people American female backstroke swimmers American female freestyle swimmers World record setters in swimming North Carolina Tar Heels women's swimmers Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming Swimmers from Cincinnati Swimmers at the 1984 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1988 Summer Olympics Texas Longhorns women's swimmers World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming Harvard Graduate School of Education alumni Dartmouth Big Green swimming coaches 20th-century American sportswomen

See also

References

External links