Courtesy: Texas Athletics
WACO, Texas – Former Texas swimmer and Longhorn Legend Betsy Mitchell is one of eight inductees in the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame (TSHOF) announced on Monday.
Mitchell, a Cincinnati, Ohio native, was a seven-time individual NCAA champion, two-time NCAA relay champion and a 20-time All-American who helped guide Texas to three NCAA team titles in 1986, 1987, and 1988. In 1986, she established a world record in the 200 LCM backstroke that stood for five years, with her American record holding for 19 years. A two-time finalist of the Honda Sport Award for Swimming and Diving, winning in 1987-88, Mitchell was named the 1980’s Southwest Conference Swimmer of the Decade.
She twice represented the United States in the Olympics. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she won silver in the 100-meter backstroke at and earned gold swimming the backstroke leg in the preliminary heats of the 4×100-meter medley relay. She earned a second silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, swimming the backstroke in the women’s 4×100-meter medley relay in the preliminary heats, and also placed fourth in the final of the 100-meter backstroke.
Mitchell went on to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in 2000. In 2021, she was selected by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association’s (CSCAA) as one of the 100 Greatest Men’s and Women’s Swimmers & Divers of the past century in celebration of the CSCAA’s 100th year.
Sponsored by the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Southwest Conference (SWC) Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Luncheon will be held at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco, TX, on Tuesday, August 16th, at 12 p.m.
The Southwest Conference Hall of Fame is one of four separate halls of fame housed within the Texas Sports Hall of Fame’s physical structure. They include the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and now, the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame.
For more information about the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame or the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, visit www.tshof.org.
2022 Southwest Conference Hall of Fame Class
Ben Crowins – University of Arkansas – Football
Santana Dotson – Baylor University – Football
Danny Davis – University of Houston – Football
Kareem Streete Thompson – Rice University – Track & Field
Putt Choate – Southern Methodist University – Football
Betsy Mitchell – University of Texas – Swimming
*Texas A&M – will be announced at a later date*
Carven Holcombe – Texas Christian University – Basketball
Maury Buford – Texas Tech University – Football
Here’s the grainy final 60-ish meters of her 2:08.60
Betsy Mitchell sets World Record 200 backstroke in 1986 – YouTube
Your WR in the 200 BK where you broke the East German swim by 5 seconds is arguably one of the greatest WR in history. While it is overlooked by most, it is fondly remembered by those who love you.
She broke the 2:09.91 by 1.31 seconds, not 5. But it’s an underappreciated record, so I hold it fondly in memory too.
My bad if true, I remember she went 2:08+ and the old record was 2:13+ by an East German doper? Perhaps time has affected my memory…if so, I choose to not allow truth to ruin a great story!
👏👏👏 well deserved 🤘