Mitchell Bows Out, Thinks About 2012

Earlier this week the Bark brought to your attention the Olympic hopes of a former BU grad named Victoria Mitchell.

Competing with a collection of athletes known as Team Darfur (not Australia, as was reported by BU), things didn't exactly go the way Ms. Mitchell hoped they would Friday.

In the initial 3,000-meter women's steeplechase in Olympic history, the 26 year-old Aussie native failed to survive the first heat, finishing 32 out of 51 overall with a time of 9 minutes, 48 seconds.

Via the Indianapolis Star:

Mitchell won the NCAA steeplechase in 2005, becoming the Bulldogs' first individual national champion in any sport in 73 years.

Before the Olympics, she received encouragement from Marty Meyer, a Butler education professor. Over the summer, she reunited with former Butler track coach Joe Franklin, who was recruiting in England for the University of New Mexico.

"It was part of my journey," Mitchell said of her days in Indianapolis. "Everything that's led up to this moment has had an impact of some sort. Butler was a great experience."

The Bark congratulates Ms. Mitchell on a job well-done and is happy to see her optimism for 2012. She stood for a worthy cause on the world stage where so few ever get the chance to compete. We're proud she's a Bulldog.