[446] Yelverton wins gold, silver at masters world track and field competition

MTSU’s William Yelverton won a world championship gold medal and a silver medal at the Indoor World Masters Athletic Championships, in Daegu, South Korea, in late March.

A professor of guitar at MTSU’s School of Music in his 28th year, Yelverton has in recent years competed in masters level track and field events on the national and international level.

During the world championships held March 21-25, Yelverton won gold in the M55 200-meter event with a time of 24.82, and silver in the 400-meters with a time of 55.17. His 400-meter time was the fastest by an American in the men’s 55-59 age group in nine years on the indoor 200-meter oval. WMAC 2017 is the world indoor track and field championship event for masters athletes. This year's event included 4,700 athletes from 75 countries.

Also, Yelverton won his fourth consecutive USATF National Masters 400m Championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Feb. 17-18. It was his fifth overall national championship since beginning masters track competition at age 51, three indoor and two outdoor, all in the 400-meter sprint. Yelverton said his 400-meter time in Daegu was his fastest 400-meter race in a championship event. He has won four individual medals in world championship competition, since his first world meet in Lyon, France, in 2015.  

Yelverton finishes the indoor track season with the No. 2-ranked times in the world, in both the 200-meter and 400-meter events for the M55 age group.

He recently competed at the Penn Relays, taking silver in the 100-meter masters individual event, and finishing fourth in masters relays with the Greater Philadelphia Track Club. He'll also compete for his third consecutive USATF outdoor title in July at LSU, and the WMA North and Central American Masters Championships in Juarez, Mexico, a week later.  

In addition to masters competitions, the 56-year-old Sewanee, Tennessee, resident enjoys racing in college track meets. He was second in his heat of the 400-meter race at Berry College, Georgia, on March 4.

The World Indoor Track and Field Championship event for masters athletes is contested in five-year age groups, (35 and up) every other year, alternating yearly with the World Outdoor Masters Athletic Championships. Next year, Malaga, Spain, will host the WMAC 2018 World Masters Outdoor Championships.  

USATF is the governing body for USA Track and Field and holds both indoor and outdoor Masters National Championships each year.