Manatee High graduate Brandon Carnes golden for USA in 4x100 relay at world championships
Brandon Carnes is golden for the Red, White and Blue.
The former Manatee High track and field athlete helped the USA 4x100 meter relay team finish first at the World Athletics Championships on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.
Running the third leg of the relay, Carnes took the baton from Fred Kerley after Christian Coleman ran the first stretch. Carnes then handed off to Noah Lyles, who helped the US complete the lap in 37.38 seconds.
“I focused on holding the stick to get it to Noah. I knew once I got it into his hands, it was game over,” Carnes said after the race.
When asked how it feels to be a World Champion, Carnes said, “Sensational. It’s a blessing from God.”
A 2013 graduate of Manatee High School, Carnes lettered all four years in track and field with the Hurricanes.
A district and regional champion in the 100 meters and 200 meters in 2012 and 2013, Carnes holds the Manatee school record in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and the 4x100 meter relay.
“Everything,” former Hurricanes track and field coach Mike Smith on what he remembers about Carnes. “We’ve stayed in touch.”
Carnes credits Smith for getting him started and keeping him going in track.
“He’s a great kid,” Smith said. “He was a great student. He listened. He loved the sport.”
Smith saw Carnes’ potential from the start and was proud to pass him on to college.
When Smith called to confirm the fax of Carnes’ letter of intent to the University of Northern Iowa, he told Coach Dan Steele, “You just got a great steal,” Smith said. “He was passionate about it. He grew to say, ‘I’m not going to take no for an answer.’ ”
Brandon followed his brother Brion to Northern Iowa. Brion, a star quarterback at Manatee High, originally went to the University of Nebraska but transferred to Northern Iowa.
Brandon was a 16-time Missouri Valley Conference champion in the 60 and 200 meters.
He lowered his time in the 100 meters to 10.06 in 2017 before graduating from Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in graphic design.
After running a 10.02 in the 100 in 2022 at the NACAC (North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships) Championships held at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Carnes was then part of the victorious American 4x100m relay that won gold at the event.
In June, he equaled his personal best 100 time of 10.02 in winning the Music City Track Carnival.
Competing at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, he reached the final of the 100m competition in which he finished fourth overall, thus earning him a spot on the USA 4x100 relay team.
Saturday that team finished first.
Carnes texted Smith after he won the gold medal.
He wrote: “What’s going on coach!! Sorry for the late reply but I was hoping you was watching man wish you was here because this dream started all because of you and I’m forever grateful to you for showing this true love and passion for the sport and the hard work and lessons you instilled in me till this day! I thank you more than you know.. we will celebrate when I come home , hopefully we can get the tribune to do a story for us as well as where it all started!
“How does it feel to know 10 years after I graduated high school I would be a world champion. I ran my first relay under you. Here we are 10 years later, World Champion.”
The 28-year-old Carnes is married to Daianera Carnes and has a 9-month-old daughter named Laila Lynnae Carnes. They live in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“A great kid who has worked hard and followed his dream,” Smith said. “He has not given up on his dream when other people were like ‘You can’t. You can’t. You can’t.’ ”
Carnes is in China continuing his training. He plans to return to Bradenton sometime in October.
“I wanted to write history by doing the unthinkable. I wanted to show that somebody like me and where I’m from can do something big like this,” Carnes said recently.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee High grad Brandon Carnes wins gold medal at World Athletics Championships
