Eugene, OR — Former Messiah College standout Chris Boyles is taking his talents to the United State Olympic Track & Field Trials this weekend, looking to represent his country in the decathlon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Boyles, a 2002 Messiah graduate and NCAA Division III National Champion in the decathlon, will be vying for one of the country’s three Olympic spots in the event. The trials, held at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, will begin Friday, June 27 and conclude Sunday, July 6. The 10 events comprising the decathlon will occur both Sunday, June 29 and Monday, June 30.

Boyles has trained for the decathlon since his graduation from Messiah, finishing 10th in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials. He’s been ranked as high as 17th in the world in the event. His most recent, 7,804-point qualifying mark has him seeded 15th entering this weekend’s competition.

Boyles’ 2002 national championship was the first in Messiah track & field history, a feat recently duplicated in the women’s heptathlon by 2008 graduate Amy Reed. Boyles was also an All-American goalkeeper for the Messiah men’s soccer team during his collegiate career, helping the team to its first NCAA Division III National Championship in the 2000 season.

“We're proud to be able to name Chris Boyles as a graduate of Messiah College,” said Jerry Chaplin, Messiah director of athletics. “He had an exceptional career here, both in soccer and track and field. He was our first national champion in outdoor track, and he was an incredible goalkeeper. Most of all, he always approached competition the right way. With Chris, it was always ‘team first’ and he led by example. It's been great to watch Chris’s progress in the decathlon since he left Messiah, and we’re anticipating an incredible weekend for him. But whatever happens, we know that he will give it his very best effort, and it will be exciting to see what happens.”

The first event of the 2008 Olympic Trials decathlon — the 100-meter dash — is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. (Pacific time) Sunday. That event will be followed by the long jump (10:50 a.m. PT), the shot put (12 p.m., PT), the high jump (1:15 p.m., PT) and the 400-meter dash (3:35 p.m., PT). The 110-meter hurdles will resume competition at 11:30 a.m. Monday, followed by the discus throw (12:20 p.m., PT), the pole vault (2:35 p.m., PT), the javelin throw (4:45 p.m., PT) and the 1,500-meter run (8:35 p.m., PT).

Live scoring, schedule and results from each event will be available at the official site of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. National television coverage of the decathlon (among other events) will take place on NBC from 7 to 8 p.m. (EST) Sunday, and on USA from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. (EST) Monday. Check local listings for details.