Grenada's Felix and Beckles in 2012 NCAA Championships

NEW YORK, June 4, 2012 - Grenadian Kurt Felix is set to represent Boise State University this week (June 6-9) at the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field National Championships being held in Des Moines, Iowa. The four-day meet will be hosted at Drake University's Drake Stadium/Jim Duncan Track for the second-straight year.

Felix, a redshirt senior, will compete in the decathlon for the second time in his career at an NCAA outdoor national meet. He competed in the 2010 NCAA decathlon, placing 13 ^th, and enters this season's competition ranked fourth. He holds a career-best, school record and Grenada national record set this season in the 10-event competition with 7,972-points. Showing to be a tight race for the national title, Felix sits only 95-points behind this year's leader, Isaac Murphy of Texas who has totalled 8,067-points this season. 

Felix, the 2012 Mountain West Decathlon Champion will begin his quest for the national title on Wednesday, June 6 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) with the 100-metre dash. He will continue competition on Thursday, June 7 at 12:30 p.m. (ET) with the decathlon's 110-metre hurdles. 

Kanika Beckles is the other Grenadian competing in this week’s 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field National Championships being held in Des Moines, Iowa.

Beckles will be representing Texas A&M University and is a top contender for the Women’s 400m and will also compete in the 4x400m Relay.

Beckles has been a success story at Texas A&M University. Her first race was a disappointment when she ran 1:00.08. But under Coach Alleyne Francique she improved to 53.94, 53.42, 52.92, 53.77, 51.72, 51.93, and 52.38.

Texas A&M became the first track and field program to ever win three straight men's and women's NCAA Outdoor Championships and will be seeking to extend that streak to four consecutive years. The Aggies became the first school to win dual titles in 20 years when they won their first set in 2009.

In 2010, A&M matched the rare achievement of consecutive dual NCAA titles claimed by LSU (1989-1990) under current Aggie head coach Pat Henry, who has totalled 33 NCAA Championships - 27 at LSU and currently six with Texas A&M University.