FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- For one Miami RedHawk, the 2008-09 athletic season is not yet complete. Senior Kevin Dwyer still has hopes of bringing a national championship back to Oxford as he begins competition Wednesday in the Men's Decathlon at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

The decathlon, coined as featuring the "world's best athletes", is a two-day competition that covers 10 events. Entrants gain points based on their performances in sprints, distance runs, throws and jumps. The first day features the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400 meters. On Thursday, Dwyer competes in the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500 meters.

Dwyer enters the championship ranked 11th in the country, posting a qualifying mark of 7,452 points at the Charlotte 49er Classic back in March. The national leader is Ashton Eaton of Oregon with 8,091 points.

The Arlington Heights, Ill., native is making his second straight appearance at the championship, but this year, the circumstances are completely different. In 2008, he was an alternate who received an invitation at the last minute. This year, he provisionally qualified in March and was a shoo-in for the field after being ranked 11th in the country.

The way the invitation was received has an opposite effect on Dwyer's attitude. "Obviously, last year, I snuck in, so I wasn't mentally prepared," he said. "Having been in the meet last year, I feel a lot more confident and have a lot more experience. I am going in this year thinking that I can win. Being ranked 11th, I don't see why I can't. If I do everything right, why not... that's my mindset going in."

Dwyer and decathlon coach Ceith Creekmur arrived in Fayetteville on Monday and went through a practice session today. "I am getting really excited," Dwyer admitted. "The butterflies are going and I can't wait for tomorrow. I feel like I am ready to go. After MAC meet, we had two good weeks of training and got the kinks worked out. Physically and mentally, I am ready, now I just have to go out and compete.

Dwyer's strongest events are the jumps, acknowledging that the long jump and high jump can score him big points. But he also knows he has to focus on one event at a time.

There are only 25 competitors entered in the field, something that hasn't gone unnoticed by Head Coach Warren Mandrell. "It is an incredible honor to get to go, especially two years in a row," he said. "Kevin had a very good start to the season and we knew the mark (in Charlotte) would be good enough to get an invitation. Then he could simply train through the season.

"When you get to this level, you just have to beat as many people as possible," Mandrell continued. "There isn't anyone there who isn't a great competitor... it's a solid meet."