That should come as no surprise. The name Michael Carter evokes reverent tones among track and field fans. He was one of the world's best in the shot put in his era, and he still holds the national high school record set in UT's Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in 1979. He went on to a sensational track and football career at SMU and later was a three-time all-pro defensive tackle with the San Francisco 49ers.

"It's amazing how often it happens," Michelle said. "At almost every meet, somebody will come up to me and talk about a time they saw my Dad do such and such. I think I've heard all the stories by now. It doesn't bother me, and I don't get tired of it. I take it as a compliment."

It might not be long, however, before people walk up to Michael Carter and say, "Hey, aren't you Michelle Carter's father?"

Michelle began her athletic career at Red Oak High School near Dallas. She was undefeated in high school in the shot put and discus, and, like her father, she set a national high school record in the shot put. She won four consecutive state high school shot put titles and was second in voting for Track & Field News' Female Athlete of the Year in 2002 and 2003. Last summer she recorded significant international shot put titles with victories at the USA Junior and World Junior Championships.

"Obviously, I grew up in a sports home, and I guess it was meant to be that I would get into sports," Carter said. "I don't think it was planned. It just kind of happened. I always enjoyed competing, and it is very satisfying to do well."

Of course it helped to have a father who is one of the all time bests in your event.

"Dad taught me everything I know about the shot and discus," Carter said. "He taught me both about technique and about how to compete and about what it takes to succeed and how to conduct yourself. He told me a lot of stories about things he did, but he always told me that I would have to find out what works best for me."

Today Carter works hard at maintaining her place as a world class athlete along with the demands of being a regular college student. It's not an easy task, and she credits her Mom, Sandra, for giving her the ability to manage.

"Mom and Dad were equally involved in raising me, but it was always Mom who reminded me to keep a balance in my life," Carter said. "She was totally supportive of sports, but she reminded me that other things were important. She kind of kept me grounded and reminded me that I have God-given talent, that I need to recognize that and work that much harder because of that."

Carter is only 19 years old, and athletes in the weight events can have successful careers well into their 30s. Carter is not sure what awaits her after athletics, but her immediate goal is to keep adding to her trophy case.

"I don't know what it will be, but I am going to prepare for some kind of career for when I'm done with track," Carter said. "But right now, I just want to keep working and keep improving. I want to get to the highest level I possibly can."

Donovan Kilmartin did not exactly choose the decathlon. The event, or events as it were, kind of chose him. Kilmartin, a Longhorn sophomore from Eagle, Idaho, is so gifted in so many track and field events that the decathlon became a natural athletics career path.

"I didn't set out to go into the decathlon. I don't think anybody does," Kilmartin said. "I started out in the shot put, then the (pole) vault, then the long jump. I just kept trying new events, and I was good enough in them that the decathlon was the obvious thing to try." The decathlon is one of the most demanding endeavors in all of sports. Except during the Olympic Games, however, it also is one of the most overlooked.

"I realize that the decathlon does not get a lot of attention. We're usually done before the main part of a (track) meet begins," Kilmartin said. "But you don't go into it because of wanting attention. It's just what you do, and you do if for the personal satisfaction."

The decathlon might be overlooked by many, However, it has been difficult to ignore what Kilmartin has already accomplished. Kilmartin was a three-time high school All-American and set a national prep record in the decathlon. At UT, he set a NCAA record in winning the heptathlon at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships and was runner-up in the event this season.

Needless to say, the decathlon is a demanding event. It requires both physical and mental endurance. Perhaps that's why Kilmartin excels. In addition to his athletic prowess, he was his high school valedictorian and graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

"I don't know, but maybe there is a connection," Kilmartin said. "Keeping up with class work in college while also keeping up with training in track takes a lot of time, and you have to manage your time well. You have to do the same thing in the decathlon. You have to stay on a schedule to work on all of the events. In a meet, the decathlon lasts most of the day, and you have to be able to deal with that."

The decathlon requires both physical and mental toughness. Injuries are common, and Kilmartin had to withdraw from the 2004 NCAA Championship with an injury. The mental endurance might be even more difficult.

"You have a lot of time sitting around to think about what you need to do, and it can be hard to stay focused," Kilmartin said. "I'd say that the first part of a decathlon is mostly physical, but as it goes on it gets more mental. You get down to those last couple of events and everybody is tired. You see people in the 400 (meters, the final event in the decathlon) and it's going to be the ones who are stronger mentally who hang in there."

Kilmartin's ability at managing the endurance of the decathlon seems to carry over to his long range career plans. "I'm not sure what I will eventually do, but I'm majoring in petroleum engineering," Kilmartin said. "I'll keep competing for a while, but I know I want to get a master's degree (in engineering) and then go after a MBA."