June 25, 2012

MEMPHIS, TENN.- Former Memphis track and field standouts Daniel Kiss and Gaute Myklebust and recent signee Pauls Pujats will take part in the 21st European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland June 27- July 1st. The biannual track and field event is the largest of its kind in Europe. The trio is among a growing list of elite-athletes to be associated with Tiger-track and field competing on the national and worldwide stages.

Myklebust currently holds the outdoor shot put (18.78m, 61'7.25") and discus (60.85m, 199'8") records at the University of Memphis. As a junior in 2003, Myklebust was named C-USA Male Athlete of the Year, won C-USA outdoor titles in the shot put and discus and qualified for the NCAA Championships finishing 15th in the shot put and 14th in the discus.

In his senior season, Myklebust was again named C-USA Male Athlete of the Year in addition to winning the C-USA indoor and outdoor shot put and outdoor discus titles. Myklebust also qualified for the NCAA Championships for a second year in a row taking fourth in the discus earning First-Team All-America honors.

Since his time donning the Blue and Gray, Mykelbust represented Norway at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and has twice competed at the World Championships. This will be the third time the Norwegian has competed in the European Championships. Mykelbust enters the event sporting a discus personal-record of 64.08m (210'3").

Kiss is the current 110m hurdle school-record holder with a time of 13.49 set in 2003. At the 20th European Championships the former Tigers took bronze in the 110m hurdle crossing the line at 13.39. In 2008, Kiss represented his native Hungary at the Beijing Olympics advancing to the semifinal qualifying round before bowing out.

Pujats signed to pole vault for the Tigers this past spring and will begin his Memphis career in the fall. In competition this year, Pujats vaulted a new personal-best of 5.50m (18'0.5"), a mark that would have ranked in the top three in NCAA Division I. The Riga, Latvia native's long list of accomplishment includes among other things winning the 2010 Outdoor Latvian Championships.

In July of 2011, Pujats vaulted 5.30m (17'4.50") at the 2011 U23 European Championships finishing ninth overall. The following month he would tie that mark to reach the finals of the 2011 World University games. In 2010, Pujats placed sixth at the 13th IAAF World Junior Championships with a height of 5.10m (16-08.75).

For more information on Memphis track and field programs and all Tigers-athletics please visit GoTigersGo.com.