PROVO, Utah -- "I'm not really an expert at anything, I don't really care to be, I just like to be an all-around guy, kind of a renaissance man I guess," Chase Dalton says.
That attitude makes Brigham Young University senior Chase Dalton destined for decathlons.
Decathlons consist of 10 different track and field events over two days.
Events range from the 100-meter dash to shot put to pole vault - which is perfect for Dalton, whose attention does not stay on one event for very long.
Dalton said: "I didn't like focusing on one event, it was boring. One or two events... My high school coaches had to reign me in because I would be like 'Hey I want to practice pole vault today...' and they would say 'No, you are a hurdler and a javelin thrower' and it just killed me so I would stay late or come early and try different events."
Dalton has been through multiple injuries, coming home from his LDS mission with a broken hand and a torn shoulder labrum.
He later sprained both of his ankles and did not know if he would be able to bounce back.
"There were times I thought, maybe I'm just washed up," he said.
But, on March 27 of this year, Dalton scored a personal record of 7,642 points, the highest total in the country up to that point in the season.
He says he is only 800 points away from reaching his overall goal.
"Ever since I was young in high school, I've always had a dream to go the Olympics and it takes a lot of guts to put that out there and say, 'Yeah I'm gonna be an Olympian and go to the Olympics' cause people are going to say, 'Yeah, sure.'"
BYU assistant track and field coach Stephani Perkins believes that Dalton has what it takes to make it to the Olympics.
"I think he could do this post collegiate," she said. "2016 isn't like crazy. I don't think it's out of the ordinary to think that."
Dalton has high hopes for his future, "The way I think about it is three people gotta go from America... why can't I be one of the three?"
