College graduation is a stressful time for anyone, but Allyson Felix probably has a little more on her mind than most.

The possibility of becoming America's next great Olympic star will do that to you.

Felix, who has been studying elementary education at Southern California, is set to graduate this December. Eight months later, she'll travel halfway around the world to Beijing, where she's favored to win multiple medals as a sprinter.

``It's been really difficult to make sure I can give my all,'' said Felix, 22, of balancing her school activities and her training, which currently takes up five days a week.

But despite her hectic round-the-clock schedule, she'll go into 2008 experienced - and confident.

Felix got her first taste of the Olympics in 2004, winning the silver medal in the 200 meters in Athens at age 18.

``Everything was new to me,'' she said. ``I was just taking it all in. Now I'm more confident going in.''

Confident enough to set her goals a little higher this time around.

At this year's World Championships in Osaka, Japan, Felix became the second woman in the history of the event to win three gold medals, and the first since Marita Koch of East Germany at the first Worlds in 1983.

Felix won the 200 and was part of the victorious 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams. Her 21.81-second time in the 200 was the fastest in the event by a woman since 1999, and she had the largest margin of victory in the history of the championships (.53).

``That was my goal all along,'' she said of winning the three golds.

Felix could have her eye on even more hardware in Beijing. She is considering competing in the 400, and her performance in the 1,600-meter relay in Osaka seems to suggest that she would do well.

Her second leg in the 4x400 event was unofficially timed by the U.S. staff at 48.0 seconds - faster than the 48.2 posted by Florence Griffith Joyner in helping set the American record at the 1988 Games.

Felix might also choose to compete in Beijing's 100-meter event. She withdrew from the 100 in Osaka to focus on the 200, but finished second to U.S. teammate Carmelita Jeter in the 100 at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany, with a time of 11.15 seconds.

While competing in all five events is probably not realistic, Felix said that the 200 remains ``my top priority.'' She has run the three fastest 200 times in the world in 2007.

Before the World Athletics Final, she said she would like to compete in four events in Beijing - two of the individual events and the two relays.

``You have to position yourself, see how the year plays out. We'll just have to decide what the best bet is,'' she said.

Felix has followed a somewhat unusual path to the top of the track and field world.

She didn't start running track until ninth grade, but quickly earned a name for herself. After high school, she surprised many when she opted to turn pro instead of running for a college team.

Felix signed a contract with Adidas, which footed the bill for her college education. The decision wasn't any easy one, she said, but going pro allowed her to focus more on her own personal goals - especially since the move came in the same year as the Athens games.

``I would have had to have done more events. I just really wanted to focus on my dream,'' she said.

After turning pro, Felix hooked up with coach Bobby Kersee, the husband and coach of Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The fit appears to be a good one, and Felix credits Kersee with moving her past a frustrating 2006 season that was marred by injuries and illness.

Her comeback was good enough to earn her the Jesse Owens Award as the outstanding U.S. athlete of 2007. She also received the honor in 2005.

``It's been really good. He has a lot of wisdom,'' Felix said. ``I really believe in what he and Jackie are doing.''

Now, however, Felix is hoping all of her difficult decisions and hard work will pay off as the biggest event of her career looms in the not-so-distant future - the 2008 Summer Games.

``It's definitely the most important goal.''(MIKE VOTTA)