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Basten’s Blazing Last Lap Launches Him Into NCAA 1,500m Final

Drake University sophomore Isaac Basten ran the fastest final lap in his NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship semifinal heat Wednesday evening to earn a spot in the 1,500m finals.

Basten finished fourth in his heat with a personal best of 3:39.57 to automatically advance by being one of the top five finishers in the heat.

However, that finish did not come without individual heroics as he laid down a final 400 meters in 55.63 to move from ninth to fourth place. He passed two other competitors and held off the rest of the remaining field in the final 50 meters to punch his ticket into the finals and become the first-ever Bulldog to qualify for the finals in the event.