EUGENE, ORE. -- A longtime dream came true on Sunday for Cal State LA's Khallifah Rosser, while another Golden Eagle got his first taste of a huge competition at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships Sunday at Hayward Field.

Rosser earned his way into next month's World Championships with a scintillating third-place finish in the 400 hurdles. Rosser set a new personal best with a mark of 47.65 to clinch a spot on the USA team. He joined national champion Raj Benjamin and second-place finisher Trevor Bassitt in a post-race interview with NBC's Louis Johnson.

"I made my first team," a beaming Rosser told Johnson. "I couldn't be more excited."

It was a steady progression for Rosser, who was fifth last year in the U.S. Olympic Trials. He has had a tremendous 2022 season and entered the nationals with the second-fastest in the United States and stamped himself as a major contender after wins in both the first-round and semi-final heats.

In the final, Rosser went after it and held a slim lead as late as the ninth (next-to-last) hurdle. Benjamin grabbed the lead by the final hurdle and then finished strong for the win. Rosser also finished well to secure the third-place finish.
 

Rosser won the 2016 NCAA Division II championship in the 400 hurdles for the Golden Eagles and holds school records in both the 400 hurdles and 400.

For current Golden Eagle Porte-Joie Tshiaba, Sunday was his first experience on the grand stage and his 2022 performances have shown he has a bright future in the high jump.

Tshiaba, already a two-time All-American in the high jump at Cal State LA, was competing in his first USA nationals. He was unable to clear the opening height of 7-1.50, but was one of only a handful of collegiate jumpers in the field. The opening height was just below his personal best of 7-2.25, which he set at Azusa Pacific's Last Chance Meet last month. That mark got Tshiaba into not only the NCAA Division II championships, where he finished eighth, but also the USATF Outdoor Championships on Sunday.

It was also his first meet of the season, making the 7-2.25 leap a remarkable achievement.

"We are proud of Porte-Joie Tshiaba representing Cal State LA today," Cal State LA assistant coach Sean Fernandes said. "Unfortunately, he didn't do what we know he's capable of today, but he earned the opportunity to be on one of the biggest stages, next to the Olympic Trials. This was his third meet of the year, so he is still getting used to competing. We are excited to see his continued development and know he has a bright future ahead of him."

The World Championships will be held next month, also at Hayward Field in Oregon, and Rosser will there going for gold.