EUGENE, ORE. -- Cal State LA's Khallifah Rosser completed an outstanding series of races at the 2022 World Track & Field Championships Tuesday with a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles finals.

Rosser, the 2016 NCAA Division II 400-hurdles champion, ran his second-fastest time ever while competing against a star-studded field that included the top three finishers at the Tokyo Olympic Games. His time of 47.88 was just above his personal best of 47.65 that he ran while finishing third at the USA Track & Field Championships last month.

It also meant Rosser improved his time through each round of competition. He won his first-round heat on Saturday with a time of 48.62 and then ran a time of 48.34 on Sunday in the semifinals, giving him the fifth-best qualifying mark heading into Tuesday's finals at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field.

Rosser had a tough lane assignment on Tuesday, drawing the inside lane, but he did an admirable job throughout and was within striking distance of earning a medal all the way to the end.

Alison Dos Santos, the bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, won the world championship on Tuesday with a time of 46.29, while Rai Benjamin of the United States was second in 46.89. Trevor Bassitt, a nine-time national champion in indoor and outdoor track and field at Division II Ashland, took third in 47.39. Wilfried Happo of France was fourth in 47.61 with Rosser just behind in fifth in 47.88, giving Team USA three of the top-five finishers.

Karsten Warholm, the reigning Olympic champion from Norway, was seventh in 48.42.

Rosser had a tremendous career while at Cal State LA and holds school records in the 400 and 400 hurdles. He won the 2016 NCAA championship in the 400 hurdles. After his showing this summer in both the USA Nationals and World Championships, at age 27, he has established himself as one of the world's top hurdlers with a bright future ahead of him.