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. He will race for a national title and All-America honors Friday evening at 7:11 p.m. CDT.
 
Basten was one of two Drake student-athletes in the 1,500-meter semifinals. Teammate Adam Fogg, the school record holder in the event, finished 10th in his heat in 3:40.88 to miss advancing.
 
The race concludes Fogg's historic season in which he set the school record in the 1,500 meters and finished with all-time top-five times in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters as well. He was named the Missouri Valley Conference MVP after becoming the second-ever student-athlete to win the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the MVC Championship.
 
Basten and Fogg were two of three Bulldogs competing Wednesday at the NCAA championships as Adam Kessler stepped into the shot put circle for Drake as well.
 
Unfortunately, the Drake school record holder and MVC runner-up in the event did not advance out of his flight. He opened up his series with a throw of 60-2 (18.34m) and fouled on his subsequent two attempts to bow out of the competition. Kessler finished eighth in his flight and 17th overall to cap his history making season as a Bulldog.