Trevor Bassitt's route to the Olympics was unlike that of many of his U.S. teammates.
He didn't compete for a big Division I school, and he didn't jump straight from high school to elite competition. The 400-meter hurdler competed at Ashland, a Division II university in Ohio with around 5,000 undergraduate students.
Simply put, Bassitt dominated during his time as an Eagle, winning 10 NCAA national championships in individual and relay events on the track, 21 All-America honors, and four U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II Track Athlete of the Year awards.
In the summer of 2019, Bassitt competed in the U.S. outdoor championships, thinking he would be outmatched in competition. To his surprise, he made it to the 400 hurdles semifinals and placed 13th.
"That's when I really started to think, like, 'OK, if we put in the work and really commit to this, we could end up at this level,'" he said.
After graduating in 2022, he began his professional career, taking bronze in the 2022 world championships in the 400 hurdles. He also won gold with the U.S. 4x400-meter relay teams at the 2022 and 2023 world championships.
In July, he punched his ticket to the Olympics in the 400 hurdles, placing third at the U.S. trials.
"You don't have to go to an SEC or Big Ten school to get to this level. If you just go to a situation that works for you and you just put in the work and everything, there's a chance you end up at this level," the Bluffton, Ohio, native said.
Bassitt spoke to the high level of training he received at Ashland that prepared him for the Olympic stage.
"I mean, having a four-time Olympian in Jud Logan there as the head coach, setting the standard, he kind of just taught us how to carry ourselves and how to go about preparation, and that's something that you don't get even at big DI schools. So the culture there is incredible."
In Paris, Bassitt underperformed in his first round, yet fought back in the repechage.
"That was the first (time) I was in the stadium at all. The size, the crowd, the atmosphere caught me off guard and kind of took me out of my game," he admitted.
"But you can't let that happen," he said Tuesday. "So that was the big focus coming into today: Control the controllables. The second the gun went off, I just wanted to execute that, start the first hurdle well, and then go from there."
His tactic worked, earning him a lane in Wednesday's semifinals of the 400-meter hurdles. There, Bassitt said he has high expectations, aiming to leave Paris with a medal or at least a personal best.
Another goal for Bassitt? Shine a light on Division II athletics.
"You have me and Katie Moon, and Katie's done an incredible job," he said of the Ashland graduate and Tokyo Olympic gold medalist who will compete in Wednesday's pole vault finals in Paris. "I'm just trying to match her, but it's good for DII to have representation. I'm just glad I can be a representative of that and give other DII or DIII athletes hope."
