Former Summit HS standout to take part in US Olympic Track Trials

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Khallifah Rosser of Cal State Los Angeles has already won a national championship, tied a long-running school record and won an elite race at the legendary Mt. San Antonio College Relays in 2016.

Now he is in Oregon ready to take his shot at the grandest goal of all: a spot on the United States Olympic Team.

Rosser, also a product of Summit High School and Chaffey College, will compete in the first round of the 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials today at 6:53 p.m., hoping to advance to the semifinals on Friday wit the final slated for Sunday.

He has the seventh-fastest qualifying time entering the Trials and needs to finish among the top three to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.

“I feel good; I’m real confident that I can reach my goal, but right now I am focusing everything on the first day and doing what I need to do to make it out of the first round,” Rosser said. “If I execute the plan like I should, I should do well.”

Rosser’s  qualifying mark of 49.04 came in winning an NCAA Division II championship in May.

He is also buoyed by a break-through performance at the Mt. SAC Relays in April when he achieved a then-personal best mark of 49.27, while beating an elite field that included Olympic Trial participants like Jeshua Anderson, C.J. Allen and Michael Tinsley. “

 

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Local Khaliffah Rosser earns top honor at CS Los Angeles

Senior Khaliffah Rosser was named Male Athlete of the Year at Cal State Los Angeles in festivities last week.

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Rosser, a graduate of Summit High School and Chaffey College, won the NCAA Division II championship in the 400 intermediate hurdles last month. In doing so he equaled a Cal State LA record with a winning time of 49.04.

Rosser is currently tied for No. 5 in the United States and No. 12 in the world and has automatically qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. late this month.

Rosser was also named the West Region Track Athlete of the Year and won conference titles in the 400 hurdles and 4×100 relay. He also set a new school record in the 400 with a time of 45.74.

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Local Khaliffah Rosser brings home D2 national title in hurdles

Junior Khaliffah Rosser of Cal State Los Angeles is a national champion.

Rosser, a product of Summit High School and Chaffey College, took first place in the 400 hurdles at the NCAA Division II National meet on Saturday at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Rosser, the West Region Track Athlete of the Year, registered a personal best time of 49.04, which ties the Cal State LA record set by Sam Turner in 1978. Rosser’s previous best was a 49.27 clocking that he achieved while winning the elite race at the Mt. SAC Relays in April.

The race had a familiar look to it as Rosser, running in lane No. 4, took quick command. He made up the stagger on the top competitors almost from the start and never wavered before finishing with a comfortable winning margin. Shawn Rose of St. Augustine’s, who had the nation’s No. 2 time entering the race, was second in 49.93.

Rosser won the first national championship in men’s track and field for Cal State LA since Josh Como and Giorgio Bryant won national titles in the triple jump and long jump in 2011. The intermediate hurdles title is the first for Cal State LA since Gordon Bugg in 1985.

The title was the 29th championship in men’s track and field history for Cal State LA

khallifah at nationals

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