Bluffton High School graduate Trevor Bassitt (2017) visited the 7th and 8th graders at Bluffton Middle School on Homecoming Friday, October 15, 2021. Bassitt, who reached the 400-meter hurdles finals in the United States Olympic Team Trials in June, responded to a standing invitation from teacher Robin Ault.

Talking to a cafetorium full of students, Bassitt remembered sitting on the bench during his first season playing basketball and not winning any races. “Middle school, it was so long ago. I don’t remember practices, I don’t remember races. I just remember being really skinny and not very fast,” he told the Icon. 

While Bassitt often responds emotionally to his losses, his overall attitude is positive. He wanted to play college basketball, but discovered that his talents lay elsewhere. His words for those getting their start in sports: “You’re not going to love every day. Some days you’re not going to want to do it, but when in doubt, believe in yourself.”

Bassitt is now a graduate student in business administration at Ashland University. He was named the 2021 NCAA Division II Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Track Athlete of the Year. His plans for the future include becoming a professional track athlete, with an eye on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, as well as working as a sports administrator or coach.