EUGENE, Ore. – Just so everyone understands, even if Andy Bayer had finished among the top three in the men’s 1,500-meter run at the U.S. Olympic Trials, he wouldn’t have qualified for the Olympics.

Athletes are required to meet a tough qualifying standard in order to compete, and the former Leo High School star didn’t run fast enough this season to make it.

But that being said … man, was he close.

“I was telling my coach last night … if I was third, it would be really frustrating to think that I still needed the ‘A’ (standard),” said Bayer, who ended up fourth when the final race was run Sunday in Eugene, Ore.

His final time – 3:37.24 – was his best, but still left him short of the 3:35.50 necessary to go to London.

That’s fine, the Indiana University star said. What he learned this week will serve him well in the future.

Like, maybe, four years from now.

“I definitely think I’m capable of running (3:35.5),” said Bayer, who was this year’s NCAA champ. “I felt awesome today and ran a 3:37. It wasn’t the most perfect race, we got out hard and then slowed down in the middle, so I think if I can get in a race where guys go hard all the way and run 3:32 or 3:33, I can get it.”