Freshman Marco Arop was one of three current or former MSU athletes in the men's 800m finals at the Athletics Canada Championships this weekend.
Arop, Quijera Give Bulldogs Third and Fourth National Championships of the Year
July 09, 2018 | Track & Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Marco Arop thought it would take much longer than this. The Mississippi State 800m freshman record holder lined up against the Bulldogs' school record holder and No. 1 Canadian Brandon McBride on Sunday at the Athletics Canada Championships in Ottawa, Ont.
The younger Bulldog held on down the final 200m to win by 0.27 seconds with a time of 1:46.15 and will now represent Canada at the NACAC Games in Toronto, Ont., in August.
"It's a feeling that I can't even explain," Arop said. "I was so afraid Brandon was going to out-kick me with 200m to go, and that just encouraged me to kick even harder."
Two years ago, Arop sat in the stands watching McBride, fresh off a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships, win his nation's championship.
"I remember a friend of mine saying 'That's Brandon McBride. He just placed second at NCAA's,' and I thought, 'It's going to be awhile until I can be at his level,'" Arop said. "And here I am. It's crazy."
Already, Arop has forced his way into the conversation with McBride. He finished second at the NCAA Championships in June, breaking the MSU freshman record at 1:45.25. That time is just 0.75 seconds off McBride's record pace. Indoors, the gap is slightly larger, but still a mere 0.82 seconds.
"I'm excited for this young gentleman," McBride said. "I believe that momentum will continue for many generations. Coach Dudley has done a wonderful job building this program."
The Bulldogs' recent success in the 800m was highlighted by three athletes in the finals in Ontario. Kenya Small ran fifth after posting a personal-best 1:50.82 in the prelims. Small and Arop were part of MSU's Championship of America-winning 4x800m relay at the Penn Relays in April. That group shattered the school record by more than six seconds, clocking in at 7:14.16.
"Mississippi State has a lot of talent right now," McBride said. "It's always had very talented athletes. I think the difference is the mental barriers. Once the older athletes broke the barriers and showed the younger generations that they too can compete at the highest levels, that's when we really started seeing a lot of remarkable performances all around."
Karson Kowalchuk also represented MSU at the Canadian championships, running the 100m and 200m. He was the youngest athlete in both competitions and finished 11th in each.
Former Bulldog and 2018 NCAA Runner-Up Nicolas Quijera won the Spanish U23 Championships in the javelin with a throw of 74.73m (245-2).
Members of Mississippi State's 2018 roster have now won four national titles, including Anderson Peters' NCAA javelin crown and Curtis Thompson's USATF javelin gold. Additionally, former heptathlete Erica Bougard won the USATF Championship this year in both the outdoor heptathlon and indoor pentathlon.
For more information on the MSU track and field team, follow the program on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching @HailStateTF. You can also find all access coverage on SnapChat by searching 'HailStateSnap'.
The younger Bulldog held on down the final 200m to win by 0.27 seconds with a time of 1:46.15 and will now represent Canada at the NACAC Games in Toronto, Ont., in August.
"It's a feeling that I can't even explain," Arop said. "I was so afraid Brandon was going to out-kick me with 200m to go, and that just encouraged me to kick even harder."
Two years ago, Arop sat in the stands watching McBride, fresh off a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships, win his nation's championship.
"I remember a friend of mine saying 'That's Brandon McBride. He just placed second at NCAA's,' and I thought, 'It's going to be awhile until I can be at his level,'" Arop said. "And here I am. It's crazy."
Already, Arop has forced his way into the conversation with McBride. He finished second at the NCAA Championships in June, breaking the MSU freshman record at 1:45.25. That time is just 0.75 seconds off McBride's record pace. Indoors, the gap is slightly larger, but still a mere 0.82 seconds.
"I'm excited for this young gentleman," McBride said. "I believe that momentum will continue for many generations. Coach Dudley has done a wonderful job building this program."
The Bulldogs' recent success in the 800m was highlighted by three athletes in the finals in Ontario. Kenya Small ran fifth after posting a personal-best 1:50.82 in the prelims. Small and Arop were part of MSU's Championship of America-winning 4x800m relay at the Penn Relays in April. That group shattered the school record by more than six seconds, clocking in at 7:14.16.
"Mississippi State has a lot of talent right now," McBride said. "It's always had very talented athletes. I think the difference is the mental barriers. Once the older athletes broke the barriers and showed the younger generations that they too can compete at the highest levels, that's when we really started seeing a lot of remarkable performances all around."
Karson Kowalchuk also represented MSU at the Canadian championships, running the 100m and 200m. He was the youngest athlete in both competitions and finished 11th in each.
Former Bulldog and 2018 NCAA Runner-Up Nicolas Quijera won the Spanish U23 Championships in the javelin with a throw of 74.73m (245-2).
Members of Mississippi State's 2018 roster have now won four national titles, including Anderson Peters' NCAA javelin crown and Curtis Thompson's USATF javelin gold. Additionally, former heptathlete Erica Bougard won the USATF Championship this year in both the outdoor heptathlon and indoor pentathlon.
For more information on the MSU track and field team, follow the program on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching @HailStateTF. You can also find all access coverage on SnapChat by searching 'HailStateSnap'.
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