Friday, March 8
Birmingham, Ala.
All Day
Mississippi State
vs
NCAA Indoor Championships (I)
Marco Arop advanced to the men's 800m final at the NCAA Indoor Championships on Friday in Birmingham.
MSU’s Arop Advances To 800m Final At NCAA Indoor Championships
March 08, 2019 | Track & Field
by Caleb Garner, Graduate Assistant/Communications
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Survive and advance.
That was the story on Friday for Mississippi State's Marco Arop in the men's 800m semifinals at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships. Arop finished fifth in his heat but advanced with the fifth-best mark of the night, running 1:48.66 at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
"Marco's very fortunate to have made tomorrow's final after finishing fifth in his heat," interim head coach Chris Woods said. "He's got a big test ahead of him tomorrow, so it's time to hit reset and come back tomorrow to try to win a national championship."
Arop led out of the gate and set the pace for the race, running 25.02 in the first 200m before Texas A&M's Carlton Orange edged him out in the second lap by .02 seconds. Arop reclaimed a slight lead at the 600m mark with a 27.39 split until he was caught in a tight pack that moved him into a fifth-place finish in his heat.
The 2019 SEC silver medalist moved on to Saturday's final when the second heat finished with a top time of 1:49.15, run by the Aggies' Devin Dixon who comes in with the NCAA's top time this season.
"It was nerve-wracking," Arop said after watching the second heat unfold. "I couldn't tell if I was going to make it in or not. I was worried watching the second race, but I'm not worried now. I'm excited, and it's time to switch the mindset now to get ready for tomorrow."
In the women's long jump, Asia Poe concluded her freshman indoor season with a 13th-place finish, leaping 5.97m (19-7.0) on her second jump. The Madison, Mississippi, product put together an impressive debut season, being the only freshman to qualify in the event with a season-best mark of 6.30m (20-8.0) that ranks fifth in MSU indoor history.
"I'm extremely proud of Asia," Woods said. "She's a freshman and finished as one of the top 16 in her event, and that's a testament to her hard work. She and Coach Steve Thomas have put in a ton of hard work and the future is very bright for her, not only for the rest of this season but for the rest of her career."
Arop will return to the track at 5:40 p.m. CT Saturday for the men's 800m final, which will be streamed live on ESPN3. The Edmonton, Alberta, sophomore is running in his second straight NCAA 800m final after earning a silver-medal finish at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships last June. Arop's advancement marks the second straight year the Bulldogs have had a runner in the indoor 800m final, with Dejon Devroe doing so in 2018.
For more information on the Mississippi State track and field team, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Women's Results – NCAA Indoor Championships (Friday)
Long Jump: Jasmyn Steels, Northwestern State, 6.46m (21-2.5)
MSU: 13. Asia Poe, 5.97m (19-7.0)
Men's Results – NCAA Indoor Championships (Friday)
800m (Semifinals): Bryce Hoppel, Kansas, 1:48.30
MSU: 5. Marco Arop, 1:48.66 (Q)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Survive and advance.
That was the story on Friday for Mississippi State's Marco Arop in the men's 800m semifinals at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships. Arop finished fifth in his heat but advanced with the fifth-best mark of the night, running 1:48.66 at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
"Marco's very fortunate to have made tomorrow's final after finishing fifth in his heat," interim head coach Chris Woods said. "He's got a big test ahead of him tomorrow, so it's time to hit reset and come back tomorrow to try to win a national championship."
Arop led out of the gate and set the pace for the race, running 25.02 in the first 200m before Texas A&M's Carlton Orange edged him out in the second lap by .02 seconds. Arop reclaimed a slight lead at the 600m mark with a 27.39 split until he was caught in a tight pack that moved him into a fifth-place finish in his heat.
The 2019 SEC silver medalist moved on to Saturday's final when the second heat finished with a top time of 1:49.15, run by the Aggies' Devin Dixon who comes in with the NCAA's top time this season.
"It was nerve-wracking," Arop said after watching the second heat unfold. "I couldn't tell if I was going to make it in or not. I was worried watching the second race, but I'm not worried now. I'm excited, and it's time to switch the mindset now to get ready for tomorrow."
In the women's long jump, Asia Poe concluded her freshman indoor season with a 13th-place finish, leaping 5.97m (19-7.0) on her second jump. The Madison, Mississippi, product put together an impressive debut season, being the only freshman to qualify in the event with a season-best mark of 6.30m (20-8.0) that ranks fifth in MSU indoor history.
"I'm extremely proud of Asia," Woods said. "She's a freshman and finished as one of the top 16 in her event, and that's a testament to her hard work. She and Coach Steve Thomas have put in a ton of hard work and the future is very bright for her, not only for the rest of this season but for the rest of her career."
Arop will return to the track at 5:40 p.m. CT Saturday for the men's 800m final, which will be streamed live on ESPN3. The Edmonton, Alberta, sophomore is running in his second straight NCAA 800m final after earning a silver-medal finish at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships last June. Arop's advancement marks the second straight year the Bulldogs have had a runner in the indoor 800m final, with Dejon Devroe doing so in 2018.
For more information on the Mississippi State track and field team, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Women's Results – NCAA Indoor Championships (Friday)
Long Jump: Jasmyn Steels, Northwestern State, 6.46m (21-2.5)
MSU: 13. Asia Poe, 5.97m (19-7.0)
Men's Results – NCAA Indoor Championships (Friday)
800m (Semifinals): Bryce Hoppel, Kansas, 1:48.30
MSU: 5. Marco Arop, 1:48.66 (Q)
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