Coaching Champions
August 20, 2023 | Track & Field
Chris Woods guides two Bulldog runners into the world championships.
STARKVILLE – A little less than two decades ago, Mississippi State track and field head coach Chris Woods was a remarkable student-athlete sporting the Maroon and White as he went toe-to-toe with his competition in a variety of races and relays.
Woods held his own against some of the top runners in the country, competing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, cementing his position in MSU record books and earning All-American honors in his career. His triumphs and top performances speak wonders about his talent on the track, but it's how he's continued to pay it forward as a coach that that continues to put exclamation points on the successful career he's had.
Now, Woods is gearing up to take on the World Athletics Championships with a pair of lightning-fast Bulldogs: Marco Arop and Navasky Anderson. The two will both compete in the 800m race, an event that Woods himself set the school record in before they both bettered his time.
Arop arrived in Starkville in 2018, Woods' final season as an assistant before taking over as the interim head coach of the program the following year. There was much to learn, but at the same time, there was room to train and grow as Arop prepared to compete at a higher level.
"When I first came to Mississippi State, I had not done any mileage at all," Arop said. "Up to that point, I was just running up the speed, and because I matured as an athlete, I had to run more and more in training and [Woods] helped me get to that point."
As the season went on and Arop reaped the benefits of his hard work, the relationship between him and his coach continued to develop. Woods instructed his student-athletes in more than just the physical aspects of the sport — after all, the expectations of competing at such high levels take a toll on even the best athletes.
"Anybody can put together a training program, but it's about how you develop them mentally as well," Woods said.
Arop's two-year career as a Bulldog was nothing short of remarkable. The half-miler crushed nearly every existing record imaginable, earning top marks in multiple MSU events and setting the Canadian indoor national record with a time of 1:45.90. Most notably, Arop notched a school-best time of 1:44.25 in the outdoor 800m and won gold at the Pan American Games in 2019 while representing his home country of Canada. He then went on to make his first World Championships appearance, where he was the youngest competitor in the field to reach the final.
Shortly after his time at MSU concluded, Arop was given the opportunity to compete at every star athlete's dream event: the Olympics. Woods joined the budding star at the 2020 Tokyo Games, and Arop had high hopes of being one of the few athletes to sport a shiny medal on the podium. He was delighted to have his coach by his side throughout the major event.
"It was awesome to have [Woods] there," Arop said. "That was both of our first Olympic experiences, so it was a great time."
Although Arop ran well, he fell just short of obtaining a coveted medal. The loss was disheartening to Arop and Woods alike, but both used the opportunity to identify ways to grow both physically and mentally.
"I took a very strong, hard look into the mirror as to what kind of coach I wanted to be," Woods said. "We took that devastation, and we used it as motivation for the years to come."
And it certainly did motivate.
Arop applied the lessons he learned and ran with them, guiding himself past the Olympics and on to more success. He continued to reign victorious on the track, even adding another international medal to his growing collection in 2022 by winning bronze at the World Championships in Oregon. Looking back, Tokyo propelled Arop forward and gave him the confidence needed to compete with the best of the best.
"I think the cool thing about that experience was that was the highest level of the sport," Arop said. "Knowing that it doesn't get any bigger than that, it allows us to prepare going into it next time and moving forward."
Arop won't be the only 800m runner representing the Bulldogs in the upcoming World Championships. Anderson is joining him for the second time following his international debut in 2022.
Anderson has spent the last three seasons at Mississippi State, where he ranks second all-time in program history in both the indoor and outdoor 800m. He holds broke the Jamaican national record in the race with a time of 1:45.02, which he set in a runner-up finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2022, before knocking that mark down to 1:44.70 this summer. While at State, Anderson also won the 2022 SEC 800m title while setting a facility record at the Ole Miss Track and Field Complex.
Like Arop, he has grown into a well-rounded athlete under Coach Woods' training since he first stepped foot on campus.
"[Woods] doesn't just coach me," Anderson said. "He guides me in all aspects of my life, which brought me to the realization that it's not just stuff that you do on the track. You have to really live the life if you want to become elite."
The success that both Arop and Anderson have had over the years is incredible, but both would undoubtedly like to reach a new milestone. They've already gained some experience in the World Championships, and Anderson explained how that could impact their performances.
"This is the second time around, so hopefully we have some great results this year from both of us," Anderson said. "I think both of us getting on the podium, that would be a dream for both of us."
Arop boasts a new distinction heading into his latest meet. He's currently the highest-ranked 800m runner in the world. Earning the top ranking in his sport has been motivational, but it hasn't distracted Arop from the competition that he will face in Budapest.
"I think I kind of understand the position I'm in," Arop said. "Being ranked No. 1 in the world doesn't really mean anything at this point, except that I'm more than capable of winning."
Woods is leading the charge, providing the training and encouragement needed throughout the high-stakes championships. However, the atmosphere alone has put a big pep in the runners' steps, and it won't take much for the Bulldogs to come flying across the finish line.
"Making it to the World Championships and global events and finishing high at the NCAA events are dreams for all of these student-athletes," Woods said.
The combination of two top-tier racers, a prestigious event and a coach who goes above and beyond for his student-athletes is creating a perfect storm. If nothing else, Woods said that the time his guys spend racing against other incredible athletes at the World Championships will be a game-changer for his track and field program.
"I certainly think that this experience will bring the three of us together," Woods said. "I think more than anything, what it will do is it will solidify that this is a track and field program that you can come to, you can get significantly better, and no matter where you're from – no matter your backgrounds or your ideologies – you can come to Mississippi State and get significantly better, and eventually you'll be on that stage one day."
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Woods held his own against some of the top runners in the country, competing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, cementing his position in MSU record books and earning All-American honors in his career. His triumphs and top performances speak wonders about his talent on the track, but it's how he's continued to pay it forward as a coach that that continues to put exclamation points on the successful career he's had.
Now, Woods is gearing up to take on the World Athletics Championships with a pair of lightning-fast Bulldogs: Marco Arop and Navasky Anderson. The two will both compete in the 800m race, an event that Woods himself set the school record in before they both bettered his time.
Arop arrived in Starkville in 2018, Woods' final season as an assistant before taking over as the interim head coach of the program the following year. There was much to learn, but at the same time, there was room to train and grow as Arop prepared to compete at a higher level.
"When I first came to Mississippi State, I had not done any mileage at all," Arop said. "Up to that point, I was just running up the speed, and because I matured as an athlete, I had to run more and more in training and [Woods] helped me get to that point."
As the season went on and Arop reaped the benefits of his hard work, the relationship between him and his coach continued to develop. Woods instructed his student-athletes in more than just the physical aspects of the sport — after all, the expectations of competing at such high levels take a toll on even the best athletes.
"Anybody can put together a training program, but it's about how you develop them mentally as well," Woods said.
Arop's two-year career as a Bulldog was nothing short of remarkable. The half-miler crushed nearly every existing record imaginable, earning top marks in multiple MSU events and setting the Canadian indoor national record with a time of 1:45.90. Most notably, Arop notched a school-best time of 1:44.25 in the outdoor 800m and won gold at the Pan American Games in 2019 while representing his home country of Canada. He then went on to make his first World Championships appearance, where he was the youngest competitor in the field to reach the final.
Shortly after his time at MSU concluded, Arop was given the opportunity to compete at every star athlete's dream event: the Olympics. Woods joined the budding star at the 2020 Tokyo Games, and Arop had high hopes of being one of the few athletes to sport a shiny medal on the podium. He was delighted to have his coach by his side throughout the major event.
"It was awesome to have [Woods] there," Arop said. "That was both of our first Olympic experiences, so it was a great time."
Although Arop ran well, he fell just short of obtaining a coveted medal. The loss was disheartening to Arop and Woods alike, but both used the opportunity to identify ways to grow both physically and mentally.
"I took a very strong, hard look into the mirror as to what kind of coach I wanted to be," Woods said. "We took that devastation, and we used it as motivation for the years to come."
And it certainly did motivate.
Arop applied the lessons he learned and ran with them, guiding himself past the Olympics and on to more success. He continued to reign victorious on the track, even adding another international medal to his growing collection in 2022 by winning bronze at the World Championships in Oregon. Looking back, Tokyo propelled Arop forward and gave him the confidence needed to compete with the best of the best.
"I think the cool thing about that experience was that was the highest level of the sport," Arop said. "Knowing that it doesn't get any bigger than that, it allows us to prepare going into it next time and moving forward."
Arop won't be the only 800m runner representing the Bulldogs in the upcoming World Championships. Anderson is joining him for the second time following his international debut in 2022.
Anderson has spent the last three seasons at Mississippi State, where he ranks second all-time in program history in both the indoor and outdoor 800m. He holds broke the Jamaican national record in the race with a time of 1:45.02, which he set in a runner-up finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2022, before knocking that mark down to 1:44.70 this summer. While at State, Anderson also won the 2022 SEC 800m title while setting a facility record at the Ole Miss Track and Field Complex.
Like Arop, he has grown into a well-rounded athlete under Coach Woods' training since he first stepped foot on campus.
"[Woods] doesn't just coach me," Anderson said. "He guides me in all aspects of my life, which brought me to the realization that it's not just stuff that you do on the track. You have to really live the life if you want to become elite."
The success that both Arop and Anderson have had over the years is incredible, but both would undoubtedly like to reach a new milestone. They've already gained some experience in the World Championships, and Anderson explained how that could impact their performances.
"This is the second time around, so hopefully we have some great results this year from both of us," Anderson said. "I think both of us getting on the podium, that would be a dream for both of us."
Arop boasts a new distinction heading into his latest meet. He's currently the highest-ranked 800m runner in the world. Earning the top ranking in his sport has been motivational, but it hasn't distracted Arop from the competition that he will face in Budapest.
"I think I kind of understand the position I'm in," Arop said. "Being ranked No. 1 in the world doesn't really mean anything at this point, except that I'm more than capable of winning."
Woods is leading the charge, providing the training and encouragement needed throughout the high-stakes championships. However, the atmosphere alone has put a big pep in the runners' steps, and it won't take much for the Bulldogs to come flying across the finish line.
"Making it to the World Championships and global events and finishing high at the NCAA events are dreams for all of these student-athletes," Woods said.
The combination of two top-tier racers, a prestigious event and a coach who goes above and beyond for his student-athletes is creating a perfect storm. If nothing else, Woods said that the time his guys spend racing against other incredible athletes at the World Championships will be a game-changer for his track and field program.
"I certainly think that this experience will bring the three of us together," Woods said. "I think more than anything, what it will do is it will solidify that this is a track and field program that you can come to, you can get significantly better, and no matter where you're from – no matter your backgrounds or your ideologies – you can come to Mississippi State and get significantly better, and eventually you'll be on that stage one day."
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