EUGENE, Ore. – It’s international season for the Mississippi State track and field program, as seven total Bulldogs are headed to Track Town, USA, to compete at the World Athletics Championships. It will be the first time in nearly 40 years the United States plays host to one of the world’s most prestigious track and field events, July 15-24.
MSU will be represented in five different countries spanned across two continents. The seven individuals will compete across four events, with multiple Dawgs competing against each other on two different occasions. A trio will race in the men’s 800m followed by a pair in the men’s javelin.
Full meet coverage will be presented across NBCUniversal’s television networks and digital platforms. All network and cable TV windows will be simul-streamed via NBCSports.com/live, as well as the NBC Sports app, with NBC’s programming also to be available on Peacock. World-feed coverage of all competition sessions will stream live on Peacock. Fans can visit the full broadcast schedule here.
Meet the Dawgs
Marta Pen Freitas (POR) will open Worlds for MSU on Friday night, July 15, running in the women’s 1500m qualifiers. The race will be the first of three total for the event, with the final taking place three days later. A two-time Olympian, Pen Freitas enters Eugene as a six-time Portuguese National Champion with four 1500m titles under her belt.
A month after his historic, national runner-up finish, Navasky Anderson (JAM) will return to the same track that saw him break Jamaica’s national 800m record – a time that stood untouched for 45 years. Anderson will compete in the men’s 800m qualifiers on Wednesday night, July 20, alongside two former Dawgs. The race will be the first of three total for the event, with the final taking place three days later. Anderson currently sits second all-time in MSU 800m history.
The second Bulldog to compete in the men’s 800m is none other than the MSU school record-holder, Marco Arop (CAN). The Olympian enters Track Town as Canada’s national indoor 800m record holder. The Canadian has a slew of credentials to his name: gold-medal winner at 2019 Pan American Games, two-time NCAA runner-up and holds MSU’s 800m records for indoor, outdoor and freshman.
The final Maroon and White representative in the men’s 800m is former Bulldog Brandon McBride (CAN). The two-time Olympian currently holds the Canadian national outdoor record. McBride was a 2014 NCAA outdoor national champion and is tied for the MSU men’s track record with nine All-American honors.
The Grenadian world champion – and Olympian, Anderson Peters (GRD), will represent JavU starting Thursday night, July 21, in the men’s javelin qualifying round with the event final taking place the following night. The legendary Bulldog holds records for his nation, both the NCAA and SEC championship meets and the MSU men’s program. During his time as a Bulldog, Peters was a two-time NCAA and SEC champion, named 2018 SEC Freshman Field Athlete of the Year and was a two-time semifinalist for The Bowerman, awarded to the most outstanding men and women NCAA track and field athletes.
Fellow JavU representative, Curtis Thompson (USA), will join Peters in the men’s javelin. The Olympian became State’s first NCAA champion for the event during his time as a Bulldog. Thompson is a two-time USATF champion (2018, 2021) and represented the red, white and blue at the Pan American Games in 2019.
Tiffany Flynn (USA) will be the final athlete from MSU to compete, participating in the women’s long jump qualifying round Saturday night, July 23. The event final will take place the following night. During her time at MSU, Flynn excelled as a triple jumper, holding both the indoor and outdoor school record, and is a four-time All-American.
Keeping Up With MSU Track & Field
For more information on the Bulldog track and field program, visit HailState.com or search for “HailStateTF” on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.