Handful of Roos Get Bids to Summit Preseason Athletes to Watch List
12/3/2025 1:00:00 PM | Track and Field
Kansas City picked sixth on women's side, seventh on men's end in preseason poll
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- With indoor track and field season right around the corner, the Summit released the annual preseason poll Wednesday afternoon. The Summit League pegs the Roos in a tie for sixth place on the women's side and seventh for the men. Kansas City women's t&f received 14 votes, tying Oral Roberts count and finishing three points ahead of Omaha. Kansas City men's t&f totaled 10 points, coming in one point shy of Oral Roberts who notched 11 points in the poll. Kansas City also saw four athletes, two men and two women receive bids to the Summit League Athletes to Watch list. Included in that list is Tory Lanham and Stephen Clunis on the men's side and Mariah Belmont and Jacky Perez-Vela for the women.Â
Lanham is the defending Summit League Indoor Men's Track Athlete of the Year, taking gold in the 200-meter dash and silver in the 60-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay. Following Lanham's fantastic championship performance, the sophomore sprinter was the first Roo to earn Men's Track Championship MVP since 2011. Lanham was consistent all season long last year, breaking the program record in the 200M several times and nabbing three Summit Peak Performer awards throughout the indoor season.Â
Clunis put all-league speed on display last indoor season, setting the program record in the 60-meter dash by running a 6.65 second time at the Tyson Invitational. Clunis performed at a high level all season long, breaking the 60-meter program record twice, running a 6.66 second time at the Bob Timmons Challenge the first time. Clunis won Summit Peak Performer of the Week honors following both runs and looks to climb to even higher heights this season.Â
Belmont is coming off a terrific cross country season for the Roos in which she took Summit All-League Second Team honors following a 6k personal record time of 21:09 at the Summit League Cross Country Championships. Last winter, Belmont ran a career-best 5000-meter dash time of 17:50.07 at the Summit League Indoor Championships, coming in 18th place in a stacked field of runners.Â
Perez-Vela heads into her sophomore season ready to take a major leap. The Wyandotte, Kan. native got better and better as a freshman, ending outdoor season with career-best in the 200-meter dash of 24.65 at the Summit League Outdoor Championships and posting a 55.47 time in the 400-meter dash at the USD Tune Up. Perez-Vela was in medal contention in the 400m, finishing in seventh with a time of 55.90 at the conference meet.Â
Kansas City begins the 2025-26 indoor track and field season this Friday and Saturday as the Roos travel to Pittsburg, Kan. for the Crimson and Gold Invite.Â
Lanham is the defending Summit League Indoor Men's Track Athlete of the Year, taking gold in the 200-meter dash and silver in the 60-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay. Following Lanham's fantastic championship performance, the sophomore sprinter was the first Roo to earn Men's Track Championship MVP since 2011. Lanham was consistent all season long last year, breaking the program record in the 200M several times and nabbing three Summit Peak Performer awards throughout the indoor season.Â
Clunis put all-league speed on display last indoor season, setting the program record in the 60-meter dash by running a 6.65 second time at the Tyson Invitational. Clunis performed at a high level all season long, breaking the 60-meter program record twice, running a 6.66 second time at the Bob Timmons Challenge the first time. Clunis won Summit Peak Performer of the Week honors following both runs and looks to climb to even higher heights this season.Â
Belmont is coming off a terrific cross country season for the Roos in which she took Summit All-League Second Team honors following a 6k personal record time of 21:09 at the Summit League Cross Country Championships. Last winter, Belmont ran a career-best 5000-meter dash time of 17:50.07 at the Summit League Indoor Championships, coming in 18th place in a stacked field of runners.Â
Perez-Vela heads into her sophomore season ready to take a major leap. The Wyandotte, Kan. native got better and better as a freshman, ending outdoor season with career-best in the 200-meter dash of 24.65 at the Summit League Outdoor Championships and posting a 55.47 time in the 400-meter dash at the USD Tune Up. Perez-Vela was in medal contention in the 400m, finishing in seventh with a time of 55.90 at the conference meet.Â
Kansas City begins the 2025-26 indoor track and field season this Friday and Saturday as the Roos travel to Pittsburg, Kan. for the Crimson and Gold Invite.Â
Players Mentioned
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