Roos Continue Upward Trend at Meyo Invite

Friday, January 30

South Bend, Ind.

4:00 PM

Kansas City

Meyo Invite

Roos Continue Upward Trend at Meyo Invite

2/1/2026 10:58:00 AM | Track and Field

Full Results

Amari Eugene, Jacky Perez-Vela and Mariah Belmont starred for Kansas City in South Bend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Kansas City Track & Field continues to build on a upward trajectory as the 2026 indoor season marches along, garnering strong results at the Meyo Invite, hosted by Notre Dame this past weekend. The Roos were led by several stellar performances, including a first-place finish from Amari Eugene on Friday evening and a pair of near all-time KC records by Mariah Belmont and Jacky Perez-Vela on Saturday afternoon.

Eugene took off like a lightning bolt in the 200-meter dash, running a 21.47 second time to take first place at the Meyo Invite. Eugene's time is his fastest in the 200m this season and only trails fellow teammate Tory Lanham for the best in the Summit League in 2026. Eugene took the conference by storm as a freshman in 2025, taking second place at the Summit Outdoor Championships last May and third at the Summit Indoor Championships last February. Eugene's career-best in the 200m came at the John McDonnell Invitational, running a 20.90 last April. Eugene is also third all-time in Roos history for the indoor 200m, only trailing Lanham and Stephen Brown to round out the all-time podium.

Perez-Vela recorded a new personal-best time in the 400-meter dash of 56.08, coming out of the weekend as the sixth fastest runner in the Summit League in the event. Perez-Vela finished ninth at last year's Summit Indoor Championships 400m with a time of 56.45 as a freshman. With a new indoor PR to her name, Perez-Vela will look to be in the running for a medal in Grand Forks, N.D. Perez-Vela is also second all-time in Roos women's indoor 400m history, only trailing Teresa Thomas' 55.55 second time back in 2024.

A Summit League Peak Performer of the Week back in cross country season, Belmont adds another impressive race to her sophomore season tally, running a 16:59.16 time in the 5000-meter dash. Belmont's time is the fifth best in the Summit League and earns her another personal record for the books. Belmont also matches Perez-Vela's standing as second in Kansas City program history. Belmont is the second female athlete in program history to ever record a sub-17 minute 5000m time and now only trails Courtney Frerichs' 15:47.56 for first.

Kansas City heads to the Missouri Invitational this Friday with their sights set on another meet filled with positive momentum and energy as the Summit Indoor Championships await at the end of the month.