Peru update: Amari's first day (of competition)

 Amari Mathis had a good first day (of competition) down in Lima. 

In the 100-meter semifinal, Amari ran 10.48 seconds, qualifying for the final.

In the 100-meter final, Amari placed fifth with a time of 10.52 seconds. 

In the 200-meter semifinal, Amari ran 21.71 seconds, qualifying for the final. 

On Friday, Amari will run in the following events: 

--200-meter final

--Team USA 4x100 meter relay (men's)

--Team USA 4x100 meter relay (mixed gender)

Peru update: Getting ready to GO!

 

(pictures from this morning, just before competition begins)

Competition day (in Peru)!

 

Amari is racing in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes today. Very exciting!

Peru postcards

 

In the "it's a small world" department ... Marist Forever Fox Track Alum Eli Bisnett-Cobb spotted Amari's Marist track shirt and met up with him for this impromptu Fox reunion. Eli is in Peru with the University of San Diego volleyball team, serving as the team's head athletic trainer. 

Below is a photo of Amari at practice on the track, taken by Coach Alisha.

Amari and Alisha in Peru: The story

As stated in the previous post!
 
Record-setting sprinter (and newly minted Class of 2026 Marist University alum) Amari Mathis is currently in Lima, Peru, representing the United States at an international track meet this week. It’s actually more than just a track meet; the FISU American Games are an Olympic-style event. Below (in italics, at the end of this post) is the information we received on it back in the spring.
 
The genesis of Amari (and Coach Alisha) going to this event is a vintage Marist story (at least, in my opinion).
 
Brandon Rizzo is the (very successful) assistant track coach at Penn State University, where his short and long sprinters are NCAA Championship caliber. Rizz is also a Marist alum that most of you may not even remember, thanks to the Dark Cloud of Covid.
 
Rizz graduated from Montclair State University in 2020 (that should be a red flag right there), where he was an outstanding 400 hurdler. He reached out to me about completing his eligibility (and possibly coaching) at Marist in 2020-2021 – you know, that Dark Period in our program’s (and, really, our country’s) history. Rizz was loyal, dedicated and even raced a few times despite barely practicing because of You Know What. He always wanted to coach and he was set to be a volunteer coach for us in the fall of 2021 when a part-time offer at Penn State came about. This soon morphed into a full-time position and his (track coaching) career has skyrocketed ever since.
 
Along the way and improbably, Rizz has been a steadfastly loyal alum and follower of our program, despite being here for a relative blip on the radar. Whenever our paths have crossed, it is Classic Marist – hugs, smiles and well-wishes both ways. Rizz followed our program closely and loved the rapid ascension of our Speed and Power athletes.
 
He became affiliated with this FISU American Games event as a coach, and he reached out to me right away (in March) about Amari being part of the USA contingent. “Gotta take care of my Foxes” was what he said, and this was no sentimental gesture; Amari proved every bit worthy of a spot on this team based on his truly outstanding outdoor track season.
 
Initially, Rizz was going to use Amari as a relay guy, but as his performances improved this season, his stock continued to rise for this FISU meet. As our outdoor track season came to a close, we reached out to Rizz to see if he would be coaching Amari or if Coach Alisha should still be writing his workouts.
 
And that’s when the next surprise came: Rizz asked Alisha if she could be part of the USA coaching contingent in Peru! And so, that’s where we are – Marist track at an international meet in the middle of the summer.
 
Here are the details:  
 
The FISU America Games are a multi-sport event sanctioned by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). Alternating with the Summer and Winter World University Games, which invite all the countries of the world for their biennial events, the FISU America Games are a regional multi-sport event similar to the Pan-American Games for FISU member-countries of North America (including those in Central America) and South America, held in even-numbered years.
 
The 2026 FISU America Games will be the fourth edition of the FISU America Games, held in Lima, Peru from July 20 - August 1, 2026. The Games will have USA Team representation in up to 15 sports against 20-25 participating countries. Athletes and staff will stay in the Athletes’ Village.
 
UniUSA brings together the nation’s most talented student-athletes in global, university-level competition organized by FISU, the governing body for university sport worldwide. With an impressive list of former UniUSA student-athletes going on to compete with distinction at Pan American and Olympic Games, as well as at the highest levels of professional sport, UniUSA provides a platform for future success. Participation selection and priority is given to
individuals and teams that best represent the United States, both on and off the field.

Amari and Coach Alisha in Peru!

 

This photo of Amari Mathis, his parents, and Coach Alisha was taken from the Miami airport as they were en route to Lima, Peru, where they arrived in the early-morning hours today (Monday, 27 July). Amari was selected to be part of the USA track and field contingent at an international meet, and Coach Alisha was selected to be among the track coaching staff. More details on the meet will follow, but this is a really exciting opportunity for Amari and Coach Alisha! Amari will be racing later this week -- events and dates/times are still pending. Highly neat!!!

Lauren Harris, national champion!

 

Congrats to Marist alum (Class of 2021) Lauren Harris for her USATF national championship in the half-marathon racewalk, which she won in 1:38:35.56, almost 10 minutes ahead of Maria Michta-Coffey, perhaps the greatest USA racewalker in history who is still among the elites in the sport at age 40. Lauren races for NYAC. Congrats also to Marist alum Katie Miale (New England Walkers) for her 10th-place finish in 2:06:40.61. 

Another alumni wedding! Congrats to Brie (Vess) and Calvin

 

Here is (yet another) Marist Alumni picture (no banner, no problem) from Friday night's blessed nuptials for Brianne (Brie) Vess to her (new) husband, Calvin. Always a treat to attend (these).

Future planning: Home track meet dates (for 2027)

 Consider this a Save The Date notice. Or, really? Save The Dates ...

Friday and Saturday, April 16-17: Red Fox River Rumble 2.0. We will move to a two-day format to accommodate the throws events on campus + we may add distance race(s) under the lights on Friday.

Saturday and Sunday, May 8-9: Metro Conference Championships. That's right. The (what used to be the MAAC) meet will be hosted at Marist for the first time. Pretty exciting! Hope you can make it back for this historic event. 

So, put these dates on the calendar and make it back to the Track at Gartland Commons (as well as the still-under-construction) Throws Field at South Field next to the McCann Recreation Center.

TrackTown NYC?

 I just saw a very interesting article about the USATF Outdoor Track Championships and the fact that Icahn Stadium in New York City will be the host. That's right. A major national/international (track) meet is being held ... and it is NOT in TrackTown USA (Eugene, Oregon). This is a huge development!

Icahn Stadium is a fantastic -- if oddly located -- track venue. It is on Randalls Island, sitting underneath the Triboro Bridge and floating between the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. It is technically part of Manhattan. It's not easy to get to, but it is worth the trip. 

This article quotes Lauren Primerano extensively. Lauren is a Manhattan College track alum and she runs the show at Ocean Breeze. She is a mover and a shaker in the NYC track scene, and she deserves a lot of credit for getting the USATF meet here in the metropolitan area, just days after Giants Stadium in New Jersey (I know it's technically called "Met Life Stadium" but it'll always be Giants Stadium to me!) hosted the World Cup final on Sunday.

So for a few days anyway, NYC (or, at least, a small part of it) becomes TrackTown USA!  

(yet) another alumni wedding = congrats to Christine Coughlin!

 

Here is an alumni picture from Thursday's wedding in Glens Falls/Queensbury. Congrats to Christine Coughlin (now Brown!) - beautiful night for a beautiful couple (Christine and Willie are not pictured here, just her Forever Fox Faithful). Neat.

Wait what! No Vanny? (here's the XC schedule)

 Our cross country schedule is (mostly) set and a Very Alert and Loyal Alum pointed that for the quite possibly first time in the 64-year program history (other than the Fall of Covid 2020) there will be no meets on the schedule at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Say it ain't so!

Well ... welcome to the New World Order of cross country, which actually isn't All That New. Courses tend to be more flat, more loopy and less hilly. Thus ... (the original layout of) Vanny has been consigned to the scrap heap of the past. Oh sure, there are still a few meets on the original course (most notably, the Iona Meet of Champions). But for the most part ... not. 

There was a time when the majority of the team's meets were at Vanny: Iona MOC, Mets, IC4A/ECAC, Conference, and sometimes NCAA Northeast Regionals. Now? NO.

Here's our 2026 XC schedule

Friday, September 4: Marist Season Opener at Vassar Farm (new this year: early evening start on Friday). Also new? No senior day! That will be in April 2027 on our TRACK

Saturday, September 19: Jasper Fall XC meet at Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown, NY (Orange County, close to Twin Ponds venue of the past few years). Note: This is a new venue, which will also host the Metro Conference (formerly the MAAC) Championships on Halloween. 

Friday, October 2: Paul Short Run at Lehigh

Saturday, October 10: Metropolitan Championships, venue TBA. Note: There is a CHANCE that this meet (which currently has no venue) could be held at Van Cortlandt, thus continuing the "streak" ... there is also a chance that we may not even race at this meet! Stay tuned ...

Saturday, October 17: IC4A/ECAC Championships at Bethpage State Park, Long Island. Also the site of the NCAA Northeast Regional meet

Saturday, October 31: Metro Conference (aka MAAC) Championships at Blue Sky in Middletown, NY (Orange County, close to Twin Ponds venue of the past few years)

Friday, November 13: NCAA Northeast Regional at Bethpage

That's it for now...

Victory Lap 2.0: Saturday, September 26

 As a (quick) follow-up to previous post! It is CONFIRMED that the Victory Lap 2.0 will be on Saturday, September 26, with a late-afternoon start time. 

There will be a (Marist) football game that day, with a 12 noon o'clock start, so they want us to start our festivities after the game is over and parking/campus is a little less congested. Of course! You are always welcome to come early and support the Red Foxes' football team before our track celebration.

Based on (the very limited) feedback from alums: We will have an Alumni/Open Mile and we will have children's races. Other thoughts/options are welcome - let me know via email (Peter.Colaizzo@marist.edu) or text (845 309 3640).

One other concept: We will like to welcome back (and honor) all previous (and current) school record holders! So if you still hold (or you used to hold) a school record on the track, come back and be recognized for your greatness!

We would like to thank (in advance, pun intended) our Advancement Office for their help and support with this event. They noted that last year's Victory Lap had the biggest attendance (in terms of sheer numbers) of any such alumni event. They also noted that we (meaning ME) should not expect as big of a turnout for 2.0. So, here's a challenge: Prove them wrong! Come back, and bring friends!

Hope you have a good Holiday Weekend.