LIMA, Peru – Recent Marist graduate Amari Mathis will continue his track & field career on the international stage, as he has been selected to represent Team USA in athletics at the 2026 FISU America Games in Lima, Peru. Joining him on the international stage will be Marist Assistant Track & Field Coach Alisha Samuel, who has been selected to serve on the Team USA coaching staff.

The fourth edition of the FISU America Games will take place July 20-Aug. 1 in Lima, Peru, bringing together the top collegiate student-athletes from across North, Central, and South America in a multi-sport competition sanctioned by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The United States is expected to compete in up to 15 sports against representatives from 20-25 countries.

"It is thrilling that Amari and Alisha are representing Marist Track at an international competition," Director of Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track Pete Colaizzo '86 said. "Amari is one of the greatest athletes in our program's long history and he truly earned his spot in Peru. Coach Alisha's amazing work with Amari and the rest of our speed and power athletes has enabled our athletes to rewrite our school records. Grateful for them to get this opportunity."

Mathis earns the opportunity following one of the most decorated careers in Marist track & field history. The recent graduate established himself as one of the premier sprinters in the former Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, rewriting the Marist record book throughout his career.

This past season, Mathis captured the MAAC Indoor Championship in the 60 meters while setting a school-record time of 6.74 seconds. During the outdoor campaign, he added school records in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, earned multiple All-MAAC honors, and qualified for NCAA East Preliminary competition, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest sprinters in program history.

Samuel will represent Marist as a member of the Team USA coaching staff after helping guide the Red Foxes to one of the most successful seasons in program history. In her time with Marist, she has coached numerous conference champions, school record holders, and NCAA East Preliminary qualifiers while playing an integral role in the continued growth of the Red Foxes' sprint and hurdle programs.

The FISU America Games serve as the premier regional university competition in the Americas, alternating with the Summer and Winter World University Games. Organized by UniUSA, Team USA brings together the nation's top collegiate student-athletes to compete internationally while representing the United States on and off the field. Recent graduates who earned their degree within the year prior to the event are eligible to compete.

Mathis and Samuel will begin competition with Team USA when the athletics portion of the FISU America Games is held July 30-Aug. 1 at the IPD Atlético Stadium in Lima. Mathis will compete in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprint on Thursday, and will compete in the 4x100 relay on Friday.

Their selections mark another milestone for the Marist Track & Field program, showcasing the continued success of Red Fox student-athletes and coaches on the international stage.