Track and field athletes from Hope College, Ohio University, and Valparaiso University competed at the Meyo Invitational hosted by Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, on January 31, 2026. Multiple personal and program records were achieved across various events. The meet highlighted strong performances in sprints, distance runs, and field events.
The Meyo Invitational, an annual indoor track and field competition hosted by the University of Notre Dame, took place over Friday and Saturday, concluding on January 31, 2026, in South Bend, Indiana. Athletes from several colleges showcased impressive results, with Valparaiso University leading in program record breakthroughs.
Valparaiso's Ferdinand Rosa set a new school record in the men's 600-meter run, finishing sixth in a 26-runner field with a time of 1:20.05, surpassing the previous mark of 1:21.20 set by Noah Meacham in 2025. Teammate Alejandro Chaves also performed well, clocking 1:23.52 to rank fourth in Valpo's all-time list. On the women's side, Alina Worzella ran the 600 meters in 1:40.13, the third-fastest time in program history and the best since Sierra Fischer's 2020 record of 1:38.29.
In distance events, Samantha Rowley placed 28th out of 47 in the women's 5000 meters with a time of 17:23.62, securing the third-best mark in Valpo history and the strongest since Laura Rolf's 2009 program record of 16:53.16. Field events saw further success: AJ Walsh jumped 6.98 meters (22-10.75 feet) in the men's long jump for sixth place, ranking third all-time at Valpo, behind Micah Mullings (2024) and Jarrett Mickens (2011). Katelyn Jaster cleared 1.57 meters (5-1.75 feet) in the women's high jump, placing in the top 10 and achieving Valpo's best indoor height since Jazmin Taylor's 5-6.5 in 2014-15.
Hope College's men's team posted three personal records and the nation's fastest distance medley relay time, with strong showings in the 800-meter and one-mile runs by athletes including Elias Kretchmar, Erickson Kunzler, Ian Petruska, Dylan Terpstra, and Aiden Moore. Ohio University's women's team, featuring Emilee Baumann, Sara Doughman, Ellie Greenwell, Kelsi Harris, Kaitlyn Stewart, Ava Kincaid, and Sydney Huckstep, completed the competition without specific records noted in available reports.
These performances underscore the competitive depth at the collegiate level, providing key early-season benchmarks for the athletes involved.
