Tri guy that gets it wrote:
I have always had my suspicion, especially when a certain Eastern European ran away from the country as a sophomore, decimated track records as a junior, and went to college early, only to get rolled by the guys that couldn't hold his jock strap in high school when the testing was actually present (albeit not what it should be) throughout the season...
Verzbicas ran poorly in college almost purely because he lacked the sense to take a break from high-level competition.
From the start of his last year in high school, he trained and managed:
- IL XC State Champion in 13:53 (Fall)
- Indoor 2-mile record attempt at 8:42 (Winter)
- NBIN 5k Champion in 14:06 (Winter)
- NBIN 2-mile Champion in 8:40 (Winter)
- NBIN 1-mile Champion (Winter)
-3:59 mile (Spring/Summer)
- 8:29 2-mile (Spring/Summer)
- World Junior Triathlon Champion (Summer)
It was completely nonsensical for him to go to Oregon in the MIDDLE of the XC Season and start racing. Perhaps he himself can be excused for it because he lacked the experience to know that his body was going to give out, but Vin & the Oregon Coaching staff should've seen his poor Fall XC performance months in advance.