Lukas Verzbicas in Historical Context

Ritz is the best high shool XC runner ever, period. When Lukas wins by a margin of 20 seconds to beat out a guy like Webb and wins a bronze medal at junior cross maybe he will be close

northeast insider wrote:

but 00,01,03 were the best hs years ever,

ritz, Webb, Solinsky, Rupp, Lukas is NOT on their level

How mANY fOOTLOCKErs did Rupp and Webb win? LV won one as a junior.

[quote/] but remember Lukas ran a 14:18 5000 on an indoor track two years ago easily beating Solomon Haile who was the FLNC Champ; I think Lukas possibly could have won FLNC in '08. [/quote]

Maybe this is small peas, but Lukas' indoor 5000 was not the same race as Haile's. Lukas reset the record a few hours later the same day, at a different venue. They did not race head-to-head, and you could just as easily make the argument that Haile could've easily beaten Lukas.

Eric Hulst

world jr champion, first HSer under 29 for 10000 meters and top 10 in the qualifying race for the senior team.

9;04, 8;50, 8;44 and 8;44 for his freshman, soph, jr and sr years in high school.

You guys are forgetting somebody:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy0K9qA1m94&feature=related

northeast insider wrote:

but 00,01,03 were the best hs years ever,

ritz, Webb, Solinsky, Rupp, Lukas is NOT on their level

NO shit, they are professionals and Lukas is a high schooler. And you are correct. Lukas is not at the level Rupp and Webb were in their high school cross country careers. You are comparing zero national titles versus multiple. Youngest Footlocker champion ever over never winning footlocker. And he is not even done with his junior year! And he is focusing on triathlons. Lukas is not at the level Rupp and Webb were. He is way beyond that.

Also, I'd like to mention that if Lukas wins this week, he will only be one month older than when Ritz won his first FL. And Lukas is going for his second!

small peas wrote:

[quote/] but remember Lukas ran a 14:18 5000 on an indoor track two years ago easily beating Solomon Haile who was the FLNC Champ; I think Lukas possibly could have won FLNC in '08.

Maybe this is small peas, but Lukas' indoor 5000 was not the same race as Haile's. Lukas reset the record a few hours later the same day, at a different venue. They did not race head-to-head, and you could just as easily make the argument that Haile could've easily beaten Lukas.[/quote]

Yes, they did race head to head. Lukas defeated Soloman in the 2 mile that year at the Midwest Distance Gala.

Here is the way it is wrote:

No, he left out a "have" between "would" and "destroyed." He also incorrectly replaced a "have" with an "of" between "would" and "been".

Aw, crap, really? I of been saying it wrong my whole life and since I took it for granite all these years, I guess I'm libel to keep doing it. Looks like I've got a ways to go, expecially since I might be suffering from Old Timer's disease before too long. I guess it's a mute point now, but for all intensive purposes, my English teachers should of corrected me but they let me off Scott free. Well, it's a no-holes-barred, doggy dog world out there and finally learning this could be a blessing in the skies. Irregardless, I could care less. But that's a whole nother story.

duece wrote:

northeast insider wrote:

but 00,01,03 were the best hs years ever,

ritz, Webb, Solinsky, Rupp, Lukas is NOT on their level

NO shit, they are professionals and Lukas is a high schooler. And you are correct. Lukas is not at the level Rupp and Webb were in their high school cross country careers. You are comparing zero national titles versus multiple. Youngest Footlocker champion ever over never winning footlocker. And he is not even done with his junior year! And he is focusing on triathlons. Lukas is not at the level Rupp and Webb were. He is way beyond that.

Also, I'd like to mention that if Lukas wins this week, he will only be one month older than when Ritz won his first FL. And Lukas is going for his second!

Webb did not have a national title because he ran against the best high school cross country runner ever for America.

If Lukas ran against Ritz both years Lukas would have 0 titles. Does that mean that Lukas is not an all-timer then?

the truth is you fail wrote:

If Lukas ran against Ritz both years Lukas would have 0 titles. Does that mean that Lukas is not an all-timer then?

Ritz and Lukas were the same age their sophomore years in high school. Lucas won footlocker by 20 seconds his sophomore year. I forget, how did Ritz do at Footlocker his sophomore year in high school?

has he become a USA citizen?

i will say he is the greatest lithuanian runner in footlocker history.

disagree.

Ritz is still in the lead. Ritz beat webb and hall his senior year, lukas doesn't have nearly the same competition. Ritz won with all the talent compressed into FL, lukas is winning two separate events with diluted talent. its easier to eat 2 mild salsas than 1 super hot salsa.

i think ritz is untouched. lukas may be #2.

duece wrote:

Ritz and Lukas were the same age their sophomore years in high school. Lucas won footlocker by 20 seconds his sophomore year. I forget, how did Ritz do at Footlocker his sophomore year in high school?

Of course you are entitled to your own opinion. But when you start making up your own facts I must object.

Ritz and Lukas were the same age when they won their first Footlockers - each nearly 17 years old (Ritz as a junior, Lukas as a sophomore). They were NOT the same age during their sophomore years.

Ritz beat some folks like Teg, Webb and Hall for his championships. Now here is where you get to express your opinion - how do you think the folks that Lukas has beaten for his championships compare to folks like Teg, Webb and Hall?

False.

Ritz was a year younger than Lukas when he was a soph. Lukas was 16, just about to turn 17 as a sophmore (last year). Ritz was 15 just about to turn 16 when he was a sophmore.

Ritz turned 18 dec 30th his sr year in hs. Now that Lukas has skipped up a grade he is turning 18 in january of his senior year in HS.

duece wrote:And he is not even done with his junior year! And he is focusing on triathlons. Lukas is not at the level Rupp and Webb were.

And guess what?? He isn't a junior! He's a senior going to college next year!

duece wrote:Also, I'd like to mention that if Lukas wins this week, he will only be one month older than when Ritz won his first FL. And Lukas is going for his second!

again false...he'll be 7 days younger than When Ritz won his first. So they're basically the same in that regard. Try again.

Cool? wrote:

He only beat lutz by 5 seconds at nxn. Lutz seems to be put down as only a decent runner so if Lukas is only winning by that margin than why make the argument that he's the single greatest?

Because, any local meet held in Oregon has to be the best of all time.

Not Close Yet wrote:

Ritz is undisputed as king of highschool XC(2X Footlocker champ, World Jr. XC bronze), unless Lukas defends his Footlocker title and brings home a World Jr. medal.

Ran 14:10 on grass for 5k, too!

Ritz was 8th I believe. His high school teammate, Jason Hartman, was 4th. Imagine if they had a team championship then.