HS freshman Lukas Verzbicas runs 14:18 for 5000 indoors

webby wrote:

Gregson also just ran 7:57 in cool conditions . . .

Are cool conditions good or bad? Did he warm up?

I think one of the top milers pulled out of that meet due to tightening up while waiting to start, something to do with it being quite cool or cold out (relative terms).

wow this kid is for real:

4. Will Illinois freshman Lukas Verzbicas run the fastest 5k and two mile at NIN?

Lukas Verzbicas (Fr., Lincoln-Way Central, IL), the freshman phenom from Illinois, has already earned national freshmen records in the mile (4:15.43) and 3,000m (8:29.16). The question now is will Verzbicas not only earn new frosh records in the two mile (current record: 9:16.65) and 5k (current record: 15:51.71), but can he win both races?

Verzbicas is the heavy favorite in the boys 5k at NIN, while the two mile is a lot more challenging with such notable athletes as Andrew Springer (Sr., Westerly, RI), Thomas Porter (Sr., Mountain View, VA) and Bobby Nicolls (Sr., Regis, CO) in the field. Verzbicas is an obvious talent, and he'll receive his first big test of his high school track career this weekend.

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hope he keeps dabbling in running!

I seem to recall a guy from down under who was a good triathlete who turned into a decent runner. Also some dude who turned from tri to riding his bike exclusively, he had some success.

hmmmmm wrote:

I seem to recall a guy from down under who was a good triathlete who turned into a decent runner. Also some dude who turned from tri to riding his bike exclusively, he had some success.

care to share?

holy moly wrote:

care to share?

Craig Mottram and Lance Armstrong

were is he from, was he born in US?

Lithuania, moved here in 2002, I think.

RunnerSpace wrote:

Pretty impressive. The two mile should be a fun race!

Finish video is up, interview on the way.

http://www.runnerspace.com/nin

The full race video for the 5000m is now up at the site, under "distance races" "Boys 5000m Heat 2".

That is a one-in-ten-million running physique. I know he has won some tri's but I think he'll see the light.

so he is probably a sophomore or a young junior, but he is amazing either way.

What kind of training is this kid doing? he looks like he is heavily trained based on the musculature of his legs.

What is he doing?

IIRC, if he ever competes internationally he intends to do so for his native country.

formerly present wrote:

IIRC, if he ever competes internationally he intends to do so for his native country.

I just read that he was going to try for a spot on the Pan-Am Junior Triathlon Team.

hopefully he will go to Colorado or Oklahoma State.........or picked up by Team Cook....

Verzbicas is just a freshman, turned 16 sometime after the first of year. He is older because they start school later in Lithuania than we do in the U.S. Luke won the 8AA middle school cross country championship in Illinois in 11/2007 in 10:10(2 mile), won the USATF national junior olympic cross country championship in Lawerence KS in 12/2007(the youth 4K in 13:16.04). Last spring He won the Illinois middle school 8th grade AA track titles in the 800(2:02.61) and the mile(4:32.01). The 800 was a record time and he just missed the mile record set by Kevin Havel who is now a freshman at Stanford. In June he won the 3000 Intermediate boys race at the USA youth outdoor track &field championships in North carolina in 8:49.37. He was having a great freshman year in cross country before getting hurt and missing the state meet. and everybody has seen what he has done this spring. The first time i saw him run I thought he was tougher than hell and he has proved me right so far. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for him.

Did he flunk a few grades?

Steventm98 wrote:

I wish people would quit calling him a Freshman. He is 16.

That being said how many 16 year olds set National records while lapping everybody in the field? Fantastic time, great runner.

i was 16 as a senior.. what did he do flunked twice???

He's already wearing Oregon colors!

why is he not on his school team? That is just ridiculous if his dad is telling him to not be on the team. makes you wonder why? I mean lithuania is close to russia and we all know not too take any of there results too seriously.

cathy pickler wrote:

Did he flunk a few grades?

How would your grades do if you were dropped off at your new school in Vilnius and didn't speak a word of Lithuanian?

formerly present wrote:

PACMAN74 wrote:

So what should we call him?

"Sir"

"Do you ride the short bus? Because 16 is OLD"

I'm with the other guy, I graduated when I was 17.

Back when I was in HS we all had letsrun boy crushes on this guy who was running ~1:49 for 800m as a Jr. Our coaches put this in perspective for us "Fellas - Marvin is 19. He will not be able to run next year because he will be a 20 year old high school student."