Who will be top five individuals at NCAA XC this year

6 months ago everyone had LV in the top 10, if not top 5, and look at you all now. One race and he's done for?? haha

I still think Verzbicas will be top 10, top 5 for sure had he not done triathlon all summer. Better to be World Junior Champ than top 5 NCAA.

People keep talking about how 10,000 meters is a long way for a miler like Batty to go. How quickly you forget that he was 15th at Nationals last year and has only improved on his strength since then...

You're f**kin nuts to think Verzbicas will be top 10 or 5. Kid won't break 30min. Give him a year or two. But no way he can run at that level yet, this isn't high school. The top 10 finishers at NCAA's last year all went 24min or faster through their 8k.

Sir trolls alot wrote:

You're f**kin nuts to think Verzbicas will be top 10 or 5. Kid won't break 30min. Give him a year or two. But no way he can run at that level yet, this isn't high school. The top 10 finishers at NCAA's last year all went 24min or faster through their 8k.

Not sure why I should think that LV would be weaker as a freshman than Puskedra, Derrick and Fernandez were? LP and CD were both top 10, LP at top 5 if I remember right. And GF was right there with them before the injury.

LV had one bad race. And really, it wasn't a total loss if he learned that it is better to start off at a more measured pace ala Lutz. He still has a shot at top 10.

Ryun

Webb

Spivey

Solinksy

Bolt

Carl Lewis

Sir trolls alot wrote:

You're f**kin nuts to think Verzbicas will be top 10 or 5. Kid won't break 30min. Give him a year or two. But no way he can run at that level yet, this isn't high school. The top 10 finishers at NCAA's last year all went 24min or faster through their 8k.

2008

1. Galen Rupp SR

2. Samuel Chelenga SO

3. Andrew Ledwith SR

4. David Kinsella SR

5. Luke Puskedra FR

6. Mohamed Khadraoui SR

7. Chris Derrick FR

8. John Kosgei JR

9. Shadrac Kiptoo-Biwott SR

10. Kyle Perry SR

Additionally German Fernandez was 3rd until the injury (for what it's worth). Lukas is better than Derrick and Puskedra were at his age, and possibly better than Fernandez.

My take on it wrote:

2nd at Wisconsin Invite, runs for North Carolina State. You should have heard of him.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4272378

Anyone know how Ryan Sheridan is doing at Villanova?

Not good enough to be in contention for anything. 5th man for villanova at wisconsin, 24:46.

My take on it wrote:

Sir trolls alot wrote:

You're f**kin nuts to think Verzbicas will be top 10 or 5. Kid won't break 30min. Give him a year or two. But no way he can run at that level yet, this isn't high school. The top 10 finishers at NCAA's last year all went 24min or faster through their 8k.

2008

1. Galen Rupp SR

2. Samuel Chelenga SO

3. Andrew Ledwith SR

4. David Kinsella SR

5. Luke Puskedra FR

6. Mohamed Khadraoui SR

7. Chris Derrick FR

8. John Kosgei JR

9. Shadrac Kiptoo-Biwott SR

10. Kyle Perry SR

Additionally German Fernandez was 3rd until the injury (for what it's worth). Lukas is better than Derrick and Puskedra were at his age, and possibly better than Fernandez.

I think it is deeper this year than in 2008. Again, there are a couple of guys at the top, but there have been lists of the top 20 this year that do not have those scoring 12 or so from last year because there are so many good candidates. LV ran very well through 3k, started to drift back at 3.5 and then after 4 ran a different race. Even if he can run hard for twice as long, that still leaves 3k to manage. Good, but too soon after summer competitions etc to count on him being a top guy.

I'll list my picks by country of origin;

Men

1) Kenya

2) Kenya

3) Canada

4) Mexico

5) Mexico

Women

1) Canada

2) California

3) Kenya

4) U.S.

5) Kenya

German was not in third when he fell. Top 7-9, yes, but not third.He wasn't even the top Ok. State runner when he went down.

Derrick ran 13:55 5k solo in high school and you think Lukas is better based off a 1 mile and 2 mile prs? Idk if you noticed, but 5k is a lot closer to 8k and 10k than a mile or 2 mile...Also Derrick and Puskedra both ran 23s before nationals in their freshman years.

My take on it wrote:

Sir trolls alot wrote:

You're f**kin nuts to think Verzbicas will be top 10 or 5. Kid won't break 30min. Give him a year or two. But no way he can run at that level yet, this isn't high school. The top 10 finishers at NCAA's last year all went 24min or faster through their 8k.

2008

1. Galen Rupp SR

2. Samuel Chelenga SO

3. Andrew Ledwith SR

4. David Kinsella SR

5. Luke Puskedra FR

6. Mohamed Khadraoui SR

7. Chris Derrick FR

8. John Kosgei JR

9. Shadrac Kiptoo-Biwott SR

10. Kyle Perry SR

Additionally German Fernandez was 3rd until the injury (for what it's worth). Lukas is better than Derrick and Puskedra were at his age, and possibly better than Fernandez.

You're underestimating Luke V. He's a distance guy with sub-4, sub-8:30 2-mile speed. He's handled himself well vs pros. Plus, he's training with college's best program (and don't argue) which knows how to prepare a st..ud. For sure a 'bad' debut, but way too many huge races lately for any level, to count Wisc as his norm.

2007 FL here we come!

1. Chris Derrick

2. German Fernandez

3 Colby Lowe

4. Ryan Hill

5. Luke Puskeda

6. Michael Fout

there U go

LostLove wrote:

6 months ago everyone had LV in the top 10, if not top 5, and look at you all now. One race and he's done for?? haha

Have to say - I was there at the race in Madison and Lukas looked like a boy among men. I'm still hoping he comes around though - if not this year, maybe next.

Madtown- In the race's 2nd half (didn't see race), I thought it possible Luke V lost some fire and was perhaps discouraged. That maybe he fell so many places due to this and didn't 'fight back'. Feasible for someone who's used to winning. Not saying he wasn't spent... but that doesn't stop a Ritz or A. Goucher. You were there, though.- Thoughts?? Thanks.

Madtown Visitor wrote:

Have to say - I was there at the race in Madison and Lukas looked like a boy among men. I'm still hoping he comes around though - if not this year, maybe next.

I had the same impression. It makes me laugh when I think about all those posters complaining the LV was actually 20 years old in high school. The kid looks like, well a kid.

LV was old for his high school class as a FR and SO, but his JR year became his SR year so most of that differential disappeared.

As for the race, it was hard racing with the guys at the front in his first race. I do not know if the plan was to race at the front for as long as he could and then just finish, or as a variant of that for the top three to hope that everything would work out so that they would finish well and if it did not, it is just a invite race, not Pac-12/Regionals/NCAAs.

LV will be better both this year and in the future; even track will allow enough time to recover from his prior competitions and build up to college-level distances and competition.

Anyone expecting him to be top 5 or even top 10 is expecting a miracle from what I say at the race (I actually saw more from the video later because after the first part of the race I did not really see him among the thick crowd of 'good' college runners).

What about Hassan Mead? He surely has a chance to win the Big 10 Meet and then he could be in the top 10 or if he really runs well he could be in the top 5 at the NCAA meet.