Craig Lutz > Lukas Verzbicas

What an awesome race! Way to run Craig.

Incredible!

I like how Lukas blows up for the first time in his career and now everyone hates him. LV >>>>>> Craig Lutz. Just wait and see.

Have you not learned anything. Longevity will define who is the better runner. Craig may very well have a better year this year but can he do it for 3 more years? A more correct statement might go like this... CL is better at the moment than LV. Some might say titles decide who is better in which case we still have to wait and see. This is a very premature conversation.(Something you man be known for)

Lets not forget that Luke V joined the Oregon group very late due to the fact that he was training for the Tri championship for his ill friend. Luke V at full power or close to it will stomp Craig Lutz 8 or 9 times out of 10.

Best freshman in the NCAA won't be decided until November in Terre Haute. Right now it's looking like that's going to be Lutz in a romp but we shall see.

haha YO wrote:

Best freshman in the NCAA won't be decided until November in Terre Haute. Right now it's looking like that's going to be Lutz in a romp but we shall see.

Actually, the best freshman in the NCAA has long since been decided.

The name is Lalang.

screw you we all know that kenyan isn't a goddam freshman

pakiindo wrote:

screw you we all know that kenyan isn't a goddam freshman

You are entitled to your opinion but not your own facts. It is a FACT that Lawi Lalang IS a freshman.

In terms of athletic eligibility in the sport of cross country, sure, he's technically a freshman, but he's academically a sophomore with a year of college level track competition under his belt. So setting aside the whole debate about Kenyan age legitimacy, it's still silly and misleading to refer to Lalang as a freshman.

Lutz' lack of track credentials makes his talent suspect to me. My guess is he turns out like another Luke Puskedra. Beast in cross, but gets by on toughness and lacks basic leg speed. Won't improve much after this year and won't put up any times on the track.

Verzbicas should have gone to texas or Oklahoma State.

I believe Lutz ran something like 8:52 and 4:09 (junior year). Those seem like pretty decent track credentials for someone coming out of high school. 8:52 solo, missing the state record by half a second which, by the way, colby lowe couldn't even get his senior year.

Yeah but those times are trash compared to what LV has under his belt. Colby Lowe doesn't do much on the track either, he's far better at cross.

What you really meant wrote:

You are entitled to your opinion but not your own facts. It is a FACT that Lawi Lalang IS a freshman.

Yeah, but he's old enough to be Lutz's father, lol.

Well, just because you're not a sub 4-minute miler and the national record holder at 2-miles doesn't mean you won't accomplish anything on the track. Out of all the guys to do well in NCAA track and field, none have done what Verzbiscuit did in HS...therefore, you can't use that as a comparison to decide how he'll do in track. If you compare Lutz to the recent collegiate standouts, he fares very well in my opinion. The idea that just because he's performing well in cross country means he'll do poorly in track is absurd. They have no correlation whatsoever, and someone who guts out a 10k in cross can do the same around a flat oval. I mean, it's the same goddamn sport, stop comparing the two as if it's cricket to football...it's plain and simply running and if you're good you're good and if you're a standout in cross, then you should be a standout in track. You guys need to think rationally and stop making claims based on whatever it is that drives them because honestly, you look silly...yes silly, like how a toddler looks silly trying to perform algebra...thinking is just way over your head! And like someone said above, we can look back on this and see how they match up after 4 years...that's all you can do. Just gotta believe that just because Verzbiscuit is running poorly in cross doesn't mean he can't run well in track, and that just because Lutz is running well in cross means he's going to suck in track.

I'd say Verbicas is the one with the smallest chance of substantial improvement. If you ever spent time around him at one of the national meets, you'd have noticed that he was micromanaged by his parent/coaches. They also trained him 3 times a day in pool, bike and track. It would be tough in college to do much more than that. And, worrisome, both Achilles remain wrapped.

Lutz was plagued by illness his senior year. He's tough and the real deal.

I wonder if Lutz and Stinson decide to stick with fellow Texan Reed Connor at NCAAs. Parker has finished right behind the Wisconsin pack of five both times, and Lutz did at Wisconsin also. Connor will probably provide a reliable marker for going out hard enough and not too hard. Both Lutz and Stinson will probably do OK with the increase to 10K despite Lutz just being a freshman, while the Wisconsin guys are 10k types either in training or natural strength or, in many cases, both. They got together after the race at Wisconsin and know each other pretty well and seem to be pretty friendly.

Definitely not OSU, where track racing is not the main event and where 1500/3000 races are not the always the forte (except GF, which I will readily admit is NOT irrelevant).

As for Texas, LV is a bit on the long side compared to where they have made a mark in middle distance racing.