LV isn't training under his Eastern European triathlete parents. The reason he's struggling at Oregon is because he's off "the juice".
LV isn't training under his Eastern European triathlete parents. The reason he's struggling at Oregon is because he's off "the juice".
Talent doesn't disappear in a few months. I agree, Lutz is having a great Frosh season so far. But in the long run, I'd take LV to simply destroy some collegiate records in the near future. With that said, I'd love to see what Wetmore could do with a kid like LV's talent.
Lalang is not new this term to Arizona, so not exactly straight out of high school, unlike Lutz and Verzbicas, and then obviously Lalang's age, like Cheserek's, is likely years older. How many freshman in xc have already taken second in NCAA track outdoors? He looks to dominate for years.
NCAA Division I 2011 Outdoor
Track & Field Championships
Drake University - 6/8/2011 to 6/11/2011
Results
Event 7 Men 5000 Meter Run
American: 12:54.12 A Bernard Lagat 6/4/2010
College Best: 13:08.4h C Henry Rono 5/13/1978
NCAA Meet: 13:20.63 M 6/2/1979 Sydney Maree
Stadium: 13:27.20 S Nick Rose 1977
Name Finals Yr School
Section 1
1 13:29.30 10 818 Sam Chelanga SR Liberty
2 13:31.69 8 618 LAWI LALANG FR Arizona
3 13:35.71 6 788 Leonard Korir SR Iona
4 13:36.17 5 1008 Chris Derrick JR Stanford
5 13:38.36 4 917 Diego Estrada JR Northern Arizona
6 13:39.40 3 900 Rory Fraser SR New Mexico
7 13:40.30 2 1004 Cameron Levins JR Southern Utah
8 13:40.62 1 967 Donn Cabral JR Princeton
9 13:43.06 779 Ben Hubers JR Indiana
10 13:44.91 678 Eric Finan JR Cincinnati
11 13:48.52 902 Nicholas Kipruto JR New Mexico
12 13:54.51 966 Mark Amirault SR Princeton
13 13:55.67 686 Joe Bosshard SO Colorado
14 13:58.54 1167 Mohammed Ahmed SO Wisconsin
15 14:00.24 942 Thomas Farrell SO Oklahoma State
16 14:00.49 1169 Reed Connor FR Wisconsin
17 14:01.79 913 Andrew Colley FR NC State
18 14:02.49 781 Andrew Poore JR Indiana
19 14:09.42 915 Ryan Hill SO NC State
20 14:10.44 1133 William Mulherin JR Virginia Tech
21 14:27.39 642 Ben Cheruiyot JR Auburn
22 14:28.08
I do hope LV can re-focus his superlative talent on running, as I have been following his progress for years. I've watched the 3:59 mile, the 2010 Footlocker, and the first indoor 5K videos many times.
My concern is that he has two options to reach that "next level" he always refers to. First triathlon, a sport in which he is probably the best young triathlete alive. (He won the world junior championship in practically a walk over.) Second running, a sport where he as absolutely no chance of ever beating the East Africans on the world stage.
If you buy this logic, and many will not, then it is easy to see the mental torment Lukas is now facing. Competing at the highest levels of the NCAA requires maximum dedication and performance, yet even that effort (plus good luck and miracles) will ever make him a world record holder in running.
These obvious facts must be eating him up right now, and I suspect this will be his last year in which he concentrates solely on running. I suspect that the Oregon coaching staff will see this also and offer him a special deal, where he competes nationally in triathlon and fills in during CC and track.
I can't even imagine how tough this adjustment period must be for Lukas. He goes from winning everything in sight and running races his way to being "pack fodder" and falling into running someone else's race (per his comments in the Chicago newspaper article). He probably had a pretty healthy ego, which has taken a serious blow. Couple that with the absence of micro-managing by his parents (including cooking his meals) and home-sickness, and this poor kid is going through the ringer right now. I wonder if he'll keep the faith and stick with running and wait long enough to see what the increased running work load will do for him. Or if he'll jump ship and go back to his comfort zone in triathlon, maybe even back to his friends and family in Colorado Springs. Time will tell, I guess.
Memphis wrote:
If you buy this logic, and many will not, then it is easy to see the mental torment Lukas is now facing. Competing at the highest levels of the NCAA requires maximum dedication and performance, yet even that effort (plus good luck and miracles) will ever make him a world record holder in running.
These obvious facts must be eating him up right now, and I suspect this will be his last year in which he concentrates solely on running. I suspect that the Oregon coaching staff will see this also and offer him a special deal, where he competes nationally in triathlon and fills in during CC and track.
I feel bad for him...just saw this on Twitter:
kblackburn07
@LukasVerzbicas I LOVE YOU
in reply to ↑
@kblackburn07 Perfect because I really need some lovin in times like now #SelfEsteemIssues
[quote]Tough adjustment wrote:
I can't even imagine how tough this adjustment period must be for Lukas. He goes from winning everything in sight and running races his way to being "pack fodder" and falling into running someone else's race (per his comments in the Chicago newspaper article). He probably had a pretty healthy ego, which has taken a serious blow. Couple that with the absence of micro-managing by his parents (including cooking his meals) and home-sickness, and this poor kid is going through the ringer right now.
I wonder if he'll keep the faith and stick with running and wait long enough to see what the increased running work load will do for him. Or if he'll jump ship and go back to his comfort zone in triathlon, maybe even back to his friends and family in Colorado Springs. Time will tell, I guess.
um.... wrote:
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.
I think a better comparison might eventually be Brian Sell.
Vbicas sounds like a pvssy... Don't u think lutz's mom cooked all of his meals last year too? What the hell kind I argument is that? You need to get off the Lukas kool-aid and face facts that Lutz is the new top dog. If little Lukas is so homesick maybe he and his handlers should go back to Lithuania.
Wow, are you even human? It's called having some empathy for someone going through a tough time.
Johndye wrote:
Vbicas sounds like a pvssy... Don't u think lutz's mom cooked all of his meals last year too? What the hell kind I argument is that? You need to get off the Lukas kool-aid and face facts that Lutz is the new top dog. If little Lukas is so homesick maybe he and his handlers should go back to Lithuania.
pakiindo wrote:
screw you we all know that kenyan isn't a goddam freshman
Its silly to think that a true Kenyan freshman could compete with the best American freshman.
I don't know why there's so much sympathy for this kid. Isn't every freshman pretty much going through this same thing. And boo hoo, he doesn't win every race anymore. I bet he cries himself to sleep every night without his mommy to comfort him through all his running troubles
LV isnt even an American. CL is. why dont you get excited that CL is a potential olympian for USA?
cry me a river wrote:
LV isnt even an American. CL is. why dont you get excited that CL is a potential olympian for USA?
Because he isn't.
Did you notice what country representation LV had at Tri Junior Worlds?
cry me a river wrote:
LV isnt even an American. CL is. why dont you get excited that CL is a potential olympian for USA?
1. there are no special secret workouts in college.
2. 1 year ago, Lukas Verzbicas ran 14:59 for 5k (4:48)
3. 2 days ago, Lukas Verzbicas ran 23:55 for 8k (4:47)
Really, thats a solid improvement. Not the rocket leap that Lutz has made, but it's a very solid improvement. Anyone would be happy to run their 5k cross pace for 8k.
Note: he did run 4:38 pace at Detweiller in Peoria, IL at the ihsa cross country championships.
I don't know about that comparison ^^^^
Lutz wont be top 50 at NCAA. He will get too excited and fade in the end. Lucas will pass him in the last 2k and be the top freshman. Moussa will pass him in the final k to.
Nappy... you wrote:
"With that said, I'd love to see what Wetmore could do with a kid like LV's talent."
Ritz- 2xFootlocker Champ, 4:05(Junior Year)8:41/13:44
Vaughn- 8:45 in HS
Goucher- Footlocker Champ, 1:53/8:55 (at altitude, most likely)
Torres- 2x Footlocker Champ (I believe)
Schoolmeester- 8:49
All of these guys probably have talent "like" LV. Ritz probably more so. I can't comment on anyone else's hs training... but I would guess with the type of training LV has done for the past 10 years, all 5 of those guys would have similar hs accomplishments.
Wetmore has had SICK talent over the years and we know exactly what happens. They continue to develop.
How old is Verzbicas? I know he graduated a year earlier but I was under the impression he was still older than the average freshman but other sports don't really consider age a factor either so why should we. Most D one basketball players are older when they come in to college than I'll be when I graduate simply because they go to a prep school before they go to college and before that they generally start school later.
old one wrote:
How old is Verzbicas? I know he graduated a year earlier but I was under the impression he was still older than the average freshman ...
LV is 18 years old. He will turn 19 in January. He is well within the normal age range for a college freshman.