Would Lukas Verzbikas have won more titles than Ches?

Fact , LV has a World jr title. Ches does not

What if... wrote:

King Lukas was definitively faster in high school albeit a year older. Which Ches at17 titles and counting I wonder how many of those may have gone to LV had he stuck it out at Oregon.

And if my Aunt had BALLS she'd be my Uncle!!!

Who cares!!!! Ed Ches stepped up to plate and knocked it out of the park!!!

Princess Lukas couldn't answer the bell. Woulda, Coulda, and Shoulda!!!!

Sandberg wrote:

benjamins button wrote:

Man idk, LV had/has one of the prettiest strides I've seen. ... his stride I think he would have been a 13:00-13:10 type leaving college.

This ^

Too bad we will never know :-(

Actually, we do know. LV was never going to give up the triathlon. He was destined to be Ches's bitch from day one.

I do not think Lukas was going to do well in an environment where the team is equally important as the individual. Or maybe more important. He ran out on his teammates his freshman year during cross country.

And I understand full well that Lukas' dad wanted to have full control of the athletic career of Lukas. Would never happen in the Oregon environment.

Zero NCAA titles. The what if question? Never would have been answered. An athlete too selfish and too under the control of his dad would never work. Is a shame. Lukas could have been an Olympic medalist at 5000 meters. And made money in running, which is one reason he left...for the money in triathloning???

What if... wrote:

King Lukas was definitively faster in high school albeit a year older. Which Ches at17 titles and counting I wonder how many of those may have gone to LV had he stuck it out at Oregon.

Considering Ches has 17 titles, it is highly improbable ANYONE would have won more. The odds are tiny. First, you need the talent. Second, you need to be injury free for most of your college career.

Is it possible: yes, there is a finite probablity.

Is it probable: no, the probability is small.

I suspect that his father being given a job at the triathlon center in Colorado Springs led to Lukas going there so quickly. real shame.

crete wrote:

Considering Ches has 17 titles, it is highly improbable ANYONE would have won more. The odds are tiny. First, you need the talent. Second, you need to be injury free for most of your college career.

Part of the hypothetical here would be that Ches wouldn't have 17 if LV were there to take some of them away.

As others have said, I think LV would've been a force in the 5k, 10k, and XC based of his high school accomplishments. Had he focused solely on running, I think he'd have been a multi-time NCAA champ, and wouldn't have been surprised if it were double digit championships. 3:59 and 8:29 at age 18 are the real deal.

The Dingo^3 wrote:

crete wrote:

Considering Ches has 17 titles, it is highly improbable ANYONE would have won more. The odds are tiny. First, you need the talent. Second, you need to be injury free for most of your college career.

Part of the hypothetical here would be that Ches wouldn't have 17 if LV were there to take some of them away.

As others have said, I think LV would've been a force in the 5k, 10k, and XC based of his high school accomplishments. Had he focused solely on running, I think he'd have been a multi-time NCAA champ, and wouldn't have been surprised if it were double digit championships. 3:59 and 8:29 at age 18 are the real deal.

Not so fast, chief. Looking at past XC results, could LV beaten the following: Lawi Lalang in 2011, Kennedy Kithuka in 2012, or 2013-2014 Ches? Hell no. He would have been a top 10 overall finisher perhaps his Jr. and Sr year, but never a champion. No way was he beating these guys on the track unless he was on a bike.

All this is hypothetical. Or impossible based on the fact Lukas (and his parents) would never fit into a program like Oregon. Lukas might have been a great fit, if his parents had let him go to college and be a collegiate runner for a couple years.

All this is hypothetical. Or impossible based on the fact Lukas (and his parents) would never fit into a program like Oregon. Lukas might have been a great fit, if his parents had let him go to college and be a collegiate runner for a couple years.

You guys act like Verzbikas is dead. He's only 24 years old and could return to his running roots if he desired. The awful bike crash back in 2012 derailed him for a long time, but if the desire to excel was still there it would seem that he is physically capable. He attended the Footlocker XC Championships in San Diego in December (2016) and looked much heavier than he did in high school, so his new size might be more of a limiting factor. But, as many people on these boards like to say, talent doesn't go away.

The main thing that derailed LV is IMO he never really loved running. I think he loved winning and setting records - who wouldn't? But I don't think he was motivated to put in the daily grind that is required to be an elite runner full-time.

As successful as he was in HS, which to me puts him in the top 3 all-time, I don't think he wanted to go to college and run on a team. It is too bad, because he clearly had the ability to rise into the elites. Would he have ever denied Ches some NCAA titles? Probably, but I don't think it was possible to have them both on the same team.

motivation needed wrote:

You guys act like Verzbikas is dead. He's only 24 years old and could return to his running roots if he desired. The awful bike crash back in 2012 derailed him for a long time, but if the desire to excel was still there it would seem that he is physically capable. He attended the Footlocker XC Championships in San Diego in December (2016) and looked much heavier than he did in high school, so his new size might be more of a limiting factor. But, as many people on these boards like to say, talent doesn't go away.

He most likely is not physically capable. He sustained a nerve-based injury in the crash that was bad enough to make him temporarily lose control of his lower body (hence the assessment by his doctors that he could potentially lose the ability to walk). Obviously, he recovered from that to a certain extent, but nerves do not regrow like other portions of your body.

Glial Scarring after nerve damage ensures that nervous system regeneration is extremely difficult, and that even if it is successful, functionality may not be 100% restored. If you're curious, I can point you to many more sources that discuss this in detail.

There were reports previously that even 2 years after the damage, Verzbicas had bowel problems related to the lower-body nerve damage he sustained. Given that this is the case, many of the nerve connections he had previously may not have been re-established properly after the damage. This could cause the inability or limited ability to use specific muscle groups, reduced muscle responsiveness, etc.

In short, the crash may not have killed him, and may not have taken away his ability to walk (permanently), but may have done enough irrecoverable damage to significantly limit his high-level running potential.

Lukas is a good Republican, which makes sense since he's of Soviet decent! That makes him smart! He sure will MAGA his way back to health!

Good luck Lukas! All of us here at Breitbart Sports are wishing you the best!

In case anybody is wondering Lukas is a big fan of us!

Here he is with our friend Milo Yiannopoulos! who is totally NOT a pedophile!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPRCpdWjW_P/?taken-by=lukasverzbicas&hl=en