Lukas Verzbicas?

[George P.]

Does anybody know anything about a HS XC runner named Lukas Verzbicas? He competes for Lincoln-Way Central in Illinois (a hot-bed of HS XC), and he’s been winning invitationals and breaking course records at will. Yesterday he won something called the David Brady Cross Country Invitational, running 3 miles in 14:39 and breaking a 22 year old course record by 21 seconds (winning the varsity race by 59 seconds!).

And he’s a FRESHMAN! As they say at Dyestat, WTF! :shock:

[tandfman]

He was the USATF National Junior Olympic XC Champion (Youth Division) last year.

http://www.usatf.org/events/2007/USATFJ ... /Youth.asp

[George P.]

Thanks for "digging," tandfman.

So he's really about 15. Remarkable! Could he be an import, an exchange student -- whatever? His are not the sort of times we're accustomed for one that age.

[tandfman]

Could he be an import, an exchange student -- whatever?

Dyestat scuttlebutt is that his parents are immigrants from Lithuania. I imagine he has, or will have, dual citizenship.

[polevaultpower]

Spelling Lukas with a K is definitely a European thing to do. My Lukas is half-German.

[Walt Murphy]

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_re...thread=2419581

[EPelle]

Could he be an import, an exchange student -- whatever?

Dyestat scuttlebutt is that his parents are immigrants from Lithuania. I imagine he has, or will have, dual citizenship.

Yes, his name is completely Lithuanian. My Lithuanian connection states that one is unable yet to hold dual passports between LIT and another nation.

[tandfman]

My Lithuanian connection states that one is unable yet to hold dual passports between LIT and another nation.

That may be true in theory. But I can see a number of ways in which, as a practical matter, he will eventually be able to choose his nationality. Unless, of course, he's already surrendered his LIT passport when he acquired US citizenship (if he has done that).

[George P.]

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_re...thread=2419581

Thanks for the link, Walt. First we have to wade down through half a page of typical letsrun board b.s. -- and I'm not sure about the ethics of posting an entire news article on a web forum. But the article is very informative.

A bit distressing to read: "In long-distance running, it is completely dominated by African runners," Lukas explains. So he's going to become a triathlete! All too many of our young prospects (and some who are not so young) seem to take this state-of-affairs for granted. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[EPelle]

State of mind, which could be greater than matter. Borzakovskiy used to say he was Kenyan to his compatriots and friends, because Kenyans run fast over two laps. Can:t beat them, become like them to some extent.

[George P.]

State of mind, which could be greater than matter. Borzakovskiy used to say he was Kenyan to his compatriots and friends, because Kenyans run fast over two laps. Can:t beat them, become like them to some extent.

My Swiftian “modest proposal” is -- since the US government is paying for everything else these days -- that it subsidize a huge expansion of the McDonalds chain in the Rift Valley. Erect the Golden Arches at every Kenya crossroad and wide spot in the trail. Stuff those youngsters full of dirt-cheap Big Macs and Egg McMuffins till they can hardly walk. Ensure Kenenisa Bekele’s kids are obese -- just like ours.

It would be a start. :lol:

[tandfman]

While you're at it, you could also make sure that every kid has a laptop and every household has an HDTV.

[George P.]

While you're at it, you could also make sure that every kid has a laptop and every household has an HDTV.

Right, and a Nintendo, Wii, Playstation and all that cr*p that seems to obsess our male children when they should be studying science or developing a mileage base. (it's no accident that our young distance runners who have performed best in recent international competition are female.)

[26mi235]

While you're at it, you could also make sure that every kid has a laptop and every household has an HDTV.

Right, and a Nintendo, Wii, Playstation and all that cr*p that seems to obsess our male children when they should be studying science or developing a mileage base. (it's no accident that our young distance runners who have performed best in recent international competition are female.)

I concur that my 12-year old daughter is more resistant to the lure of computer games and TV than my 6-year old son.

[EPelle]

While you're at it, you could also make sure that every kid has a laptop and every household has an HDTV.

They also need to be taxied to school by those 3.50 milers rather than walk/run the 3km-30km... need to cut down on the extra-curriculum physical education courses.

And so this thread heads down the Things Not Track & Field path, just like the subject of the thread appears to be doing as well.