Midwest Distance Gala 2009 - Boys 2 Mile (*Verzbicas National Freshman Record)

[XCisAwesome]

I'll admit its sort of B.S. that it counts as a Freshman record because he was 16 when he ran this, but just thinking in general as a 16 year old, an 8:53 is outstanding. He knew people would complain about his old age and therefore chose to skip a grade. Notice how in 2009, he won footlocker as a "sophomore", but then the next year in 2010, he won footlocker as a "senior". Therefore, he won it as a true senior. And he set his 2 mile high school record as an average aged senior.

[electricman531]

@maniaclatdisciple stop bitching about his age. not that impressive? most 16 year olds cant come close to that time. he was the age of a sophomore in this vid. its still impressive at the age of a sophomore to run that. ure just jealous...and btws, he was only 18 his senior year cause he skipped a grade anyway

[cwarcarblue11]

if this is 2009, he's not a freshman...

[siddu9898]

Is he human?

[Pangolinist]

I'd love to race him in an 800, wonder how well he'd do in that.

[xHunterXIV]

Lukas is now a 8:29 2 miler and a 3:59 miler

[Sagora123]

wait what grade was he in in this video

[Crosscountry616]

lukas runs a 4:03 mile now..

[cmehmen]

DANG! that pacer was strong!!

[bulgaboi]

I'm pretty sure Lukas ran a 4:04 mile

[crush40fan101]

wtf he beat an FRIGGIN ETHIOPIAN!!!! (Haile Somomon!)

[MrSpain54]

GERMAN FERNANDEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hibbitish]

LV is the best High School XC runner in the nation. He isn't as good in track as he is in XC. As a Soph (Jr in age), he crushed the field at Footlocker. Next year will be his last year in HS as he is taking extra classes to graduate a year early and then he will start dominating college races.

[xROFLawsonx]

Wow, look at the field! Everyone under 10.

[Bobalithmiss1]

why did the guy that used to be in 1st stop?

[flashbradley11]

@Bobalithmiss1 probablly a pacer

[flame123652]

taaaaaaank

[39PeaceMaker]

@maniacladtdisciple

i dont care how old the kid is. he is fast as hell. i would kill to be that fast. if you can only find one person in the world like that german dude to compare him to then i would say thats pretty damn impressive

[maniaclatdisciple]

lukas is 16 years old he may be a freshman buthe moved with his family from lithuania and started school late so he's not that impressive he's 16 ignore the fact hes a freshman hes 16!!! 16!!. by his senior year he'll be 19 years old or 20 he was 16 in indoor so he might be older. while the guy that has the two mile record at 8.34, german fernadez ran it when he was 17 years old

[HIGGLEFORTTOPALIS]

Post a video of you running 2 miles in 8:53 and then you can say it's not impressive.

[NErunnerXC]

yeah i wanna see your video of an 8:53 2 mile...I am a runner...i respect people who do well...no matter what his age is...so if a 97year old ran an 8:53 it wouldnt be impressive since hes older than the freshman or 16 year olds...no 8:53 is an 8:53... who cares about the age...a fast kid is a fast kid...get over it.

[geto235]

@NErunnerXC YES! I know your comment is old but I want to vote it up like a million times. I am so tired of people saying "Oh well he's 16 so it's not impressive." Are you freaking kidding me? Are they trying to say the top level kids in every state are not impressive and most are probably older like 17, 18. I don't care how old you are though, running a time like that ANY time in your life is an amazing feat. A fast kid is a fast kid, you're right people just need to get over it.

[JoshMcRay]

@geto235 The problem of him being 16 as a freshman is he took records from normal aged freshman (15). Him being a year older gave him a MASSIVE advantage for freshman records over normally aged freshman. As a 16 yr old freshman he stole the freshman indoor mile record, freshman indoor 2 mile record, freshman outdoor mile record, freshman outdoor 3000m record, and the freshman indoor 5k record.

[maniaclatdisciple]

@geto235

it's unfair to other freshman who are only 14

[geto235]

@maniaclatdisciple Yeah I guess you're right if you look at it as a freshman record, it would be nearly impossible for it be broken, but if you just look at it as just a high school time it would win state in any state.

[xHunterXIV]

@maniaclatdisciple German Fernandez is the best!!!

[Jamesmill82]

@maniaclatdisciple lol i hate when people get impress over kids who are already adults or should be a jrs or seniors .

[Jamesmill82]

@maniaclatdisciple that boy still got skills though lol

[DemCousins]

lukas verzbicas is my idle, he is crazy fast and very talented

[HIGGLEFORTTOPALIS]

Running is the definition of athletics. There are no "real" sports that don't require running. Take your ignorance somewhere else.

[nickvo329]

keep in mind he is 16 yet in 9th grade. still amazing

[franknjess]

Keep in mind Elias Gedyon, who is now a jr. at Loyola HS in L.A. is at least 20 - although he and his family lie about his age - and get away with it because they're Africans. No one will call them on it because it isn't PC. If you see this "kid" in person you can't help but notice how old he is. It's like the situation with Solomon Haile last year, 22 years old as a HS senior. But since Verzbicas is an evil white person, he'll be called on being over-age, especially since he's from Europe.

[delewareboy]

Does anyone know how he runs a 8:53 2 mile but only a 4:21 mile?

[dan04k13]

Because they were both in the same day. He ran a 4:15 full mile indoors when he also doubled. Who knows what he'd do in a fresh mile.

[whiteout130]

He just ran a 14:06 3 mile, winning Illinois XC State meet. It was amazing to see him. and well race with him through out this year. well not really race, since he killed us, actually i saw him finish during one of our races.

[MyAccount333221]

You were running there? Me too!

[whiteout130]

no shit, what school?

[uzmember]

@dan04k13

4:04 fresh

[uzmember]

@dan04k13 4:04 mile fresh

[hismercyskateboards]

@dan04k13  a 3:59.72

[HIGGLEFORTTOPALIS]

I think his mile is 4:15

[joseluisbeep]

@delewareboy BECAUSE HE CAN! no jk, he actually ran a 4:04 mile (not 1600, mile) on June 12)

[thISxTHplacE]

@delewareboy he ran a 4:03 a few days ago.

[adulby]

it looks like they are jogging? they are going faster than i could run a mile and they are so strong and tall that they look more relaxed then i do on a recovery run.

[monkeybarrel67]

@delewareboy Verzbicas's mile PR is 3:59, he ran his mile at this particular meet ~22 seconds slower because he was doubling events (ie it was his third mile raced that day).

[JoshMcRay]

@monkeybarrel67 Yes, but that 3:59 was run off the track with the last 1/4 of it being downhill. His track mile pr is 4:04

[RunninAD]

@delewareboy Does anyone know that he has now broken 4 minutes.....

[colinponeil]

He might get German's Record

[asadraza5367]

8:54 for 2 miles is like 8:20 for 3000m.

Wow and he is in grade 9 ??

[BobBobGobGob]

Yeah. He is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. I hope he focuses on track this year.

[whiteout130]

10th grade now, but he's also 17 and his mom was a olympian. I actually race him this past Saterday, XC (lyions township ill.) he well dominated everyone. by 56 seconds. and beat his own course record last yr with a time of 14:19.76. look it up on dystat.

[yohnus]

lol i ran in the fresh soph race hes on the same team as me (sandburg)

[whiteout130]

oh, wow.... (stagg) mm rivals.

[L1LNasty]

ran on his CC team when iwas in 6th grade woot hahaha

[delewareboy]

Thats an unusual bunch of freshmans. They all look at least 5"11.

[dan04k13]

They're not all freshman. Just Lukas Verzbicas.

[evandefraine]

@dan04k13 yeah but he was also a 16 year old freshman when he ran this

[evandefraine]

@dan04k13 yeah but he was 16 when he ran this

[cmehmen]

@evandefraine hahahahaahahah

dan if you were a 16 yr old freshmen could you do that.....ya no

[LZXCRUNNER]

do you have or know of anyone who has vid of the open 5000m?

[howtodance98]

he is on my triathlon team

[BeverlyHillsGal90210]

larkin you quit

[Lyndehouse]

What's awesome about this kid is his upper body hasn't filled in yet. Imagine what he'll run with a stronger core. What a talent

[JoHnStUmP]

good taping

[Lyndehouse]

8:53 as a freshman? You, sir, are a badass

[CarlosMercado09]

Thanks for posting. This guy is definitely a runner to watch in the coming years. Can't wait to see what he does by the time he's a senior in high school. 2016 olympics anyone?