Lukas Verzbicas
Encyclopedia
Lukas Verzbicas is a Lithuanian long-distance runner and triathlete. He won the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships
in 2009 (15:07) and in 2010 (14:59), and the Nike Cross Nationals invitational in 2010 (15:59), becoming the first runner to win both FLCC and NXN in the same year, and only the third to win FLCC back to back. He became the 2010 IHSA
Class 3A state champion, 3 miles (13:53.7), which was the third fastest of all time, 3 seconds off the state record held by world cross country champion and three time Olympian Craig Virgin
. Verzbicas is also a successful triathlete, with wins in, among others, 2011 ITU World Junior Championships, the Pan American Triathlon Confederation Junior Championships (May 2009, July 2011) and the Duathlon World Junior Championships (September 2009).
He is the high school indoor national record holder in the 5000 meters (14:06). He holds the Sophomore national record in the 1 mile (4:04), and the Freshman national records in the indoor 1 mile (4:15), indoor 2 mile (8:57), indoor 5000m (14:18) and outdoor 2 mile (8:53).
At the 2011 New Balance Indoor National meet, Verzbicas won the 5000 meters (14:06), the 2 mile (8:40), and the one mile (4:10), becoming the first high school runner in history to win all three at the national meet.
At the 2011 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene Oregon, Verzbicas set a national high school record in the 2 mile with a time of 8:29, smashing the old record of 8:34 set by German Fernandez in 2008.
At the 2011 Adidas High School Boys' Dream Mile, Verzbicas became only the second American high school male to run below 4:00 for a full mile in a high school-only race, running 3:59.71. Jim Ryun
, Tim Danielson
, Marty Liquori
and Alan Webb
have also run under four minutes in high school. Webb is the American high school record holder for the mile, clocking 3:53.43 at the Prefontaine Classic
in 2001.
Verzbicas moved to the US from Lithuania
with his mother and stepfather at age 9, and lives in Orland Park, Illinois
. His mother is a former Lithuanian record-holder at 3,000m.
He resides in Orland Park, Illinois
and graduated from Carl Sandburg High School
in May 2011, completing high School in just 3 years.
Verzbicas signed a national letter of intent
to run for the University of Oregon
.
In November of 2011 during Cross Country season, Verzbicas announced that he would be leaving Oregon to pursue a career in the triathlon with the hopes of making a future US Olympic team. The timing of this decision was controversial as he left the cross country team just before a critical national qualifying race.
Foot Locker Cross Country Championships
The Foot Locker Cross Country Championships are a series of annual cross country running races held in various regions of the United States to determine the premier cross country runner in various age groups, but mainly serves to find the best prep cross country athlete in the country...
in 2009 (15:07) and in 2010 (14:59), and the Nike Cross Nationals invitational in 2010 (15:59), becoming the first runner to win both FLCC and NXN in the same year, and only the third to win FLCC back to back. He became the 2010 IHSA
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
Class 3A state champion, 3 miles (13:53.7), which was the third fastest of all time, 3 seconds off the state record held by world cross country champion and three time Olympian Craig Virgin
Craig Virgin
Craig Steven Virgin is an American distance runner. He was born in Belleville, Illinois and grew up near Lebanon, Illinois...
. Verzbicas is also a successful triathlete, with wins in, among others, 2011 ITU World Junior Championships, the Pan American Triathlon Confederation Junior Championships (May 2009, July 2011) and the Duathlon World Junior Championships (September 2009).
He is the high school indoor national record holder in the 5000 meters (14:06). He holds the Sophomore national record in the 1 mile (4:04), and the Freshman national records in the indoor 1 mile (4:15), indoor 2 mile (8:57), indoor 5000m (14:18) and outdoor 2 mile (8:53).
At the 2011 New Balance Indoor National meet, Verzbicas won the 5000 meters (14:06), the 2 mile (8:40), and the one mile (4:10), becoming the first high school runner in history to win all three at the national meet.
At the 2011 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene Oregon, Verzbicas set a national high school record in the 2 mile with a time of 8:29, smashing the old record of 8:34 set by German Fernandez in 2008.
At the 2011 Adidas High School Boys' Dream Mile, Verzbicas became only the second American high school male to run below 4:00 for a full mile in a high school-only race, running 3:59.71. Jim Ryun
Jim Ryun
James Ronald Ryun is an American former track athlete and politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing the 2nd District in Kansas. In the 2006 election, Ryun was defeated by Democratic challenger Nancy Boyda...
, Tim Danielson
Tim Danielson
Timothy Ralph "Tim" Danielson is a former American middle distance runner. He is one of only five U.S. high school athletes to ever run the mile in under four minutes.-High school:...
, Marty Liquori
Marty Liquori
Martin Liquori is an American middle distance athlete.Liquori first rose to fame when he became the third American high schooler to break the four-minute mile by running a 3:59.8 in 1967, three years after Jim Ryun first did it.He grew up in Cedar Grove, New Jersey and attended Essex Catholic...
and Alan Webb
Alan Webb (athlete)
Alan Webb is an American athlete. He holds the American record in the mile, with a time of 3:46.91. He competes professionally for Nike.-High school:...
have also run under four minutes in high school. Webb is the American high school record holder for the mile, clocking 3:53.43 at the Prefontaine Classic
Prefontaine Classic
The Prefontaine Classic is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.-History:...
in 2001.
Verzbicas moved to the US from Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
with his mother and stepfather at age 9, and lives in Orland Park, Illinois
Orland Park, Illinois
Orland Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States; it also extends slightly into Will County. The population was 56,767 at the 2010 census. The office of the Assistant Village Manager, Ellen Baer, states that the Will County section of Orland Park is industrial while the Cook County...
. His mother is a former Lithuanian record-holder at 3,000m.
He resides in Orland Park, Illinois
Orland Park, Illinois
Orland Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States; it also extends slightly into Will County. The population was 56,767 at the 2010 census. The office of the Assistant Village Manager, Ellen Baer, states that the Will County section of Orland Park is industrial while the Cook County...
and graduated from Carl Sandburg High School
Carl Sandburg High School
Carl Sandburg High School, Sandburg, or CSHS, is a public four-year high school located at the intersection of La Grange Road and 131st Street in Orland Park, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Consolidated High School District 230, which also...
in May 2011, completing high School in just 3 years.
Verzbicas signed a national letter of intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
to run for the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
.
In November of 2011 during Cross Country season, Verzbicas announced that he would be leaving Oregon to pursue a career in the triathlon with the hopes of making a future US Olympic team. The timing of this decision was controversial as he left the cross country team just before a critical national qualifying race.