byLarry EderNew Balance Nationals Indoor, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Lukas Verzbicas, photo from 2011 NB Indoor Grand Prix, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Lukas Verzbicas, alone after the kilometer, put 43 seconds on his competitors as he broke his own High School record for the 5,000 meters, by eleven seconds! Verzbicas ran 14:06.78!
Waverly Neer, a freshman, broke the girl’s high school record by eight seconds, running a fine 16:35.15. What an evening-the continued crowning of Oregon bound Verzbicas as one of the greats of high school distance running and the revelation of a new girl high school distance phenom! Congrats to the New Balance 2011 Nationals Indoor for opening day 1 with such a night of records!
By Chris Lotsbom
Running all by their lonesome, two national high school records were set
in the opening day of competition here at the New Balance Nationals
Indoor meet in New York City. Lukas Verzbicas and Waverly Neer
established themselves as two of the best high school runners in the
country, winning the boy’s and girl’s 5000m races in commanding fashion.
entire field on his way to claiming the title. Running all alone after
the first 200m, the Lithuanian born athlete passed the kilometer in
2:44. “Maybe I went out a little
fast, but at the beginning it felt very easy,” stated the confident
senior, who will attend the University of Oregon in the fall.
half, Verzbicas eventually crossed the line in 14:06.78, 43 seconds
ahead of the next closest competitor.
seconds faster than the previous record, 14:18.42, his own which was set
when he was a freshman in 2009.
The surprise of the night
came in the girl’s 5000m, where Waverly Neer ran a near-perfect tactical
race to earn her own national high school record.
Staying behind
Kathryn Fluehr for the first half of the race, Neer bided her time,
waiting for the right moment to move into the lead.
That moment came with less
than a thousand meters to go. With a quick surge, Neer found herself in
front, all alone and a half mile from becoming the national champion.
think I would be a national champion, let alone record holder,” said
Neer.The New Balance National Indoor meet continues Saturday and Sunday.
