Verzbicas Takes National Foot Locker Title

It was a double first for Lukas Verzbicas on Saturday as he won the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championship in San Diego. When the Carl Sandburg High School junior won the 5K race in 14:59, he became the first runner to win the Nike Cross National and Foot Locker titles (one week apart) in the same year. How many people at any level can say they won national titles two weeks in a row? Verzbicas won this time by 11 seconds over runner-up Futsum Zeinasellassie of Indianapolis. Lukas beat Futsum by three-plus seconds back in November in a more tactical duel at the NXN Midwest Regional. Also on Saturday, York's Jack Driggs earnedf All-America honors with a 13th-place finish in 15:29. In the girls' race, Woodstock's Kayla Beattie placed 12th in 17:48, also earning All-America honors. The top 15 are All-Americans in the Foot Locker finals.