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Sandburg Alum Lukas Verzbicas Mines Triathlon Gold in Beijing

Ex-Eagle long-distance running sensation Lukas Verzbicas captured the world junior triathlon championship on trip to China, then presented his gold medal to an ailing friend.

 

Sandburg alum Lukas Verzbicas might just be good enough to run in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Over the weekend, he took another giant step toward achieving that goal.

Verzbicas was running in the host city of the 2008 Summer Games as a competitor in the World Junior Triathalon in Beijing. He showcased his talent with a first-place finish and displayed a heart of gold, too.

According to the Chicago Tribune's Philip Hersh, Verzbicas gave his gold medal to a friend from Geneva who recently was diagnosed with cancer.

Verzbicas is one of several highly touted freshmen running for the University of Oregon. The Ducks men's cross country team is ranked fourth in the nation.

Sandburg Soccer Defeats Providence

The Sandburg boys soccer team put together a 7-0 rout of Providence Catholic on Wednesday thanks to four goals in just 15 minutes. Goalie Adam Zehme notched his fourth shutout. Danny Lojeck and Zack Biel scored two goals each for the Eagles. They will continue their quest in the Lincoln-Way North Invitational against Lincoln-Way West on Wednesday.

Eagles Place Fifth at Reavis

Life without Lukas Verzbicas seems to be going fairly well for Sandburg's boys cross-country team. The Eagles posted as fifth-place finish at the Reavis Invitational on Saturday in Burbank.

Mike Sawyers led Sandburg with a time of 16:56 on the three-mile course. Other top 10 finishers for the Eagles were Aaron Spengler, Nicholas Prajka and Pat Lim.

About this column: Featuring local sports throughout our Patch. Related Topics: Adam Zehme, Danny Lojeck, Lukas Verzbicas, Mike Sawyers, Sandburg boys cross-country, and Sandburg boys soccer
What did you think of Lukas Verzbicas' gesture? Give your medal to a friend? Tell us in the comments.

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