NEW YORK – There will come a time when Lukas Verzbicas will have to put what he did in perspective. One day he’ll have to take stock of his performance and see that he laid the foundation for what legend is built on.

NEW YORK – The best indication that Aisling Cuffe was on pace had nothing to do with time. The Stanford-bound senior wanted to listen to her body and she knew her legs would pass the message.

NEW YORK – It is fact that Shelby Ashe is the best in the country in the weight throw. She’s the best ever.

NEW YORK – When Gunnar Nixon finally finished he walked over to the high jump mat, laid face-down and closed his eyes. He had to stop moving for just a minute.

NEW YORK – Christina Hillman stood next to the board that showed the best throw of her life – 14.88 meters.

Leonard Korir won the NCAA 5,000 meters on Friday night, becoming the first national champion in Iona history, in any sport.

NEW YORK – Lukas Verzbicas didn’t get exactly what he wanted. But there isn’t much more he could ask for.

The Carl Sandberg (Ill.) senior started his weekend record assault Friday at the New Balance Indoor Nationals by breaking his own national record in the 5,000 meters in 14:06.78.

It’s the national meet and every event is one to watch but here’s a few to give some special attention:

ITHACA – When Vestal’s Josh Miller moved up to the varsity track meet as an eighth grader he dreamed about the day he could win a state championship.

New York State Championships Girls Preview

New York State Championships Boys Preview

Juniors Strymar Livingston of Columbus and Anima Banks of Mamaroneck have been named this week’s AT&T Athletes of the Week for their outstanding performances over the past week at the New Balance Track and Field Center.

For lap after lap, Edward Cheresek followed Jim and Joe Rosa of West Winsor-Plainsboro North (N.J.) while the Rosa twins tried to break him.

Myasia Jacobs ran faster than she ever has before in the 55 meters Tuesday night. She dominated the race, blew it wide-open straight off the start line.

It was one of those moments when anyone could feel the tension building. Princeton’s Alexis Mikaelian led a pack of five with two laps left in the 4x800, with the race as hot as the standings in the team scoring.

Anima Banks won in 2:50.05, the fifth-fastest time in New York State history and a Section 1 record. She bettered a time of 2:51.2 set by Kristin Reese of Carmel in 2007. Mary Cain’s second-place finish, 2:50.84, crushed the New York State freshman class record. The previous mark of 2:53.02 was set by Brianna Welch of North Shore in 2007.

Sharay Hale is the most dominant sprinter in the Ivy League since Olympian Meredith Rainey. She leisurely demolished her league record Saturday, advancing to tomorrow’s 200-meter final in 23.64 seconds. That came after Hale ran the fastest qualifying time in the 400, winning her section in 53.59.

Cardozo won its fourth consecutive PSAL championship Friday with 119 points. Medgar Evers finished second with 90.

The roar from his Sheepshead Bay teammates echoed through the arena and from the very first scored event – when Kun won the 3,200 in 9:55.70 – it seemed that he had set the stage for the Sharks to win their first indoor title under coach John Padula.

Canisius senior Cole Townsend and St. Anthony’s junior Olicia Williams have been named AT&T Athletes of the Week for their respective performances in the past week at the New Balance Track and Field Center.

Some of New York’s best will head to Seattle to race on the oversized track at the Dempsey Indoor at the University of Washington. Sunday The 307-meter indoor track has been a haven for fast times for collegiate runners around the country and now it’ll be the high school athletes’ turn to perform at the new showcase event. Here’s a look at the local athletes with accepted entries.

Two years ago, Olicia Williams was one of the fastest rising freshmen in the country, with a 2:09.60 outdoor 800 meters to her credit. But her sophomore campaign didn’t measure up, mostly because Williams was still patting herself on the back.

When Olicia Williams came around for the bell lap, as strong as she looked, she looked right at her St. Anthony’s coach Oliver St. Aude.

When Chaminade junior Tommy Awad was logging his 500-plus miles over the summer he decided that he wanted to be a leader on his team. He knew it would happen one day. Awad would be ready by his senior year. Maybe sooner. That day was Saturday. Awad totaled 12 points, for Chaminade as his team won its first CHSAA championship since in 13 years.

It’s easy to get lost in the towering shadow of two national record attempts in the same race with Bernard Lagat and high schooler Lukas Verzbicas. Then there was last night’s sprint by 95-year-old Ida Keeling, which showed that running is more than a sport but can become a lifestyle.

Seniors Claudia Francis of Cardozo and Lukas Verzbicas of Carl Sandburg (Ill.) have been named this week’s AT&T Athletes of the Week for their stellar performances at the New Balance Track and Field Center over the weekend.