On the 2013 thread, Novahoop mentions that Regan Rome (PA) is leaning towards G'town and that VU is not in play. Ironically I think that is a good thing. It suggests VU has it priorities in order.
VU is trying to be competitive in XC as well as track & field. And track means the Penn Relays. VU is also a school with limited resources. That means the it should recruit athletes who can not only run XC, but can also run a leg on one of the relays - at least a mile. Sheila Reid was ideal. Rome will be a XC asset, but she will not run relays legs. Rome is a luxury VU cannot afford. I believe we went through this a couple of season ago when it was some distance runner from NJ who eventually went to Stanford. Note the young women coming out in 2014 are exemplary. There are at least a dozen (or more) who are more attractive than Rome. [See the 2013 recruiting thread.] One of these is Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner (IRL), but there are many others.
Siofra represents smart thinking by VU. She is Ireland's XC champion, but has wonderful track range - 55.6 (400), 2:03.8 (800), 4:22.4 (1500) - but she is not graduating until next year (although born July 1995). These are better times than Southerland. Thus, her last HS year will be like a redshirt year. Smart. And there are others - e.g., Josette Norris (NJ), Mary Cain (NY), ... And do not forget those coming put in 2015. These are the people VU should be focused on - not Regan Rome - unless there is some way of her coming that would not cost a track scholarship.
