The toughest decision that Saucon Valley senior Alyssa Lombardo had in making her college choice was – as it usually is for a student athlete – which college. On the surface, she had another decision to make that a rare few ever do – which sport. The first one was a lot harder than the second. Alyssa had offers from a lot of Division I schools for both softball and track. Softball is her sport. But she is a star in both. A two-time state champ in the 400, she had the fastest time in PA in 2010, and in doing so, set the AA state record of 54.65. But she is also the highest rated softball recruit in the Northeast, and one of the top in the US. Recruited by the top softball programs, she was also chased by track powers like Duke, LSU, Tennessee, Arizona, Nebraska, Princeton, Villanova and Penn State, among others. Not surprisingly, the college she selected is also a track power. But they are also a softball powerhouse. They reside in the PAC-10, which just happens to have won 23 of the past 29 women's NCAA softball world series. Oh, and Alyssa also sports a 4.3 GPA in the toughest courses.
Her college choice? Stanford University. For softball.
But follow her closely in college, because the track season can run way longer than the softball season. And in Alyssa, Stanford has a pretty fast one-lapper they can invite to help them out exactly when they'll need it.
Photo courtesy of Bob Lombardo