Lakeville center Liz Podominick, a top-20 prospect nationally, ended months of intense speculation by making a verbal commitment to Minnesota last Tuesday.

Podominick, the reigning state champion in the discus and shot put, credited a combined effort by Minnesota’s basketball and track and field programs in pursuing her.

“(Throwing coach) Lynne Anderson and Coach Borton had a chart to show me how I could do both sports,” Podominick said. “All the other schools I visited said I could do it, but they never really said how. They really worked together to make it as easy as possible for me.”

The 6-foot-2 Podominick, who also considered Colorado, UCLA and Oklahoma, will join Roysland at Minnesota in 2003.

“When Kelly committed, it helped me a lot,” said Podominick, who plays on an AAU team with Roysland. “I like playing with her, and she’s someone I’m familiar with.”

Podominick and Roysland form the cornerstones of a recruiting class considered nothing short of remarkable, given the program’s NCAA sanctions.

The penalties included recruiting restrictions and the loss of scholarships for the team and two additional years of probation for the University’s athletics departments.