While Rodriguez, a Mountaineer native and graduate, shunned his position of seven years as football coach at WVU and accepted an offer to move to Ann Arbor, Lohman looked beyond her own home base to advance her diving career at the Big 10 athletic power. She, too, will become a member of the Class of 2008.
Lohman, who is ranked among the top 20 springboard divers in the nation, had many scholarship offers. After making Michigan her first stop on the recruiting trail, she paid official visits to the University of North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia Tech. She canceled a trip to California, swapping a call at Berkeley for a tour of the University of Pittsburgh.
While she trains there daily at Trees Pool under Julian and Doe Krug for Team Pittsburgh, Lohman had little feel for the campus. "Even though I practice there, I really don't get around the campus much," said Lohman. "It's different than being at the pool."
When she visited Michigan, there was one big difference in the Wolverines' relatively new natatorium. There, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps practiced.
"I didn't know he trained there," Lohman said. "The coach introduced him to me. That was the first time I had met him. He's really big. He's not my type. He's really into himself, but he should be after all he's an eight-time gold medalist. I'd like to get one myself."
Therein lay the difference between all the schools recruiting Lohman, including those that wanted to keep her in Pittsburgh. That factor determined her ultimate decision to accept a scholarship offer to dive for the Wolverines.
"I just felt I fit in there. The diving and the academics," said Lohman, who plans to study business or science in Michigan's College of Literature, Science and Arts.
"I also wanted to get out of Pittsburgh. Not that that's a bad thing," she added. "I just wanted to experience college outside of Pittsburgh. I know there are a lot of things that I'm going to miss like my coaches. I owe everything I know to them."
By the time she finishes her collegiate career, Lohman may owe Michigan for her achievements. She will compete in the Big 10 against the likes of Ohio State, which recruited the No. 1 diver in the country last year. She will also get the opportunity to challenge athletes from Texas, which is the defending NCAA swimming and diving champion.
"Big 10 swimming and diving is ranked No. 4 in the country. It's really good and very competitive. I knew I could go Big 10 and dive at the Division I level. Michigan has awesome facilities, maybe three or four years old, and the coaching staff is great. I just feel I can reach my potential at Michigan."
Next autumn, Lohman's immediate aspiration is to qualify for the NCAA Division I championships. Next, she'll tackle being a champion. After that, who knows?
"I'd love to go to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but that's a huge goal. Yes, I think I can do that if I train real hard. I don't know if I'm at that level yet. I certainly could be if I wanted to be."
So far this scholastic season, Lohman certainly is the best. After three meets, she is ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL. She is a two-time district champion, who hopes to defend that title in February. She also plans to capture the state crown in March.
"(The ranking) doesn't affect me. I was ranked No. 1 going into states last year so I know that there's pressure and you can't improve from there. When you are at the top, then the only place you can go is down.
"But I don't think about that. I don't think about scores or the people who come to see me dive. I focus on my goals and my goal is to win another WPIAL title. Three in a row," she said. "I know, too, it's my senior year, so winning the state title, too, would be awesome. Those are the goals I set for myself."
Lohman will attain her ambitions as long as she continues to nail her signature dive: an inward, one-and-one half.
"That's my safety net," Lohman said of that dive and a variation of it in the pike position. "I know I can hit it. It's always the dive I put last. Even at USS diving meets," she added.
While finishing in such meets in the top 20 for both 1- and 3-meter events, winning two WPIAL titles in a row still remain the highlight in Lohman's scholastic diving career.
"Obviously competing on the national level at places like Mission Viejo in California or in Orlando have been among my favorite places to dive, the highlight for me has been winning two WPIAL titles. I've really enjoyed my high school career."
With her credentials and her potential, Lohman likely will relish her years at Michigan, too.