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Sports

VCU Alumni Reunite in Shrewsbury for NCAA Underdog

A surprising number of Virginia Commonwealth University alumni gathered in Shrewsbury to support their college's basketball team.

If you wandered into the in Shrewsbury's Kenrick Plaza this past Saturday afternoon, you might have noticed a lively group of fans decked out in black and gold and assumed that they were there to cheer on a Mizzou team. This particular gathering however, was supporting a school from much further away.

Until they started pulling upsets in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) was not a school that most St. Louis residents knew much about. 

“I never met a single grad from VCU,” said Soulard native Chris Michael, who graduated with a master's in urban and regional planning last fall. “I’d never even heard of VCU before I went there.”

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More than a third of Missouri high school seniors go on to attend the University of Missouri, and St. Louis is home to Washington University, Webster University and Saint Louis University. Those schools’ sports teams receive a lot of exposure, but for students who travel further for their education, maintaining loyalty to their college teams can be a lonely affair. 

Last year, VCU’s alumni association contacted 2006 graduate Chris Kervick to ask if he would be interested in helping to make connections with about 250 former students in the St. Louis area. Sonny Lopez, a 1973 graduate, was thrilled when he heard from Kervick about organizing local alumni to watch the VCU Rams compete.

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“I thought I was the only VCU person in St. Louis,” he said.

Located on a spread-out urban campus in Richmond, VCU is one of Virginia’s largest schools, enrolling more of the state’s residents than any other four-year college or university. Its reputation is mostly regional, but a number of St. Louis natives were drawn to the school on the strength of particular programs.

Sarah Coble grew up in Union, MO. She graduated in 2007 from VCU’s School of Allied Health Professions with a degree in gerontology.

“It’s been so exciting,” she said of this year’s NCAA tournament. “I feel so proud.” 

Although the VCU Rams began Saturday night’s game with an aggressive run of three-point shots, the VCU fans at Sports Zone were ultimately disappointed when their team faltered in the last minutes of the game and succumbed to the Butler Bulldogs, 70-62. 

Kervick’s girlfriend, Becca Routson, who also attended VCU, gave her dejected boyfriend a hug as the tables around them began to empty. Most of the attendees appeared satisfied with their team’s performance. At the very least, they can now be pretty sure that they will no longer be met with blank stares when they share their alma mater with other Missourians.

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