BY KELLIE TAYLOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Local women's basketball fans remember one of the first area women to dominate the game.
Carol Madsen , now Carol Madsen-Miller, took the game to another level in her years at Reading High School (1985-89) and at Xavier University (1991-94).
Madsen-Miller still holds numerous Xavier records including highest career point average (19.3), most points in a game (46 vs. La Salle) and second-most career points (1,702 in three years; she sat out one season after playing her freshman year at Purdue). Where is she now and is she still playing, you may ask?
Madsen-Miller not only still plays in both winter and summer leagues, she also coaches the varsity team at Finneytown High School. "I'm still so competitive," Madsen-Miller said laughing. "I hate to lose at anything."
Madsen-Miller recently competed with a group of former Xavier players in the Cincinnati Women's Collegiate Summer Basketball League in its first season. After going 8-0 in the regular season, Team X fell to a team of Northern Kentucky stars in the championship tournament game.
"She's still very, very good," league director David Horn said of Madsen-Miller. "If she has an open shot, she doesn't miss." Madsen-Miller has been busy off the court as well. Six months ago, Carol and husband John, a former tennis player at Xavier, became the proud parents of a daughter, Maria.
"She's just great," Carol said. "But, of course, all she says is "dada and dad'."
Carol has given up her teaching job at Finneytown for now to spend more time with Maria, but will still coach the varsity squad this year, her fourth season. The former star has a common bond with her players who also compete in the Cincinnati Hills League.
"The one thing that I stress to them is that you must believe in yourself and in your team," she said. "Confidence is a hard thing to get girls to believe."
"I try to tell them that they can accomplish anything they want if they put their mind to it."
COACHING CHANGE:
Former Wilmington College women's basketball assistant coach and sports information director, Brian Neal, will return to his alma mater for the 1998-99 school year.
Neal, a 1991 graduate of Northern Kentucky University, has been named assistant women's basketball coach for the Lady Norse. Neal will also serve as assistant sports information director.
COACHING CHANGE PART II:
Angie Jacobs has been named Miami University head softball coach for the 1998-99 season.
Jacobs is no stranger to the game. The first baseman - catcher was named to the Pac-10 All-Conference team as a member of the University of California at Berkley team and is a two-time Amateur Softball Association All-American. Jacobs is currently a member of the Women's Professional Fastpitch League, playing for the Orlando Wahoos.
Last season, Jacobs served as top assistant coach for the University of Utah.
