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Margaret and Callie Carroll are a mother daughter athletic team about whom the Ozarks will be hearing more.

During 28 years at Rogersville Middle School, Margaret has coached thousands of young athletes, but next season will be different when Callie joins her eighth grade team.

Margaret, who coaches volleyball and track too, is approaching her 500th basketball victory. She says she wants to continue at the middle school level because she believes that a coach there is more than a coach. One must be counselor and a nurse at times. The kids come to their coach with their problems and their exciting moments-a little bit of everything.

Callie, a 5-foot, 7-inch guard/forward, scored 31 pints in one game this season. She says she has waited all her life for this opportunity to play for her mother. From the time Callie could walk, she tagged along with Margaret to Rogersville games.

Ozarks sports promise to be even more interesting next season with this duo on the court.*

Every coach dreams of taking a team to post-season play. This year, women's basketball fans have had the joy of watching three area collegiate teams attain that dream for their coaches.

For the second straight year, Katy Abrahamson-Henderson and the SMS Lady Bears won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and went on to the NCAA tournament's first round.

Leon Neal and Evangel University's Lady Crusaders made their sixth overall and fourth consecutive appearance in the NAIA II National Tournament, reaching the quarter final round.

Nyla Milleson and the Drury Lady Panthers played in the Division II championship game just four years after beginning their program.

We honor them and all our area women players and look forward to great things next year.

*Information is based on Scott Puryear's article in the January 24, 2004 News-Leader.