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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, March 23, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 14, 2005 Debbie (Meeker) Cornelison Rogue River High School, 1977 By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Debbie Cornelison didn’t have many alternatives when playtime rolled around. The 11th of 12 children — including nine brothers — was swept up in their interests at an early age. "They kind of cultivated my athletic ability," says Cornelison, whose last name then was Meeker. "Having that many brothers, you don’t play with Barbies because no one plays with you. I attribute a lot of my desire to be athletic to my family. They never left me out. I was always a part of what they were doing." Cornelison was one of the state’s early girl basketball stars, leading Rogue River to its only state final in 1977 and earning a scholarship to Oregon State. She now lives in Klamath Falls and for 13 years has been a paraprofessional at Joseph Conger Elementary. She teaches special-needs students reading, writing and math in hopes of introducing them into the mainstream. There are good and bad days and they’re never the same, says Cornelison, "but there are so many rewards on our end." Advertisement She and Ron, a rock driller, have been married 24 years and have three children, Ryan, 23, Dean, 20, and Ron, 17. Cornelison transferred to Rogue River from Eagle Point as a senior because of budget woes. She helped turn a Skyline Conference power into a state finalist. With Cornelison scoring 19 points, the Chieftains lost to Madras, 43-41, in the title game. "It was heart-wrenching, heart-breaking ... I remember it well," she says. It was only the second year of state-championship play for girls basketball, so Cornelison was on the ground floor. She played basketball in recess from the fifth grade but wasn’t on an organized team until her sophomore year. "That was the first chance I really got to learn the game," she says. She later watched her niece, Dolinda, play at North Medford and University of the Pacific. The two were similar in style — "She played a lot like I did, a hustle player," says Cornelison — but there were differences. "Her skill level was much more advanced than mine," says the aunt. But Cornelison was no slouch. She played three years at Oregon State, starting as a freshman but then taking on a reserve role when Aki Hill became coach. The Beavers won the National Women’s Invitation Tournament her junior year, defeating North Carolina, 71-62, in 1980, and Cornelison’s crowning athletic achievement is that she was on the floor the final eight minutes. "To me, that was a neat way for me to finish my career at Oregon State," she says. She returned to the Rogue Valley, playing as a senior at Southern Oregon University and earning a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. Cornelison coached sophomore and JV basketball at Eagle Point and Grants Pass, respectively, before moving to Klamath Falls. There, she’s remained in the game, coaching elementary basketball, football, track and volleyball. She finds that rewarding as well. "You’re very much a teacher and not so much into your win-loss record," she says. "It’s all about improving and maintaining the kids’ desire to keep playing in junior high." Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Advertisement s