JACKSON GRACUATE TO COACH AT MAC

Jackson High School has turned out all kinds of talented female basketball players over the years.

And the school also apparently hasn't fallen short in turning out talented basketball coaches.

Kia Kamp, a 1985 Jackson graduate, is busy hitting the recruiting trail as she puts together her first women's team at Mineral Area College, a two-year school in Park Hills.

Kamp, a former player at Mineral Area, spent last season as an assistant for the Lady Cardinals under veteran coach Bill Bradley. And when Bradley decided to retire, the job fell in her lap.

"It's exciting, but I know I have a lot of work to do and some big shoes to fill," said Kamp, who will be in Jackson today to sign Lady Indians' senior Melissa Palmer, who earned Class 4A all-state honors. "Coach Bradley had such a good program going here and I'm hoping I can continue it."

Bradley compiled more than 300 wins as Mineral Area's head coach and the 1998-99 squad won 19 games.

But Kamp is confident of the kind of job she can do mainly because she believes she played under two of the best coaches you'll find anywhere -- Bradley and Jackson's Ron Cook.

"Between coach Cook and coach Bradley, I don't think I could have played for two better coaches," she said. "What two great role models and examples they are."

After graduating from Jackson and playing two years at Mineral Area, Kamp went to Northeast Missouri State, where she played for one semester before transferring to Southeast Missouri State, where she was not a member of the basketball team.

Following her graduation from Southeast, Kamp taught two years at St. Paul Lutheran School in Jackson before becoming the head girls basketball coach at Farmington High School. She had considerable success in six seasons at Farmington before becoming an assistant at Mineral Area last year.

In taking over for the highly successful Bradley, Kamp is a bit apprehensive.

"I've got major shoes to fill," she said with a laugh. "It's kind of scary. He's a great coach who's leaving behind a great program and you sure don't want to be the one to mess it up. But we've worked real hard to get some good kids."