ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 5, 1997 TAG: 9703050079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
ASHLEY McCALLUM and Suzanne Moore battled for a Group AA title in high school. Now they're Roanoke teammates battling for a Division III title.
When Ashley McCallum and Suzanne Moore met four years ago, it couldn't have been more awkward. When McCallum and Moore graduate from Roanoke College in May and go their separate ways, it will be awkward again, but in a good way.
McCallum and Moore are seniors on the Roanoke College women's basketball team. They also are friends and hallmates, which is more than they could have expected four years ago.
Back in the winter of 1992, Moore won a Group AA championship at the Salem Civic Center as an ace shooting guard for Blacksburg High School. Blacksburg's opponent on that December day was William Byrd High School, which had a senior forward on its roster named Ashley McCallum. It was the last high school game for both.
A few months later, as both were being recruited to play basketball at Roanoke, they found themselves standing beside Maroons coach Susan Dunagan after a game. Dunagan looked at them, put her hands on their shoulders, smiled and said, ``You guys know each other.''
Moore said she and McCallum looked at each other. ``We were both like, `Grrrr! Hi.''' Moore said.
``I said, `Thanks for beating us,''' McCallum said.
And that was it. Four years later, instead of one ending the other's playing career, they're on the same side as seniors on the Roanoke College team. The final chapter of their careers begins at 7 tonight at the Bast Center in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Maroons face Thomas More (Ky.), a first-time tournament invitee.
``She's one of my best friends at this school,'' Moore said.
McCallum and Moore became friends shortly after their arrival on campus as freshmen. McCallum didn't get along with her freshman roommate, so she basically moved in with Moore and her old roommate, Lisa Ellis.
Moore and McCallum became inseparable. Moore would go to McCallum's home in Vinton for breakfast (``Her mom made great sausage gravy,'' Moore said) and they got in a car and went to the beach with Ellis.
Every Thursday they would go out together.
``We had chemistry at 9:10 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and every Friday we had a quiz,'' McCallum said. ``We would stay up until like six o'clock in the morning. We'd be studying at like 6:30 and she'd say, `Fluorine!'
``It was just so funny because it wouldn't matter whatever time we came in, we'd always study together.''
``And then I got mono right after that,'' Moore said.
They've also earned great grades and been fixtures on the dean's list for four years. ``When you study at 6 in the morning, it helps you out,'' Moore said.
``Yeah, you can't forget that quick,'' McCallum said.
The pair has much more in common. Their stated No.1 goal for this season was to regain the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship for their school. McCallum says her hero is her dad. Moore says her hero is her mom. Both dream of one day traveling across the country, although Moore wants to do it on a motorcycle.
During their final college basketball season, they've neared some milestones, too. McCallum is tied with teammate Amy Athey at 225 rebounds, 10 from the Maroons' single-season record. Moore has 63 3-pointers, five off the single-season record. They've accumulated these statistics while captaining the Roanoke ship.
``Between Suzanne, Amy and me, we each offer something different to our team,'' McCallum said. ``Suzanne's quiet, Amy's more vocal, and I'm more of a goofball.''
``They've exceeded my expectations,'' Dunagan said.
They expect to remain friends next year when Moore works on becoming an art teacher and McCallum pursues a dream of becoming a college professor.
``It's weird getting to the end,'' Moore said.
That may be, but not as weird as the beginning.
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: CINDY PINKSTON STAFF. 1. Ashley McCallum (35) is tiedby CNBwith Amy Athey at 225 rebounds this season, 10 shy of Roanoke's
single-season record. 2. Suzanne Moore has 63 3-pointers this
season, five off the Maroons' mark.