Carolyn Nicholson was the mother of author Brian Borland. Before that, however, she was a high school basketball star from Maynard, Iowa. Playing with the varsity already when she was in 8th grade, Carolyn finished her high school career as Maynard’s all-time leading scorer with 3079 points.

Carolyn revolutionized the out-forward position, proving that shorter players could score just as well as the taller center-forwards who had dominated play to that point. She was the captain of the team that brought Maynard its first state title in 1956.

After graduating high school, Carolyn turned down a partial basketball scholarship to Iowa Wesleyan and married Glenn Borland. The couple made their home in Madison, Wisc.

Carolyn was inducted into the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union girls’ basketball hall of fame in 1971.

She passed away in 2009.