Carol Mills (Cummings)- Athlete
Carol Mills enrolled at Ventura College in 1982. By the time she ended her two-year stay at V.C. she would leave as one of the most versatile, highly acclaimed and honored female athletes in Pirate history.
During her two years at V.C., Carol participated in cross country, basketball and track and field. Carol led her cross country team to a Western State Conference championship, a Southern California championship and the team concluded by winning the California State Women's Cross Country Championship. Carol was selected as 1st Team All-WSC and 1st Team All-State after her individual 6th place finish in the state championships.
The awards continued to flow as Carol turned to basketball. During her freshman year, Carol led her team to a 1983 WSC championship and she was selected their team captain. She also led the conference in assists and steals while averaging over 15 points per game. During her sophomore year, Carol continued to dominate on the court and was selected the W.S.C. Women's Player of the Year, while leading the conference in scoring, assists and steals. She was also named the Pirates' Most Outstanding Player.
After competing in cross country and basketball, most athletes of Carol's caliber would be seeking rest and rehabilitation. Not Carol Mills! Track and field was next on her radar screen and she found no less success in that arena. During the two years she competed in track and field, her teams were Western State Conference champions and both years Carol was the Pirate Most Valuable Performer. In her freshman year, Carol placed 3rd in the 400 meter hurdles in the California State Track and Field Championships.
During conference meets over her two year involvement, Carol individually scored a total of 78 points for the team. Her individual honors included several individual WSC event championships, while placing 3rd at the Southern California championships and 3rd in the state championships in the heptathlon. For several years, Carol held the California State record for point totals in the 2 day heptathlon event.
Carol is the current V.C. record-holder in the heptathlon, with 4,911 points. And, as a member of the 4X100 relay team set a V.C. record at 50.1 sec. After all of these years, she remains in the top 4 places in several other track and field events.
In 1983 and 1984, Carol was honored as the Ventura College Female Athlete of the Year and, in June 1984, the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame recognized Carol Mills as the county College Female Athlete of the Year.
Carol transferred to Cal Poly S.L.O. where she played basketball and earned her B.A. in Business Accounting in 1987. Carol is married to husband Craig, they have two sons Drew (16) and Alex (14) and she is currently a high school soccer coach in Jonesboro, Arkansas.