In 1978, the girls tournament moved to the Assembly Hall in Champaign and this one belonged to Boswell, who was ordained “the first girls basketball superstar”. The pigtailed Boswell averaged more than 22 points in leading her team past Chicago Marshall, Moline and Lincoln by an average of 18 points. Only a sophomore, the 5-10 forward would soon leave center stage in the high school arena. She elected to graduate early and headed to Illinois State, where she earned All-America recognition.

Boswell went on to successful careers overseas in basketball and as a radio disc jockey. She won a gold medal as a member of Coach Pat Head Summitt’s 1984 Olympic team and more recently was a member of the Chicago Condors in the now defunct American Basketball League.

Other state finalists were Mattoon, Belleville West, Crystal Lake and Dundee.
For Marshall, it was the first of 20 state final berths in 22 years. Under legendary coach Dorothy Gaters, the Commandos, who gave have an ongoing streak of 22 years in a row in the Sweet Sixteen after losing to Chicago Vocational in the city semifinals in 1977.