Television sent Deb Remmerde on a long road trip. She traveled into millions of American homes not long ago.

A local woman named Jan Moe made a more personal connection with the woman who set a national free-throw record this season. Therein lies a story that CBS News can't touch, no matter how vast its resources may be.

"Coming from a small town, I have fondness for those who succeed," said Moe, a Waverly resident.

Remmerde fills the role well.

She grew up in Rock Valley and became one of the best high school girls' basketball players in the state. Off she went to Iowa. Sidelined by injury as a freshman, Remmerde decided to retrace her steps to the northwest corner. She transferred to Northwestern College in Orange City and became a star at the NAIA level, earning all-America honors.

All-Americans can be found at a lot of colleges. Remmerde created her own spot in the college basketball world. This season, she hit 133 consecutive free throws. It is believed to be a record at any place, any league, any time. Kobe Bryant's never done it. J.J. Redick's never done it. During my high school basketball career, I may have missed 133 in a row.

"The key is keeping everything the same," said Remmerde, a sophomore at Northwestern. "I step up to the line, take two dribbles and shoot it. I approach every shot in every game doing the same old thing."

Maybe, but Remmerde's routine varied in mid-February when CBS News' Early Show came to Orange City. The crew set up a camera, interviewed Remmerde and gave her a simple order - commence firing.

Clearly, being the object of national television's short attention span affected Remmerde. She really struggled over two hours of shooting.

She missed five three throws.

Oh, by the way, she made 580.

At one point, Remmerde swished 256 straight from the line.

Now, this was reality television at its finest. And people noticed.

"Funny how things work out," said Remmerde a few days after the Early Show packed up and left Orange City. "It's not often that someone from a small school in northwest Iowa gets an opportunity to experience that - getting national recognition I'm getting. I'm hearing from people from all over the country - relatives, friends of friends. I'm just getting feedback. It's not something I expected."

Jan Moe, though, scooped Hannah Storm and Harry Smith and any other talking head on CBS. Moe may not have contacted the network; she did e-mail us, seeking more coverage for Remmerde and her record.

Moe has never met Deb Remmerde or her family, although she watched the Early Show appearance. She heard about Remmerde during her high school days from her sister, Charmayne, who played prep basketball at Radcliffe High.

Jan's basketball memory bank reaches to 1948, where she watched Radcliffe beat Steamboat Rock in Waterloo's Hippodrome (now McElroy Auditorium) in what amounted to a regional final. At that time, the state tournament was played in Drake Fieldhouse.

"How things have changed," said Jan Moe.

One thing hasn't.

Listen again to what Jan Moe said.

"Coming from a small town, I have fondness for those who succeed."

That's the connection. Jan Moe and the people who love basketball in Iowa need no help from CBS News. The love of the game, the understanding what can be accomplished no matter how tiny the school might be, runs as rich as the topsoil here.

Jan Moe knows it.

And I have been reminded. Without turning on my television.