[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 238 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 238

 Commending the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for winning the 
         2002 NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championship.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 11, 2002

  Mr. Wellstone (for himself and Mr. Dayton) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Commending the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for winning the 
         2002 NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championship.

Whereas the University of Minnesota wrestling team successfully defended its 
        2001 national title by winning the 2002 National Collegiate Athletic 
        Association championship on March 23, 2002, in Albany, New York;
Whereas the victory was the first back-to-back national championship in an 
        intercollegiate athletic competition in University of Minnesota history 
        since the Golden Gophers captured 2 consecutive national championship 
        football titles in 1940 and 1941;
Whereas the University of Minnesota won the national crown with 126.5 points, 
        over Iowa State (103 points), Oklahoma (101.5 points), Iowa (89 points) 
        and Oklahoma State (82.5 points);
Whereas the University of Minnesota became the first Division I wrestling team 
        since the 1995-96 season to go undefeated in dual meets and win the 
        National Duals, conference and NCAA team titles in a single season and 
        the first team to win these titles in consecutive seasons since the 
        1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons;
Whereas the Golden Gophers wrestling team has finished in the top 3 in the 
        Nation in the last 6 years: placing third in 1997, being the runner up 
        in 1998 and 1999; placing third in 2000; and winning the national title 
        in 2001 and 2002;
Whereas the University of Minnesota wrestling team has now placed in the top 10 
        at the NCAA Championships 25 times in the history of the program;
Whereas Coach J. Robinson, as head coach of the University of Minnesota 
        wrestling team, now has finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships 
        10 times during his 16-year tenure;
Whereas two members of the Minnesota wrestling team, Jared Lawrence and Luke 
        Becker, each earned an individual national crown, marking the first time 
        in school history that two Minnesota athletes were individual champions 
        in a single NCAA sport in the same year;
Whereas Lawrence, at 149 pounds, and Becker, at 157 pounds, captured the 13th 
        and 14th NCAA individual titles in school history, respectively;
Whereas Ryan Lewis, at 133 pounds, was the runner-up, Owen Elzen, at 197 pounds, 
        finished in fourth place, Damion Hahn, at 184 pounds, finished in fifth 
        place, Garret Lowney, at heavyweight, finished in fifth place, and Chad 
        Erikson, at 141 pounds, finished in seventh place;
Whereas seven University of Minnesota wrestlers, Chad Erikson, Jared Lawrence, 
        Luke Becker, Damion Hahn, Owen Elzen, Ryan Lewis, and Garrett Lowney, 
        earned All-American honors; and
Whereas the Golden Gophers have now had 68 wrestlers earn 111 All-American 
        citations in the history of the varsity wrestling program at the 
        University of Minnesota: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the Golden Gophers of the University of 
        Minnesota for winning the 2002 National Collegiate Athletic 
        Association Division I Wrestling National Championship;
            (2) recognizes the achievements of all the team's members, 
        coaches, and support staff, and invites them to the United 
        States Capitol to be honored;
            (3) requests that the President recognize the achievements 
        of the University of Minnesota wrestling team and invite them 
        to the White House for an appropriate ceremony honoring a 
        national championship team; and
            (4) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit a copy 
        of this resolution to the President of the University of 
        Minnesota.
                                 <all>