[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 40 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S2860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO THE UND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

 Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, my home State of North Dakota has 
been making the national news lately because of the recordbreaking 
snowfalls and flooding we have been suffering. This will surely be a 
winter that North Dakotans will remember for a long time to come. 
However, we North Dakotans will also be able to look back on this 
winter with fond memories because of the two national championships 
captured by the University of North Dakota in women's basketball and 
men's hockey.
  First of all, I want to pay special tribute to the 1997 National 
Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II women's national 
basketball champions, the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. 
This championship is made more special because it is the first ever for 
women's basketball at UND, and it keeps the national championship 
trophy in North Dakota for the fifth straight year.
  I am sure that this championship is made even sweeter for Head Coach 
Gene Roebuck and his team because it comes after playing in the shadow 
of North Dakota State University's women's basketball team for the last 
several years. The fact is that two of the best division II basketball 
teams in the country year in and year out play right in the Red River 
Valley of North Dakota, and it was just a matter of time before the UND 
women would get their share of the limelight.
  To win the national championship, the UND women handily defeated the 
Southern Indiana Lady Screaming Eagles 94-78 after closing out the game 
on a 20-4 run. Winning the national championship was truly a team 
effort with six players scoring in double figures. The Fighting Sioux 
finished the season 28-4, which ties the school record for most wins in 
a season.
  The outstanding team accomplishments were aided by some notable 
individual accomplishments. Freshman point guard Jaime Pudenz was named 
the most outstanding player of the tournament. Jaime was joined on the 
Elite Eight All-Tournament team by senior Kelli Britz and sophomore 
Jenny Crouse. Kelli also has the additional distinction of finishing 
her career at UND as the school's leader in the 3-point fieldgoals made 
and attempted and second all time in total points scored. Tiffany 
Pudenz led the Fighting Sioux in scoring in the championship game with 
23 points.
  But a basketball team needs hard work and contributions from all of 
its players if it is to reach the pinnacle of a national championship. 
The Fighting Sioux certainly got that from senior Allison Derck, junior 
Elisha Kabanuk, sophomores Casey Carroll and Kami Winger, and freshmen 
Anna Feit, Pernilla Jonsson, Elisabeth Melin, and Katie Richards.
  Finally, I want to honor the coaches who have turned the Fighting 
Sioux into one of the dominant forces in the North Central Conference 
and all of division II women's basketball. Coach Roebuck is one of the 
most successful active coaches in basketball with a record of 246-50 
over the last 10 seasons. He is assisted on the bench by Darcy Deutsch, 
Chris Gardner, and Doug Reiten.
  I've always known that North Dakota has some of the best people you 
can find, and I'm told that the visitors to Grand Forks for the 
national championship came away with the same impression. Now all of 
America can understand that some of the finest people and finest 
women's basketball both come from the Red River Valley.

                          ____________________