[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 31, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      DRURY PANTHER'S MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING TEAMS

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                             HON. ROY BLUNT

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 31, 1998

  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the 
Drury Panther's Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Teams. During the 
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Swimming & 
Diving National Championship this year the men placed second overall 
for the second year in a row and the women placed first overall for the 
second year in a row. I congratulate both the men and women for their 
tremendous success at the national level. Even though these teams are 
made of great athletes, their success did not come easily. It came by 
spending between twenty-four to thirty hours a week in the pool. It 
came swimming between forty-two and sixty miles, six days a week. When 
you stop and realize that their time and commitment to swimming and 
diving doesn't happen in isolated preparation but as full time students 
at a college known for their high academic standards, it causes you to 
appreciate these student-athletes even more for their accomplishments 
both individually and as a team.
  The Drury Panther's Swimming and Diving program is a program of 
success. It has been compared to the tradition of Nebraska Cornhusker 
football or Kentucky basketball. Only four years ago, Drury entered 
competition at the NCAA Division II level and both teams placed third 
overall in the first and second years. Before entering Division II, the 
men's team won seven national championships back to back at the 
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level. The 
women's program was established in 1988 and claimed three national 
championships at the NAIA level before going on the NCAA Division II. 
Any athletic program becoming a national force in ten years is almost 
unheard of at any level of competition. Much of that credit goes to 
Coach Brian Reynold's, a former All-American swimmer for Drury. He has 
been named National-Coach-of-the-Year at the NAIA level and the women's 
NCAA Division II Coach of the Year last season.
  I congratulate Coach Reynold's, his coaching staff and most 
especially the young men and women on the Drury Swimming and Diving 
team for their success this year and wish them continued successes in 
the years to come.

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