[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 17, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4096-S4097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING ROD DeHAVEN

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr President, it is a great honor for me to represent 
the people of South Dakota in the United States Senate. On occasion, I 
have the opportunity to recognize individual South Dakotans for their 
accomplishments, and, today, it brings me great pleasure to focus the 
attention of everyone in this chamber on one of South Dakota's most 
talented and determined athletes.
  Rod DeHaven, a native of Huron, South Dakota, and a graduate of South 
Dakota State University, won the U.S.

[[Page S4097]]

Olympic Marathon Trials last week in Pittsburgh. Braving eighty degree 
temperatures and high humidity, Rod fought off the sweltering weather 
and his competition and completed the race in just over two hours and 
fifteen minutes. Rod's incredible effort and inspiring victory in 
Pittsburgh earned him a spot on our Olympic team, and later this year 
he will travel to Sydney, Australia, to represent the United States in 
the marathon in the 2000 Olympic games.
  Anyone who has ever trained for or run a marathon can tell you 
without equivocation that the work required to put them in a position 
just to finish the twenty-six mile race is exceptional. Having run my 
first marathon last year, I can only imagine the extraordinary effort 
it must take to compete and win at the national and international 
level. Rod DeHaven--who, in addition to training for marathons and 
working full-time as a computer programmer--is also raising two young 
children with his wife, Shelli, clearly has the work ethic it takes to 
be a great long-distance runner.
  Last week in Pittsburgh, however, Rod proved that he had much more 
than just a strong work ethic. In outrunning some of this country's 
toughest competitors in extremely difficult conditions, he also proved 
that he has the heart and courage of a champion.
  Rod learned what it takes to be a champion growing up in South 
Dakota. As a member of the Huron Tigers cross-country and track teams 
in the eighties, Rod was a cross country state champion in the fall of 
1983, and in track, he was state champion in the mile, two-mile and 
two-mile relay in both 1983 and 1984. Rod attended college at South 
Dakota State University where he won the North Central Conference cross 
country championships as a freshman and the NCAA Division II indoor 
1500 meter championship as a sophomore.
  South Dakota has produced some tremendous long distance runners 
through the years, and Rod DeHaven is the latest in that great line. In 
1964, another young man from South Dakota named Billy Mills stunned the 
world with his remarkable victory in the 10,000 meters in the Tokyo 
Olympics. Billy's story became legendary, and it is no surprise that in 
a state known for hard work, we are now sending another one of our best 
to compete in one of the Olympic Game's most challenging and difficult 
events.
  All of South Dakota is pulling for Rod DeHaven as he heads to Sydney, 
and we wish him the best of luck as he strives to be the next gold 
medal winner from our great state.

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