[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 8, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E43-E44]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNITION OF IVORY LATTA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN M. SPRATT, JR.

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 8, 2003

  Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, this past week in my hometown, York, South 
Carolina, we made history Ivory Latta, standing all of 5 feet 6 inches 
in her shoes, set a new state scoring record in high school basketball, 
breaking the standing record of 3,427 points set by Allison Feaster, 
now a player for the Charlotte Sting.
  Ivory was within reach of the record when York Comprehensive High 
School went up against East Forsyth High in the Dell Curry Basketball 
Shoot-Out in Charlotte, and she lost no time going after it. In the 
first 8 seconds of the game, she stole the ball and went in for a lay-
up. She went on to score 52 points. This brought her career total to 
3,439 points, more than any other player in our state, boy or girl, has 
ever scored. Since basketball season is far from over, Ivory will score 
more, and raise the bar even higher, before her high school career is 
finished.
  Ivory Latta is a star in the classroom as well as on the basketball 
court. She has a grade point ratio of 3.9, and is headed for the 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on scholarship next fall.
  I bring this young lady's feat to the attention of the House because 
I think we will be hearing a lot more from Ivory Latta as she takes her 
extraordinary skills and team-play spirit on to college and possibly 
into the pro's. As her congressman, I share Ivory Latta's story with 
you because I am immensely proud of her. So is everyone throughout the 
Carolinas, and not least in York, which has declared Friday, January 
10, ``Ivory Latta Day.''
  The following is an editorial tribute to Ivory Latta that appeared in 
The Herald in Rock Hill, South Carolina on January 8, 2003:

                    [From the Herald, Jan. 8, 2003]

                        Latta Deserves Accolades

       York's Ivory Latta now stands as the greatest high school 
     basketball scorer, boy or girl, in South Carolina history, 
     and the universal sentiment seems to be: It couldn't happen 
     to a nicer kid.
       On Friday, the day Latta reached and then exceed the 
     scoring record, her biggest concern was her team. While she 
     may be the spark plug for the York Comprehensive High School 
     Lady Cougars, she is, first and foremost, a team player.

[[Page E44]]

       On this day, the Cougars would fall to East Forsyth in the 
     Dell Curry High School Basketball Shootout in Charlotte. But 
     nothing could eclipse the accomplishment of Latta, the 5-
     foot-six guard who scored 52 points in the game, bringing her 
     career total to 3,439.
       In reaching this pinnacle, Latta had to break the scoring 
     title of another formidable local athlete. Until Friday, the 
     scoring record of 3,427 points had been held by Allison 
     Feaster, the Sting player, who set that record her senior 
     year at Chester High School, in 1994.
       Latta seems to be following in Feaster's footsteps in other 
     ways as well. Feaster was an outstanding student who went on 
     to graduate from Harvard University in 1998. Latta, who 
     maintains a 3.9 grade-point average, is headed for the 
     University of North Carolina on a basketball scholarship.
       In addition to being tops in scoring, Latta has set 
     numerous other records, including the number of 3-pointers 
     made in a season (121), 30-point or more games in a season 
     (23), 40-point or more games in a season (9), free throws 
     made in a season (229) and free throws made in a state 
     championship (17).
       Some young player, perhaps one just learning to dribble a 
     basketball, may someday challenge this amazing record. 
     Whoever that player may be, he or she could do no better than 
     emulate Latta as a role model.

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