[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 73 (Thursday, May 15, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S6504]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SANDY JERSTAD RETIRES FROM AUGUSTANA COLLEGE

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, today I recognize Sandy Jerstad 
for her years of accomplishment as softball coach for the Augustana 
College Vikings in Sioux Falls, SD. Earlier this week, Sandy marked the 
end of an era, not only for that institution, but for an entire 
community when she announced her retirement from a 27 year coaching 
career.
  When I think of Sandy, I think of all that she has accomplished and 
how her perseverance has carried her through both her career and her 
personal life. That perseverance has been exhibited and intertwined 
between her personal and professional life.
  This perseverance began when she joined the Augustana staff in 1977 
as head softball coach, tennis coach, and women's administrator. She 
started a softball program from scratch. Her coaching career then 
mirrored the implementation of Title IX, a law whose purpose she 
continually advocates and represents on a daily basis. Sandy was 
Augustana's first and, until now, only softball coach. The program, and 
its successes, was created with the foundation she built. Augustana's 
softball triumphs are evident in the statistics that were earned on the 
field and continue through the former players, who are now women that 
are leaders in communities all over the country.
  During those early years Sandy was trying to build a program that 
equaled that of any men's sport with regards to budgets, equipment, 
scholarships, and opportunity for each girl that entered Augustana and 
wanted to participate in collegiate athletics. Her perseverance paid 
off and is evidenced in her teams' success and the increased 
opportunity for women athletes.
  This season Sandy coached her 1,000th career win, only the second 
NCAA softball coach to achieve this. Following this win, sportswriter 
Eric Bursch of the Argus Leader described it well, noting that 
legendary University of North Carolina Men's Basketball Coach Dean 
Smith only had 879 wins and has the most wins of any coach in NCAA 
Men's Basketball history. This is an amazing feat for any coach, and it 
came with not only athletic success but with personal success off the 
field. She will end her coaching career with a 1,011-359-2 record. Her 
1991 team won the NCAA Division II National Championship, as well as a 
second place finish in 1993. She coached for 25 straight winning 
seasons. The Vikings have appeared in 16 regional tournaments under the 
direction of Sandy. For her contributions to the sport of softball, 
Sandy was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall 
of Fame in December 2000. In 1998 she was the South Dakota 
Sportswriters Association coach of the year.
  Even with all of her career accomplishments her resolve has been 
quite evident in her personal life as well. It was exhibited again when 
her husband, Mark, was diagnosed with cancer. Mark fought bravely, but 
sadly, he succumbed to the disease. Sandy stood strongly by his side 
and helped him through his treatment. From her loss she has worked to 
keep Mark's memory and his work alive not only by speaking of her 
family's experience, but also by donating her time and resources to 
causes on Mark's behalf.
  She has been an inspiration to her players throughout her tenure and 
that legacy will continue to live on in each player and especially in 
those who have chosen to follow in Sandy's coaching footsteps. The 
legacy will live on with lessons that were learned from their time at 
Augustana.
  It is an honor for me to share Sandy's accomplishments with my 
colleagues and to publicly commend her for all she's done for softball, 
women's sports, Augustana, and the Sioux Falls Community, and I wish 
her all the best on her future challenges and opportunities.

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