[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 44 (Thursday, April 14, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3712-S3713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA SOONERS MEN'S GYMNASTICS TEAM

                                 F_____
                                 

         COMMENDING OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY'S WRESTLING TEAM

  Mr. FRIST. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the en bloc consideration of S. Res. 109 and S. Res. 
110, which were submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolutions by title en bloc.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 109) commending the University of 
     Oklahoma Sooners men's gymnastics team for winning the 
     National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's 
     Gymnastics Championship.
       A resolution (S. Res. 110) commending Oklahoma State 
     University's wrestling team for winning the 2005 National 
     Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Wrestling 
     Championship.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolutions en bloc.


                              S. Res. 109

  Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, I rise today to recognize the University 
of Oklahoma Sooners men's gymnastics team for winning the 2005 NCAA 
Division I men's gymnastics championship on April 8, 2005 at West 
Point, NY. This historic achievement is an enormous source of pride for 
the university that they represent as well as for the people of my 
entire State.
  This championship achieved by the Sooners, under the outstanding 
leadership of NCAA Coach of the Year Mark Williams, is OU's sixth 
overall national title and their third in the past 4 years. It was 
undoubtedly an accomplishment that they earned and grittily sweated 
out.
  The Sooners' dramatic victory over second-place Ohio State came down 
to the wire with the competition narrowly being determined by the final 
rotation on the vault. Freshman Jonathan Horton delivered a heroic 
performance, which secured OU's winning score of 225.675 over the 
Buckeyes' 225.450.
  The tremendous success of the 2005 Sooners gives support to the 
Sports Illustrated cover's designation of Oklahoma as ``America's 
Gymnastics Hotbed'' that notably included the International Gymnastics 
Hall of Fame, the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy, Nadia Comaneci, 
Shannon Miller, and the world's largest gymnastics magazine, 
International Gymnast.
  In addition to the national championship, the Sooners boasted six 
team members who attained a total of 13 All-America honors for OU at 
the individual event finals. The 13 honors of 2005 added to an already 
substantial collection of 141 honors garnered by the university over 
the 39 years of the men's gymnastics program's existence. Moreover, 
senior David Henderson's 2005 NCAA title on the still rings, gave OU 
its 18th all-time individual national champion, capping off a brilliant 
4 years for this extraordinary young man.
  The Sooners' victory is a product of the heart, determination, and 
teamwork of these exceptional student athletes, and I extend my heart-
felt congratulations to the entire team for a job truly well done and 
well deserved.


                              S. Res. 110

  Mr. INHOFE. Madam. President, I also rise today to extend my 
congratulations to the Oklahoma State University's wrestling team for 
winning the 2005 National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I 
Wrestling Championship on March 19, 2005, at St. Louis, MO.
  The Cowboys' historic victory this year contributes to an already 
exceptional legacy of achievement that makes the OSU wrestling program 
a touchstone for all others. In fact, the Collegiate Wrestling Hall of 
Fame is at OSU.
  The 2005 Championship title is the 33rd overall title in the storied 
history of wrestling at OSU, and also represents the most possessed by 
any school in the history of Division I wrestling. Moreover, this 
year's win marks the Cowboys' third consecutive championship under the 
dynasty of Coach John Smith, an accomplishment that had not occurred at 
OSU since the 1954 to 1956 seasons.
  Indeed, the Cowboys' dominance was in full display not only during 
the season in which they went undefeated but also in the finals where 
they continued to remain perfect. The Cowboys swept all five of its 
matches and clinched the national championship, getting titles from 
Steve Mocco, Zack Esposito, Johny Hendricks, Chris Pendleton, and Jake 
Rosholt and tying the record of five championships set by Iowa in 1997. 
In all, OSU finished with an all-time high of 153 points and far 
surpassed second-place Michigan by 70 points, which was the second 
highest winning margin in NCAA wrestling history.
  Much credit for this amazing achievement undoubtedly goes to coach 
John Smith, who was named Big 12 Wrestling Coach of the Year for the 
sixth time in his career. Finally I would be remiss, if I did not 
recognize the extraordinary effort, commitment, and grit of these 
student athletes. They are a tremendous source of pride for their 
university and community, and I offer them my sincere congratulations 
for all that they have achieved.
  Mr. FRIST. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and the motions 
to reconsider be laid upon the table, all en bloc.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 109) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

[[Page S3713]]

                              S. Res. 109

       Whereas on April 8, 2005, the University of Oklahoma 
     Sooners won their sixth National Collegiate Athletic 
     Association (NCAA) Division I Men's Gymnastics Championship, 
     at West Point, New York;
       Whereas the 2005 NCAA Championship is the Sooners' third 
     championship in the past 4 years;
       Whereas the championship title crowned a remarkable season 
     for the Sooners in which the team achieved an impressive 
     record of 21 wins and only 2 losses;
       Whereas the Sooners clinched a spectacular, nail-biting 
     victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes, which was made possible 
     by a heroic final performance on the vault by freshman 
     Jonathan Horton;
       Whereas the Sooners' winning score of 225.675 set a school 
     record and dramatically surpassed second-place Ohio State's 
     score of 225.450;
       Whereas 6 members of the University of Oklahoma men's 
     gymnastics team, including Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons, Josh Gore, 
     David Henderson, Jamie Henderson, Jonathan Horton, and Jacob 
     Messina, also garnered a school-record 13 All-America honors 
     in the individual event finals;
       Whereas senior David Henderson's 2005 NCAA title on the 
     still rings gave the University of Oklahoma its 18th all-time 
     individual national champion and capped off an exceptional 4 
     years;
       Whereas Head Coach Mark Williams was named the 2005 NCAA 
     Coach of the Year, making it the third time in his 
     distinguished career that Head Coach Williams has received 
     that honor;
       Whereas the tremendous success of the 2005 Sooners adds to 
     the outstanding legacy of men's gymnastics at the University 
     of Oklahoma and is a reflection of the heart and dedication 
     of the entire school, from the president to the athletic 
     directors, coaches, athletes, managers, and staff members;
       Whereas the teamwork, grit, and sportsmanship demonstrated 
     by the University of Oklahoma Sooners men's gymnastics team 
     is a proud tribute to the university and the communities from 
     which the team members hail: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the University of Oklahoma Sooners for 
     their sixth National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 
     I Men's Gymnastics Championship;
       (2) recognizes all who have contributed their hard work and 
     support to making the 2005 season a historic success; and
       (3) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit a copy 
     of this resolution to University of Oklahoma President David 
     L. Boren and Head Coach Mark Williams for appropriate 
     display.

  The resolution (S. Res. 110) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 110

       Whereas on March 19, 2005, the Oklahoma State University 
     Cowboys claimed their 33rd National Collegiate Athletic 
     Association Wrestling Championship in St. Louis, Missouri;
       Whereas the 33 wrestling championships won by the Cowboys 
     is more than have been won by any other school in the history 
     of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I 
     wrestling;
       Whereas the Cowboys now have won 3 consecutive wrestling 
     championships, a feat not accomplished since they won the 
     national wrestling championship in 1954, 1955, and 1956;
       Whereas the Cowboys' 2005 championship topped off an 
     impressive season in which they were undefeated in the 
     regular season and also had a perfect record in the finals;
       Whereas the Cowboys outscored second place Michigan, 153 to 
     83, achieving a margin of victory that was the second-highest 
     in National Collegiate Athletic Association wrestling 
     history;
       Whereas the Cowboys crowned a school-record 5 individual 
     national champions, tying a national tournament record;
       Whereas the Cowboys' outstanding 2005 season contributed to 
     an already rich and proud tradition of wrestling excellence 
     at Oklahoma State University;
       Whereas the amazing accomplishments of the past year 
     reflect the dedication, commitment, and tireless effort of 
     the entire school, from the president to the athletic 
     directors, coaches, athletes, managers, and staff members; 
     and
       Whereas the student athletes of the Oklahoma State 
     University wrestling team, through their exceptional athletic 
     achievements, have not only brought credit to themselves but 
     to their fellow students, their university, and their 
     community: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the Oklahoma State Cowboys for their third 
     straight National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I 
     Wrestling Championship;
       (2) recognizes the players, coaches, staff, and all who 
     have made the historic successes of the 2005 season possible; 
     and
       (3) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an 
     enrolled copy of this resolution to Oklahoma State University 
     President Dr. David J. Schmidly and Coach John Smith for 
     appropriate display.

                          ____________________