[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.
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