[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 75 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ONE SCHOOL, TWO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HOWARD COBLE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 13, 2006

  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that a school in the 
Sixth District of North Carolina, in addition to continued promotion of 
academic excellence, has produced not one but two state championships 
recently. The first victory for Ledford High School was brought home by 
sophomore, Megan Williams, in the pole vault competition of the track 
and field championship. The second was achieved by Ledford's golf team.
  In only her second year as a pole vaulter, Megan Williams battled 
through a knee injury to claim the title. All nerves resulting from an 
imperfect freshman season seemingly disappeared, allowing the true 
champion athlete to break through. Although not new to state level 
competition, with two previous cheerleading titles to her credit, this 
event appeared to be especially meaningful because of her success in 
the face of little experience. The combination of her determination, 
gymnastic skills, and training from her dedicated coach, Shawn Loggins, 
drove Megan to continue pursuing and obviously achieving excellence. 
Looking forward to new poles and new heights, it's no wonder that Megan 
Williams was named athlete of the week by The (Lexington) Dispatch.
  The golfing Panthers of Ledford High School showed extreme poise 
under the pressure of defending a state title as they defeated Cardinal 
Gibbons by a remarkable 13 shots in their final performance of the 
year. Head Coach John Ralls was quoted by The High Point Enterprise as 
beaming, ``Today we had six scores in the 70s . . . we had six guys who 
were capable.'' These scores are themselves an amazing feat, but more 
impressive is that Ledford has won in back-to-back years in such a 
difficult conference.
  We are pleased to recognize all the members of the Ledford golf team 
who contributed to the victory. Players include: seniors Paxton Davis 
and Zack Smith, juniors Jake Dykhoff, Nick Goins (whose individual 
score placed him third in the state), and Logan Peck, and sophomores 
Jeff Boyan, Curtis Brotherton, Matt Lawson, Chris Moore, Jordan Stiles, 
and Ethan Worley.
  The fantastic individual efforts of the players would not have been 
enough to bring home a championship, but through the collaborated 
efforts of the entire squad and the excellent coaching staff including 
Head Coach John Ralls and Associate Head Coach Jim Brotherton, it was 
possible to work together and clench the title as a team. The coaches 
were no doubt proud of their players as they led the Ledford High 
School golf team to yet another state championship.
  On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, we 
congratulate the Ledford Panthers golf team as well as Megan Williams 
and the rest of the track and field team. Congratulations to Principal 
Bill Butts, Athletic Director Don Palmer, the teachers, staff, 
students, parents, and fans of Ledford High School.