[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 108 (Monday, July 9, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8791-S8792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO VERMONT FROST HEAVES

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I wish to tell my friends in the Senate 
about the Vermont Frost Heaves, the bumps in the road that we 
Vermonters are actually proud to claim as our own. Unlike the frost 
heaves New Englanders have come to know too well under the dented rims 
of our cars and trucks, these basketball-playing Vermont Frost Heaves 
are pioneers, superb athletes, role models, and as of this spring, 
champions of the American Basketball Association.
  The Frost Heaves' motto, ``we're going to be their bumps in the 
road,'' rang true many a winter's evening this year. With an overall 
record of 34-6 and a league record of 30-6, the Frost Heaves quickly 
became unfamiliar with losing, energizing Bump the moose, the team's 
mascot, and thousands of cowbell-ringing fans. Then, on March 29, 2007, 
while the sap was still running out of sugar bushes, the Frost Heaves 
charged their way to a triumphant 143-to-95 title victory over the 
Texas Tycoons, adding an exclamation point to the success of their 
inaugural season.
  From the birth of the Vermont Frost Heaves, founder and owner Alex 
Wolff found a way to tie Vermonters into the team, captivating fans 
near and far and promising to be sustainable, local, built to scale, of 
the community, and embracing the Internet revolution. As a professional 
journalist found in the pages of Sports Illustrated, Wolff documented 
his journey growing a championship team with fan participation along 
the way. The result--a team beloved by Vermont.
  Under Wolff's ambitious leadership, and with the permission of his 
wife Vanessa, the Wolffs created a family-friendly, affordable source 
of entertainment in central and northern Vermont. With a home schedule 
split between two of the most historic gymnasiums in the State, the 
Barre Auditorium and Memorial Auditorium, fans from throughout Vermont 
had the opportunity to support their team. As the Wolffs explain, ``we 
wanted to create a legacy for Vermont,'' and that is just what they 
have done.
  After Wolff put the selection of their coach to a worldwide vote, the 
fans chose coach Will Voigt, a native of Cabot, VT, to be their 
skipper. Voigt, a three-star athlete before embarking upon a successful 
coaching career, left a coaching position in Norway to return to the 
Green Mountains.
  The team starred three Vermonters, Kerry Lyons of Milton, Dana Martin 
of Stowe, and B.J. Robertson of Burlington. Lyons led the Milton High 
School Yellow Jackets to four Vermont State final fours. He was named 
Conference Player of the Year and was chosen as an All-State selection. 
He then attended Lyndon State College where he served as the team 
captain for 3 years. Lyons returned to Lyndon State after graduation 
serving as the assistant coach for both the men's and women's 
basketball teams during the 2000 to 2001 season.
  Dana Martin attended Stowe High School and Proctor Academy in New 
Hampshire and continued on to play basketball for Skidmore College. 
Martin was the first basketball player from Skidmore to enter the 
professional ranks, playing in Germany after graduation, where he led 
his team in scoring with more than 22 points a game. Martin has offered 
a basketball camp for the past six summers in his hometown of Stowe for 
elementary school students aspiring to follow in Martin's Frost Heave 
footsteps.
  B.J. Robertson is a graduate of Burlington High School and St. 
Michael's College, entertaining Vermonters with his pizzazz at both the 
high school and college levels. He is the all-time leading scorer at 
Burlington High, a record his brother owned prior to his arrival on the 
scene. Well known by high school sports aficionados, Robertson was 
named ``Mr. Basketball'' by the Burlington Free Press his senior year. 
At St. Michael's, Robertson played in 104 games at the collegiate 
level, starting 91 of them in 4 years. He consistently was among the 
leaders on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball for the 
Purple Knights
  Other Frost Heaves players came by way of New York, New Jersey, 
Maryland, Virginia, Arkansas, Alabama, and even as far as Senegal. 
Aaron Cook led the Frost Heaves in scoring and minutes played for the 
inaugural season, averaging 16.3 points on 22 minutes. Kelvin Parker 
led the team in field goal percentage. Antonio Burks led the team in 
free throw percentage, completing nearly 83 percent of shots from the 
foul line. John Bryant led the team in rebounding, with 246 for the 
season, also leading the team in blocks.

[[Page S8792]]

Travarus Bennett led the team in steals, his quick hands averaged 2.6 
per game. Markus Austin, Johann Collins, Kevin Mickens, Antoine Hyman, 
Tyrone Levett, Issa Konare, Melvin Creddle, and Tyrone Barley round out 
the roster of the championship squad.
  The extended Frost Heaves coaching staff includes assistant coaches 
Wayne Lafley and Marvin Safford; strength and conditioning coach Scott 
Caulfield; assistant coach and statistician Mark Saltus; and athletic 
trainer Meggan Robinson. The Frost Heaves staff worked to establish a 
balance of physical strength and mental toughness in each player.
  Today, the sounds of cowbells echoing off the necks of Holsteins 
grazing in the fields of Vermont instills a bit of excitement in Frost 
Heaves' fans eagerly awaiting another winter of basketball. I hope my 
friends in the Senate will joining me in congratulating the Vermont 
Frost Heaves for a great season and wishing them even more success next 
winter.

                          ____________________