[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 122 (Wednesday, September 12, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1497-E1498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            LOCAL OLYMPIANS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL F. DOYLE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 12, 2012

  Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and recognize 
the Pittsburghers who competed in the 2012 London Olympic Games.
  We are proud in Pittsburgh to be a city of champions with deep-rooted 
team spirit and winning traditions. These Olympians have reached the 
pinnacle of accomplishment in their sports, and today I would like to 
salute their unyielding pursuit of excellence. These hometown heroes 
embody the ambition, resilience, courage, and dogged work ethic that 
the people of Western Pennsylvania deeply admire. I would like to 
individually recognize each of these outstanding athletes.
  Cassidy Krug attended Montour High School and Stanford University, 
where she was unbeaten in diving dual meet competitions. The NCAA 
champion, three time All-American, and 10-time national champion was 
coached by both of her parents--her father, the head diving coach at 
the University of Pittsburgh and her mother, a coach at the Pitt 
Aquatic Club team. She briefly retired before making a comeback to 
compete in diving in London, coming in 7th in the women's 3m 
springboard. She now plans to pursue a career in writing.
  Trevor Barron of Bethel Park, a race-walking prodigy, studies 
computer science at Colorado College. He started suffering seizures 
from epilepsy at age 8 and underwent multiple brain surgeries to 
overcome them. Thankfully, he is now seizure-free, and throughout the 
trying episodes, Barron exhibited an extraordinary zeal to achieve 
greatness. Barron won the U.S. National Junior Olympics every year from 
2003 to 2006. He set the American record in the men's 20,000 meter 
race-walk at the 2012 Olympic trials. He finished 26th in London 
setting an American record in the event.
  Allison Schmitt, two-time Olympian and six-time Olympic medalist 
hails from the city of Pittsburgh. She took bronze in the 4x200 meter 
freestyle relay at her Olympic debut in Beijing. This time around she 
swam the anchor leg in two relays bringing home the bronze in the 4x100 
meter freestyle relay and the gold in the 4x100 meter medley relay. She 
also won silver in the 400 meter freestyle and gold in the 200 meter 
freestyle. Schmitt, known for her fun-loving nature and infectious 
positive attitude, is headed back to the University of Georgia for her 
senior year.
  Swin Cash of McKeesport helped the U.S. basketball team to its fifth 
straight gold medal at the Olympics. The team is on a 41-game winning 
streak in the Olympics, usually winning by nearly 30 point margins. 
Cash played basketball for UConn, leading the Huskies to National 
Championships in 2000 and 2002, when she was named the Most Outstanding 
Player of the Final Four. The second pick in the 2002 WNBA draft, she 
was selected by the Detroit Shock, and led the team to its first WNBA 
Championship the following year. This is her second gold at the 
Olympics, as she also played on the 2004 U.S. team in Athens. Cash has 
graciously given back to the community in McKeesport through her 
charity ``Cash for Kids'' which uses sports and cultural

[[Page E1498]]

activities to encourage kids to ``get in the game'' on and off the 
court.
  Jake Herbert graduated from North Allegheny High School in 
Pittsburgh. The two-time NCAA Champion studied communications at 
Northwestern University, where he was the best wrestler in the school's 
history. Herbert posted a perfect 34-0 record in his final season and a 
149-4 career record, the fifth best percentage in NCAA history. He was 
a recipient of college wrestling's top honor, the Hodge Trophy. Herbert 
went on to win silver at the 2009 World Championships and to compete at 
the London Olympics, where he just missed out in the repechage on a 
shot at the bronze medal match. This fierce competitor sported a hefty 
fan club of about 65 friends and family members waving terrible towels 
in the crowd.
  Amanda Polk grew up in Pittsburgh and graduated from Oakland Catholic 
High School, where she first began rowing. She studied biochemistry at 
the University of Notre Dame where she was part of the first NCAA team 
bid in the team's history and was a four time All-American. Polk took 
silver in the four at the 2009 World Championhips, then won gold in the 
eight in 2010 and 2011. She recently won gold and set a world best time 
in the women's eight at the 2012 World Rowing Cup in Lucerne. Polk has 
consistently been a strong part of the eight that is dominating women's 
rowing and she was an alternate in London. Unbeaten since 2006, the 
women were golden again in London, successfully defending their title 
from Beijing and solidifying what Polk's teammate, Susan Francia, has 
rightfully dubbed an ``American Dynasty.''
  Lauren Crandall grew up in Doylestown, PA and went to school in North 
Allegheny. She was first named to the U.S. National field hockey team 
when she was a sophomore at Wake Forest. In 2006, Crandall was named 
the ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player. A veteran of the international 
field hockey scene, she has 173 international caps, or tournament 
appearances, which is the second most on the team. Now a two-time 
Olympian, she helped the team to an 8th place finish in Beijing and 
captained Team USA in London to come in 12th place. Crandall is going 
to DeVry University to pursue a master's degree in public 
administration with a concentration on non-profit organizations.
  Christa Harmotto was originally recruited to play volleyball from a 
6th grade gym glass. She went on to play at Hopewell High School and 
then at Penn State where she studied education. She and her team won 
national titles in 2007 and 2008 and she ended her career with a .433 
career hitting percentage, the second best in NCAA history. Harmotto 
played basketball abroad professionally, where she sharpened her skills 
gearing up for the Games and now she has a silver medal from the London 
Olympics indoor volleyball competition to show for it. She plans to 
continue playing and training for Rio in 2016.
  Lauryn Williams, a track and field star, was born in Pittsburgh. 
Williams studied finance at the University of Miami, where she was the 
2004 NCAA Champion at the 100 meter. A three-time World Champion, 
Williams took home the silver medal in the 100 meter at the 2004 Games 
and came in fourth in the event in 2008. She competed in the 4x100 
meter relay in Beijing but an incomplete pass of the baton put the team 
out of medal contention. In London, Williams ran the anchor leg of the 
women's 4x100 meter in the qualification round, and the team went on to 
win gold in event. Williams aims to finish 100 meter races in under 11 
seconds. Every time she goes ``sub 11,'' she has pledged to give out a 
$1000 scholarship to a female athlete in her senior year of high 
school. The 2006 Visa Humanitarian of the Year, she is deeply invested 
in her community as part of USA Track and Field's ``Be a Champion'' 
community outreach, through volunteering with hearing impaired 
elementary school students, and through her female athlete scholarship 
fund.
  I applaud all of these extraordinary athletes for their unbreakable 
spirits, their indomitable will to win, and their thrilling 
achievements. Training involves serious sacrifices. These athletes put 
in the work day in and day out, then they put it all on the line on the 
world stage with gutsy performances full of heart. I want to commend 
their family and friends who have supported their Olympic dreams and 
helped them keep striving to be stronger, get faster, and reach 
farther. And to these Olympians, I want to wish you a hearty 
congratulations and I want you to know that we in Pittsburgh are proud 
of yinz!

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