[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 78 (Wednesday, May 20, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3178-S3179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DIANE JUERGENSMEYER

 Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I wish to honor Diane Juergensmeyer 
of St. Elizabeth, MO, for her dedication and service to St. Elizabeth 
High School, her community, and the entire State of Missouri. From 1980 
through 2010, Juergensmeyer coached St. Elizabeth High School's women's 
softball team to 489 victories, including 358 fall championship wins, 
while also teaching reading skills, English, speech, and drama in the 
classroom.
  Overall, the St. Elizabeth Lady Hornets won eight conference titles 
under her leadership, not to mention three Class 1 State championship 
titles in 1992, 1994, and 2002, and another as an assistant in 2011.
  As the daughter of Leonard and Marie Schanzmeyer, Juergensmeyer grew 
up in a large family on a farm where a fundamental respect for hard 
work and competition were instilled in her at a young age. She played 
on St. Elizabeth's first softball team and has remained a key 
contributor to the growth of the sport's popularity as it is seen in 
Missouri today.
  After graduating from St. Elizabeth High School in 1976, she attended 
Central Missouri University. Shortly after graduating from Central 
Missouri University, she returned to her local high school to coach, 
teach, and even drive the bus. Her dedication to her community has 
remained constant and has remained a force in her efforts to make the 
St. Elizabeth Lady Hornets the respected softball program that it is 
today.
  In addition to her coaching and teaching careers, Juergensmeyer 
served on the Missouri Softball Advisory Committee for 8 years and the 
National Federation Softball rules committee for 4 years. She was also 
named the 115th District's Outstanding Missourian in 2004.
  Diane Juergensmeyer has played a major role in the success of the 
Lady

[[Page S3179]]

Hornets and the St. Elizabeth community, and her legacy will continue 
to impact future generations through the foundations she helped put in 
place, so her induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame comes as 
no surprise. I congratulate Coach Juergensmeyer on her many successes 
and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

                          ____________________