[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3868]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING ROGERS HIGH SCHOOL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor northwest Ohio's own Rogers 
High School women's basketball team on their monumental achievement of 
winning the Division II State Championship. This breaks a nearly 37-
year drought in women's basketball State titles for the city of Toledo.
  The joy of their victory is shared by everyone in Toledo: the 
students, coaches, families, friends, teachers, and loved ones. The 
city even honored the Rams with a ceremony at Promenade Park.
  Well deserved, Rams.
  Each member of this team has now chiseled their name into the history 
books. What a great start for this young generation of future leaders, 
the players who worked so hard for this.
  Go Rams. You have made Toledo proud, as you set your sights on 
excellence.
  I include in the Record an article written for the Toledo Blade 
titled, ``Toledo Celebrates Rogers Girls Basketball State Champions.''
  Thank you, Rams.

                 [From the Toledo Blade, Apr. 21, 2018]

       Toledo Celebrates Rogers Girls Basketball State Champions

                         (By Lauren Lindstrom)

       The whooping cheers, celebratory signs, and ample crowd 
     Saturday made one thing clear: Toledo loves its championship-
     winning Lady Rams.
       Rogers High School girls basketball players were feted with 
     a parade through the streets of downtown Toledo and a rally 
     at Promenade Park, where they basked in the admiration of 
     their ardent and vocal fans.
       The team won the Division II state championship game March 
     17 in Columbus with a 51-37 victory against Gilmour Academy 
     in Gates Mills, Ohio. First-team all-state guard Zia Cooke 
     scored 33 points, sealing the first girls basketball state 
     title for a Toledo team since 1981.
       ``I want to thank you for all of the Toledo support,'' said 
     Miss Cooke, a junior point guard who also thanked her 
     coaches, teammates, and parents. ``Toledo may be a small 
     city, but our fan base is bigger than most. Man, it's a 
     blessing to be a state champion in 2018.''
       Miss Cooke teared up when talking about her grandmother, 
     who died late in the team's season.
       ``She was my drive to do better, and she still is my drive 
     to be a better person in life,'' she said. ``I made this 
     promise to her, and I kept it.''
       Rogers head coach Lamar Smith reveled in his team's 
     underdog status.
       ``They said we couldn't bring this home, we've been hearing 
     it: Rogers is done, Toledo can't win a state championship,'' 
     he said. ``Well, we proved them wrong. I'm very proud of 
     these ladies.''
       Those who spoke Saturday highlighted not only the players' 
     athletic successes but also their status as role models for 
     younger students.
       ``It's important as a city that we celebrate our successes; 
     that we have pride in Toledo, pride in TPS, pride in where we 
     come from,'' said Toledo Public Schools Superintendent 
     Romules Durant. He lauded the girls' success on the court and 
     in the classroom.
       ``Our ladies represent what Toledo is all about,'' he said. 
     ``The minute they begin to think they can count us out we 
     continue to keep fighting . . . these are our leaders today, 
     our leaders tomorrow, and more importantly [they're] leading 
     the city of Toledo as we move to the future.''
       Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz presented the team with a 
     key to the city and congratulated the players and coaches.
       ``For an occasion this historic and a moment this 
     important, we're going to go to the big guns,'' he said as he 
     presented the key. ``Post it with pride and--no pressure--
     let's do this again next year.''
       Members from the 1981 Libbey High School team were on hand 
     to celebrate the next generation of champions.
       ``They are going to have a lifetime of memories,'' said Ann 
     Strong, a center forward and class of 1981. ``We still talk 
     after 37 years about our state championship win. They have a 
     lot to look forward to and talk about for years to come. It's 
     a great feeling.''

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