[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 134 (Friday, July 30, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF ASHLEE WARD ON HER INDUCTION INTO THE LUZERNE COUNTY 
                          SPORTS HALL OF FAME

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                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 30, 2021

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor former athlete, 
coach, and Northeastern Pennsylvania native Ashlee Ward. Ashlee will be 
inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 for her 
distinct athletic achievements in the sport of track and field. She and 
her fellow inductees will be honored at a reception on August 8, 2021.
  Each year, the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame honors those who 
have brought fame and recognition to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 
through their outstanding achievements and contributions in athletic 
endeavors.
  At Meyers High School, Ashlee was a star member of the track and 
field team. She held the records in high jump and discus. At the PIAA 
District 2 Championship in 2007, she was the high jump champion and 
placed fourth in discus. She went on to take eighth place in high jump 
at the PIAA State Championship. The following year, Ashlee again came 
out on top to take first place in high jump at the District 2 
Championship, as well as second place in discus. She was sixth in the 
state for the high jump. In 2009, she placed second in high jump and 
third in discus at the District Championships and ninth in the state 
for high jump. Her senior year, she was crowned the District 2 Champion 
in both discus and high jump, and she was second in the state for high 
jump and fourth in discus.
  While at Misericordia University, she held the school records in high 
jump and discus as well as the Middle Atlantic Conference indoor and 
outdoor high jump records. Her freshman year, at the MAC Indoor 
Championships, she was runner-up in high jump, and at the MAC Outdoor 
Championship, she was named Field Athlete of the Year and Champion in 
high jump and discus. At the NCAA Outdoor qualifier, she was 12th in 
high jump; at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor 
Championship, she placed sixth in the high jump; and at the Outdoor 
Championship, she earned A11-ECAC outdoor honors after placing fifth in 
the high jump, as well as 11th in discus.
  Her sophomore year, she was named the MAC Outdoor Champion in high 
jump and discus as well as the MAC Indoor Runner Up in high jump. She 
also participated in the Indoor and Outdoor ECAC Championships and the 
NCAA District Ill Outdoor Championships. As a junior, she continued to 
dominate the MAC as the Indoor Champion in high jump and the Outdoor 
Champion in high jump and discus. She also placed in the top five at 
both the indoor and outdoor ECAC Championships in high jump.
  Ashlee had an incredibly successful senior season. She was the MAC 
Indoor High Jump Champion as well as the MAC Outdoor High Jump Champion 
and runner up in discus. She went on to compete at the ECAC Outdoor 
Championships, winning the gold in high jump and placing seventh in 
discus. She triumphed at the NCAA Division III Indoor and Outdoor 
Championships, placing first in high jump at both contests. For her 
efforts, she was named the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field 
Women's Athlete of the Year for the Mideast Region.
  It is an honor to recognize Ashlee on her induction into the Luzerne 
County Sports Hall of Fame. May her story and athletic career serve as 
an inspiration to the next generation of Pennsylvania athletes striving 
for excellence.

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