[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 12, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5916-S5917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING THE KINDRED HIGH SCHOOL VIKINGS

 Mr. CRAMER. Mr. President, I have the privilege of once again 
congratulating my alma mater on its' second high school State football 
championship in 3 years.
  On November 10, the Kindred Vikings won the Division A State title at 
the Dakota Bowl State Football Tournament. They finished a truly 
impressive undefeated season by taking the championship over Dickinson 
Trinity by a score of 36-7. They had earlier won their first three 
postseason games, defeating teams from Harvey/Fessenden-

[[Page S5917]]

Bowman, Oakes, and Langdon/Edmore/Munich.
  This was the third appearance and second State championship for the 
Vikings since State playoffs sponsored by the North Dakota High School 
Activities Association began in 1975. They made one Dakota Bowl 
appearance in 2016 and, in 2021, took the championship by defeating the 
Edmore-Munich Cardinals.
  At Kindred High School, I lettered for 4 years in football, 
basketball, and track before graduating in 1979. Our teams were not as 
good as the Vikings are today, something I observed firsthand as the 
starting quarterback my junior and senior years. Remembering those 
years increases my admiration all the more for the superb quality of 
this team and its undefeated season.
  Quarterback Jake Starcevic scored three touchdowns and rushed for 117 
yards in the Vikings's decisive victory in the championship game. He 
and two other Vikings players, Riley Sunram and Brooks Bakko, were 
named to the All-State Class A Football Teams.
  Congratulations to this year's team members: Camron Schwartzwalter, 
Gabe Whipple, Hayden Cichy, Izaak Spelhaug, Hunter Bindas, Jack 
McDonald, Miles Stroh, Brock Johnson, Landon Kottsick, Jakob Starcevic, 
Ethan Duval, Brooks Bakko, Carson Gette, Gabriel Iverson, Wyatt 
Briscoe, Myles Thielges, Graham Hesse, Owen Hoyme, Kylan Swenson, 
Sawyer Hesse, Grant Allison, Brayden Olson, Tyson Johnson, Fisher 
Johnson, Taylor Brandsted-Fletcher, Brady Baumgarten, Christopher 
Freier, Samuel Jenness, Jacob Lund, Kyle Campbell, Tanon Johnson, Tate 
Miller, Gavin Niemeyer, Teige Erdmann, Brody Mauch, Cole Richard, Kelby 
Erdmann, Ethan Fornshell, Andrew Haley, Dilon Filler, Lukas Starcevic, 
Trevor Olson, Riley Sunram, Grant Spelhaug, Javen Johnson, and Lincoln 
Swenson.
  I also want to also recognize Eric Burgad in his first year as head 
coach, along with his assistants Brad Ambrosius, Joe Harder, Nate Safe, 
and Ryan Sunram, as well as all the hometown fans for their part in 
winning this championship.
  As a proud alumnus of Kindred High School, I join the rest of North 
Dakota in congratulating the Vikings on a perfect season and another 
State championship and for inspiring all of us to strive for 
excellence, regardless of the circumstance. Once again, they have shown 
the rest of us what can be achieved when faith and passion combine with 
determination and teamwork.

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