[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 57 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1665-S1666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO TEAM USA'S KATIE VERDERBER, JACK BERRY, AND MICHAEL KNEELAND

 Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the honor to recognize 
Katie Verderber, Jack Berry, and Michael Kneeland as Montanans of the 
Month.
  These three Montanans represented the United States at the 2026 
Winter Paralympics and have shown outstanding dedication to their 
respective sports. They are some of the finest that the Treasure State 
has to offer.

[[Page S1666]]

  Katie Verderber, a native of Valier, MT, competed on the wheelchair 
curling team for Team USA. Verderber received her undergraduate degree 
from the University of Montana and was a Judge Advocate General, JAG, 
in the U.S. Army. She was deployed in Afghanistan in 2019, where she 
suffered a spinal injury and medically retired. She returned home to 
Montana and took up wheelchair curling in 2024 and the following year 
was named to the U.S. Paralympic Team for the Paralympic Winter Games 
Milano Cortina 2026.
  Jack Berry, a native from Missoula, MT, is a Para Nordic skier for 
Team USA. Berry's Paralympic journey began at 10 years old, following a 
life-altering diagnosis of osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone 
cancer. During his cancer treatment recovery, Berry found inspiration 
from Paralympic Nordic skier Dan Cnossen, and made a breakthrough on 
the international stage in 2024 and 2025.
  Michael Kneeland, a native of Bozeman, MT, competed on both the Para 
Nordic ski team and the Para biathlon ski team for Team USA. Kneeland 
received his undergraduate degree from Montana State University and 
began skiing at age 17, attributing Bozeman's outdoor culture and 
proximity to mountain terrain to his love for the sport. Kneeland 
entered the international stage in 2024 in Italy and later competed for 
Team USA at the Milano Cortina Games.
  It is my distinct honor to recognize Katie Verderber, Jack Berry, and 
Michael Kneeland as Montanans of the Month for their hard work, 
dedication to their country and teams, and their representation of 
Montana on the highest level of competition in the world, the 
Paralympic Games.

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