[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 7025-7026]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA'S TONY DAVIS

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am here to discuss the achievements of 
an outstanding student athlete at an outstanding institution.
  Tony Davis, a secondary education major at the University of Northern 
Iowa--my alma mater--was recently named the NCAA Champion for wrestling 
in the 149-pound division.
  Tony was born and raised in Chicago.
  Before coming to UNI, he wrestled at Mount Carmel High School in 
Chicago and Iowa Central Community College, where he received two 
national junior college championships.
  Tony chose to come to UNI for two reasons: to wrestle at a Division I 
school and to study to be a teacher and coach.
  Before the 1999-2000 season, Tony was ranked first in the nation in 
his weight division. And, he maintained that ranking and came to the 
NCAA finals with a 26-1 record.
  Tony's life philosophy is this: focus and dedication lead to success 
at all levels.
  Looking at the road Tony has traveled to reach this point, it is 
evident focus and dedication played a large role in his success.
  And, to quote Tony:

       God played a big role in . . . getting on the right track 
     of life. I have a lot of people to thank along the way. It 
     was a long way to come. The most important thing is I got 
     here.

  This past week was finals week at UNI. And, I want to commend Tony 
Davis for his commitment and dedication--not only to sports but also to 
academics.

[[Page 7026]]

  Next year, Tony Davis will return to UNI--again for two reasons. Tony 
will be finishing up his academic degree while also serving as an 
assistant wrestling coach.
  UNI has a long tradition of excellence in training teachers.
  This legacy of excellence in education will be continued as Tony has 
an opportunity to train wrestlers to succeed--both on and off the mat.
  And so, I salute Tony Davis, his teammates, Coach Mark Manning, and 
the University of Northern Iowa for supporting each student on and off 
the mat.
  Go Panthers!

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