[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 4077-4078]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONS MARYLAND TERRAPINS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, as the boxing great Muhammad Ali once 
observed, ``Champions are not made in gyms. Champions are made from 
something they have deep inside them, a desire, a dream, a vision.''
  Thus, it is with great pride, Mr. Speaker, that I rise tonight, a 
1963 graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park and a 
current member of the University system's Board of Regents, to 
congratulate the men's basketball team and a fellow alumnus,

[[Page 4078]]

Coach Gary Williams, for realizing their dream 8 days ago: winning the 
2002 national championship, the first in the university's long history.

                              {time}  2045

  Too often perhaps, Mr. Speaker, we imbue athletic competition with a 
seriousness beyond its significance. However, anyone who watched these 
12 Terrapins this season observed the qualities that carried them to 
the mountaintop: hard work and determination, teamwork and skill, and 
an unbending will to win that allowed them to overcome virtually every 
obstacle. Those are lessons for life as well as success in sports.
  After the Terrapins had won their game with the Indiana Hoosiers in 
the title game on April 1, Washington Post columnist Thomas Boswell 
wrote, ``This was not just a great Maryland team. In time, it will be 
seen as a champion among champions.''
  Who could argue with that? There was the school record for wins in a 
season, 32, the fourth consecutive season with 25 wins or more. There 
was the undefeated home record of 15-0 at Cole Field House in the last 
year of play in Cole Field House. What a way to end a run.
  There was the second straight appearance in the Final Four and the 
ninth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament under Coach Williams, 
and there was the first Atlantic Coast conference regular season 
championship in some 22 years.
  The path to preeminence, however, of course was not paved with ease. 
There was a heartbreaking loss to Duke University in the Final Four 
last year. There was a season opening loss and an unexpected defeat in 
the ACC tournament this year. There was personal hardship off the 
court, as well.
  The national championship, Mr. Speaker, was never a coronation. The 
Terrapins faced and defeated perennial basketball powerhouses Kentucky, 
Connecticut, Kansas, and then Indiana. Collectively, those teams won 
over 15 national titles.
  In hindsight, it was fitting to win the championship on that road. 
Difficulty and adversity vest victory with an even greater sense of 
accomplishment. No one will ever claim that these young men and Coach 
Williams failed to earn the title ``champion.''
  The Terrapin team, led by senior guard Juan Dixon, who overcame 
incredible adversity in his life, losing his two parents when he was 
just a teen, Juan Dixon took their loyal fans through the peaks and 
valleys of competition, and we shared their deep disappointments, but 
yes, we shared their final joy, as well.
  Juan's superb shooting and defense were as crucial to this team's 
success as was Steve Blake's ballhandling and passing ability, Lonnie 
Baxter's powerful inside game and rebounding, Chris Wilcox's fierce 
blocks, and Byron Mouton's energy, hustle, spark, and extraordinary 
defense.
  It is a tribute to this team's depth that practically every member, 
every nonstarter, entered the game and we picked up points, be it Tahj 
Holden; Calvin McCall; Andre Collins; Drew Nicholas, an extraordinary 
young guard who would have started on any other team in the country; 
Ryan Randle; Earl Badu; and Mike Grinnon, 12 extraordinary young 
people. The Terrapins would actually increase their lead when those 
young people filled in for our starters.
  This championship, of course, is the ultimate tribute to the 
architect of the men's basketball program, Gary Williams. There can be 
no doubt, Gary is one of the finest coaches in college athletics today, 
but that was true regardless of the outcome of last week's final 
championship game. Gary has been a winner wherever he has coached, 
amassing an extraordinary record of 481 career wins in 24 years. He was 
a winner at American University, Boston College, and Ohio State 
University before returning to his alma mater and becoming the 
champion.
  Gary was not alone, of course. He was ably assisted by Dave 
Dickerson, Jimmy Pastos, Matt Kovarik, and director of basketball 
operations Troy Wainwright.
  I must point out, Mr. Speaker, the contributions of Dr. Deborah Yow, 
the university's athletic director, one of two women in America who 
head up a major program. In her 8 years in that position, she has laid 
the groundwork not only for this national championship and an Orange 
Bowl appearance by the football team this year, but also for a national 
all-sports ranking in the top 15 percent of the NCAA Division One 
institutions.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I know that all the Members of the House join me 
in congratulating the University of Maryland Terrapins for a 
championship hard won and well earned.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, let me observe that the University of 
Maryland now becomes one of five teams in history to have a team that 
won both the National Football Championship and the National Basketball 
Championship.
  Gary Williams, Maryland Terrapins, thank you, thank you for a great 
year and for great examples.

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