[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4463]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 238--COMMENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GOLDEN 
    GOPHERS FOR WINNING THE 2002 NCAA DIVISION I WRESTLING NATIONAL 
                              CHAMPIONSHIP

  Mr. WELLSTONE (for himself and Mr. Dayton) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 238

       Whereas the University of Minnesota wrestling team 
     successfully defended its 2001 national title by winning the 
     2002 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship on 
     March 23, 2002, in Albany, New York;
       Whereas the victory was the first back-to-back national 
     championship in an intercollegiate athletic competition in 
     University of Minnesota history since the Golden Gophers 
     captured 2 consecutive national championship football titles 
     in 1940 and 1941;
       Whereas the University of Minnesota won the national crown 
     with 126.5 points, over Iowa State (103 points), Oklahoma 
     (101.5 points), Iowa (89 points) and Oklahoma State (82.5 
     points);
       Whereas the University of Minnesota became the first 
     Division I wrestling team since the 1995-96 season to go 
     undefeated in dual meets and win the National Duals, 
     conference and NCAA team titles in a single season and the 
     first team to win these titles in consecutive seasons since 
     the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons;
       Whereas the Golden Gophers wrestling team has finished in 
     the top 3 in the Nation in the last 6 years: placing third in 
     1997, being the runner up in 1998 and 1999; placing third in 
     2000; and winning the national title in 2001 and 2002;
       Whereas the University of Minnesota wrestling team has now 
     placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships 25 times in 
     the history of the program;
       Whereas Coach J. Robinson, as head coach of the University 
     of Minnesota wrestling team, now has finished in the top 10 
     at the NCAA Championships 10 times during his 16-year tenure;
       Whereas two members of the Minnesota wrestling team, Jared 
     Lawrence and Luke Becker, each earned an individual national 
     crown, marking the first time in school history that two 
     Minnesota athletes were individual champions in a single NCAA 
     sport in the same year;
       Whereas Lawrence, at 149 pounds, and Becker, at 157 pounds, 
     captured the 13th and 14th NCAA individual titles in school 
     history, respectively;
       Whereas Ryan Lewis, at 133 pounds, was the runner-up, Owen 
     Elzen, at 197 pounds, finished in fourth place, Damion Hahn, 
     at 184 pounds, finished in fifth place, Garret Lowney, at 
     heavyweight, finished in fifth place, and Chad Erikson, at 
     141 pounds, finished in seventh place;
       Whereas seven University of Minnesota wrestlers, Chad 
     Erikson, Jared Lawrence, Luke Becker, Damion Hahn, Owen 
     Elzen, Ryan Lewis, and Garrett Lowney, earned All-American 
     honors; and
       Whereas the Golden Gophers have now had 68 wrestlers earn 
     111 All-American citations in the history of the varsity 
     wrestling program at the University of Minnesota: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the Golden Gophers of the University of 
     Minnesota for winning the 2002 National Collegiate Athletic 
     Association Division I Wrestling National Championship;
       (2) recognizes the achievements of all the team's members, 
     coaches, and support staff, and invites them to the United 
     States Capitol to be honored;
       (3) requests that the President recognize the achievements 
     of the University of Minnesota wrestling team and invite them 
     to the White House for an appropriate ceremony honoring a 
     national championship team; and
       (4) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit a copy 
     of this resolution to the President of the University of 
     Minnesota.

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