[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 25481-25482]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LA MIRADA GIRL'S ALL STARS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LINDA T. SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 21, 2003

  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, on August 3, 2003, 
the La Mirada Girl All Stars won the Girls 16-Under ``Class B'' Fast 
Pitch West Finals by defeating the Bullets from Idaho 7-2 for the title 
of 2003 Amateur Softball Association National Champions.
  The La Mirada Girl All Stars, also the California state champions, in 
their respective age bracket, started the four-term Western Pool 
Playoff with a 7-2 win over Blue Thunder from Florissant, Missouri and 
a 9-2 victory over the Waverly Heat from Lincoln, Nebraska.
  Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association is a nationwide, 
volunteer driven, non-profit organization that has evolved in the 
largest softball organization in the country. The Amateur Softball 
Association has grown from a few hundred teams to over 250,000 teams, 
representing a membership of more than four million athletes. The goal 
of the Amateur Softball Association's youth program is to help aspiring 
young softball athletes learn a sport they can enjoy for a lifetime in 
a positive, safe and supportive environment.
  The Amateur Softball Association National Championships begin at the 
local level with league championships, state championships and 
eventually culminates with national qualifiers from around the country.
  The La Mirada Girl All-Star Team was made up of players from eight 
teams from La Mirada's 16-under division, who played a three-week 
season prior to their selection.

[[Page 25482]]

  The La Mirada Girl All-Star roster included: Andrea Belluz, Amanda 
Fernandez, Nikki Johansen, Tiffany Johnson, Keena Levert, Jaimee 
Montanez, Nicole Morales, Sara Randall, Jayme Smith and Meghan Thorpe 
with coaches Steve Randall and Randy Tyler, and manager Laurie 
Montanez.
  La Mirada fought its way to the National Championship by defeating 
teams from Overland Park, Kansas; Kirksville, Missouri; Coachella, 
California; Omaha, Nebraska; Augusta, Kansas; and Parma, Idaho. La 
Mirada outscored its competition 60-11 and went undefeated at 7-0, 
during the course of the tournament.
  La Mirada won the championship tournament with brilliant pitching, an 
explosive offense and an unmatched defense. The National Champion La 
Mirada Girl All-Star Team will be celebrated by the players, coaches 
and family members not only for the games played, but also for their 
shared memories of their time together.

                          ____________________