[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 5707]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         A DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, every year, hundreds of thousands of high 
school students participate in team sports and other extra curricular 
activities. Through these activities, many young people learn the value 
of working together with others, and the meaning of hard work 
sacrifice.
  These activities also teach our Nation's students to set their sights 
high, by demonstrating that remarkable achievements come only with hard 
work and dedication. Today, I pay tribute to a group of young women 
from Madison High School in Madison, SD, who have proved this fact time 
and time again, most recently by extending one of the more remarkable 
winning streaks in our Nation.
  On February 20, 2004, the girls' gymnastics team at Madison High won 
the Class A state title for the tenth consecutive season.
  For the first seven titles, the Bulldogs were led ably by coach Linda 
Collignon. Since then, Madison has come full circle, having been led to 
the last three titles by Maridee Weise, a member of that first 
championship team.
  It has been a long road for the Madison High team. In the early days 
of the gymnastics program at Madison High, many of the student-athletes 
would make the 90-mile round trip from Madison to train at a gymnastics 
facility is Sioux Falls. In time--and under the leadership of Coach 
Collignon--members of the Madison community volunteered to build a 
training facility on the high school campus, saving the school district 
more than $100,000. It is that kind of community involvement and 
interest in its youth that has helped establish Madison's tradition in 
the sport.
  Each day at practice, these student-athletes are motivated by a 
drawing of the classic World War II symbol, Rosie the Riveter, and the 
phrase ``We Can Do It!'' They have not only come to recognize the truth 
in those words, they have lived up to them.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting these student-athletes and 
their coaches on their latest championship, and on their truly 
remarkable run. I am proud to ask unanimous consent that the 2003-2004 
Madison High School girls' gymnastics team roster be printed in the 
Congressional Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       Team members: Kari Schaefer, Brittany Postma, Brooke 
     Postma, Landra Tieman, Jenny Poppen, Katie Keegan, Katie 
     Breuer, Heidi Mogck, Kassie Finck, Sara Rogers, Heather 
     Williams, Theresa Knapp, Katie McKenzie. Head Coach: Maridee 
     Wiese, Assistant Coach: Kindra Norby, Student Manager: Erin 
     Blom.

                          ____________________