[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2115]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING STEVE MESLER, U.S. BOBSLED OLYMPIAN FROM BUFFALO, NY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 16, 2006

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 2006 Winter 
Olympian Steve Mesler. Steve, originally from the West Side of Buffalo, 
is to compete in the four man bobsled race Friday, February 25. This 
will be his first time competing in the Winter Olympics, as he served 
as an alternate in the 2002 games.
  Steve Mesler is truly a scholar-athlete. Born and raised in Buffalo, 
he graduated from City Honors High School in 1996 after participating 
in four consecutive city track and field championships. He also 
received the Buffalo Bills Academic/Community Service/Athletic 
Scholarship. Steve attended the University of Florida with a track and 
field scholarship. He graduated from the University of Florida, where 
he is still ranked six all-time among University of Florida decathletes 
with 6,817 points, with honors for a degree in Exercise and Sports 
Science.
  After ending his track and field career in 2001, Steve traveled to 
San Diego for bobsled training camp. Although he was new to the sport 
he learned quickly. Four months after beginning the sport he was 
selected to travel with the 2002 men's Olympic Bobsled team to Salt 
Lake City, Utah as an alternate. Steve won his first World Cup medal in 
2002-2003 season.
  The men's bobsled competition consists of four runs, two runs per day 
for two days timed to hundredth of a second. The final standings are 
determined by the total time over the four runs; the winner is the sled 
with the lowest time. As a part of the nine man Olympic bobsled team, 
Steve Mesler is expected to push for Todd Hays, the 2002 Olympic silver 
medalist. Steve has much courage and determination--he and his team 
have come back from their four man sled crash at the November 2005 
World Cup in Lake Placid, NY.
  Steve is truly a member of the City of Good Neighbors. He describes 
himself as a kid from Buffalo having grown up playing street hockey and 
soccer. He is a die-hard Buffalo Bills fan; his favorite bill was 
Thurman Thomas, and his family partakes in Buffalo traditions such as 
tailgating--even when temperatures reach as low as 30 degrees.
  The 2006 men's Olympic bobsled team is expected to bring home a 
medal, and I am proud to have Steve Mesler represent my district, my 
state, and our country at the 20th Olympic Winter Games in Torino, 
Italy.

                          ____________________