[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 4119-4120]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY ON ITS APPEARANCE IN THE FINAL 
                                  FOUR

  (Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, George Mason University hosts 
two Nobel Prize winners, a top 25 law school and the most ethically 
diverse student body in the world. But today, Mr. Speaker, it is with 
great pleasure that I rise to honor the George Mason University men's 
basketball team for overcoming incredible odds to make it to the 2006 
NCAA Division I Final Four.
  George Mason is only the second team with a double-digit seed to 
advance to the Final Four and the first to do so since 1986. George 
Mason is also the first team in Colonial Athletic Association history 
to advance this far in the tournament. Under the guidance of Coach Jim 
Larranaga and assistants Chris Caputo, Scott Cherry and James Johnson, 
the Patriots have shown America that with hard work, dedication and, 
most importantly, teamwork, any goal, no matter how farfetched it may 
seem, can be reached.
  They provided several heart-stopping moments throughout the 
tournament while relying on their wonderful sense of teamwork, which 
should be an example to all of us. Twice they rallied from double-digit 
deficits in both the round of 32 and the round of 8 against the 
Nation's top-ranked teams to accomplish this historic feat.
  Members of the 2005-2006 Patriots include Tony Skinn, Jordan Carter, 
Makan Konate, Gabe Norwood, Tim Burns, Jesus Urbina, Lamar Butler, John 
Vaughan, Will Thomas, Chris Fleming, Folarin Campbell, Sammy Hernandez, 
Charles Makings and Jai Lewis.
  Mr. Speaker, the George Mason University men's basketball team will 
be one to remember for the entire Mason community, from the student 
athletes who achieved this amazing feat, to the coaches, to the 
students and the entire Northern Virginia region.
  I wish them the very best in this weekend's tournament in 
Indianapolis.

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