[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16964]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO LINDA BLOOM AND RICHARD GAARD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 29, 2008

  Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate 
two Iowans, Linda Bloom and Richard Gaard on being named national high 
school coaches of the year in their respective sports.
   Linda Bloom is the Girls' Swimming and Diving coach at Marshalltown 
High School in Marshalltown, Iowa. She has coached the Bobcats for 22 
years and has accumulated a career record of 172-36. She has been named 
Regional Swim Coach of the Year thirteen times and was the 1993 Iowa 
State Swimming Coach of the Year. Coach Bloom is the current president 
of the Iowa Girls and Women's Sports Committee and a member of the 
Board of Directors of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. She 
also coaches the Marshalltown Girls' Golf team.
   Richard Gaard is the Boys' Golf coach at Decorah High School in 
Decorah, Iowa. He has coached the Vikings 36 years and has a career 
record of 333-123-11. His teams have won nine conference, thirteen 
district, and nine regional championships. Coach Gaard helped establish 
and is a charter member of the Iowa Golf Coaches Association. In 2007, 
he was named the Iowa Golf Coaches' Association Coach of the Year and 
has been named conference coach of the year 10 times. Coach Gaard is 
also a football and basketball official as well as the head of Decorah 
High School's DECA Program.
   I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in 
congratulating Coach Linda Bloom and Coach Richard Gaard on their 
coaching success and for making a difference in the lives of Iowa's 
youth. It is an honor to represent Coach Bloom and Coach Gaard in the 
United States Congress, and I wish them the best as they continue to 
provide a positive impact as role models and mentors.

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