[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    CONGRATULATING THE NEOSHO, MISSOURI, HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 15, 2011

  Mr. LONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Neosho High 
School Wrestling Team for winning the Missouri Class 3 State 
Championship.
  One might not think of a team when you think of wrestling, but 
wrestling is a team sport. These young champions, River Buttram, Tanner 
Schaack, Nate Rodriguez, Trevor Hughes, Paxon Fowler, Rimo Elwise, 
Carter Boatright, Ethan Pogue, Payne Hatter, Chase Espinosa, Blake 
Stauffer, Dallas Smith, Matt Millard, and Riley Plew are a team. They 
trained as one, they competed as one, and together though their hard 
work and dedication they won the Missouri Class 3 State Championship.
  Of course, the wrestlers aren't the only champions; they had an 
outstanding team of talented coaches supporting them and guiding them 
along the way. I commend Head Coach Jeremy Phillips and assistant 
coaches Cody Crocker, Josh Sonis, Dane Espinosa, and Trey Jackson on an 
amazing accomplishment and a job well done.
  The Neosho wrestling team had an unfair advantage against their 
opponents: their friends, family, and fans attended the tournaments, 
cheered them on throughout the wrestling season, and followed them to 
Columbia for the state championships. The Neosho community is 
justifiably proud of their team, and the team is fortunate to have such 
strong support from their community.
  As if winning a state championship isn't enough of an accomplishment, 
the Neosho High School Wrestling Team has the distinct honor of winning 
it two years in a row. This shows that our athletes and coaches in 
Neosho are among the best in America and can stand proud in their 
accomplishments.
  But even more important than that, the Neosho wrestling team will 
have memories to last a lifetime. They've had that extraordinarily 
opportunity to live the dream of anyone who has ever dreamed of 
competing with the best and achieving victory.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Neosho High 
School Wrestling Team, the Missouri Class 3 State Champions.

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