[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4280]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ARE NCAA DIVISION III 
                           NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 27, 2012

  Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Coach Mia 
Smith and Illinois Wesleyan University's women's basketball team for 
winning the NCAA Division III national title. The Titans capped their 
28-5 season by winning the school's sixth overall national championship 
and the first in women's basketball.
  The Titans were led by tournament MVP Olivia Lett, and Melissa 
Gardner, who set an IWU single-season record with 94 3-pointers this 
year.
  ``There wasn't a moment in the ballgame where I felt we wouldn't be 
the national champion when the buzzer sounded,'' Titans coach Mia Smith 
said. ``Even when we were down four, down five, there was not a drop of 
fear on the bench. That's been that way all season. It's reminiscent of 
every time we stepped on that floor.''
  I'd like to also note that Coach Smith was named the 2012 Schelde 
North America/Women's DIII News ``Coach of the Year''. She's compiled a 
282-108 record at IWU, including a 145-51 record in the CCIW (College 
Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), six league championships and 
seven NCAA Tournament appearances.
  I would like to congratulate Mia Smith and the Illinois Wesleyan 
University Women's Basketball National Champs. Their accomplishments 
are celebrated by their families, fans, and the entire Titan community.

                          ____________________