[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 4206-4207]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

 Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I congratulate the University 
of South Dakota, USD, Coyotes women's basketball team as they celebrate 
winning the 2016 Women's National Invitation Tournament, WNIT.
  The Coyotes won their first WNIT championship by outscoring the 
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles 71-65. The win was especially poignant as the 
WNIT championship game was the last women's basketball game to be held 
in USD's iconic DakotaDome. Starting next season, USD basketball games 
will be held in a brand-new facility, and the record turnout for the 
championship game was a fitting way to end the DakotaDome's 37-year 
history.
  The Coyotes were led by head coach, Amy Williams, who received her 
second

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consecutive Coach of the Year honor from the Summit League earlier in 
the season. Seniors Tia Hemiller and Nicole Seekamp were named to the 
WNIT All-Tournament team, with Seekamp also being recognized as the 
Most Valuable Player of the Postseason WNIT. Seekamp is also the 2016 
Summit League Women's Basketball Player of the Year.
  Once again, congratulations to the entire USD Coyotes women's 
basketball team on this impressive accomplishment. I commend the 
players and coaching staff for all of their hard work this season and 
wish them the best of luck in their future.

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