[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9371-9372]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO CHRISTINA ARAGON

 Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I would like to call your attention 
to Christina Aragon, a recent graduate of Billings Senior High School. 
While in high school, Christina competed in track and field, 
gymnastics, was an active member of the National Honors Society and 
concert band, and was named the Gatorade Montana Track and Field 
athlete of the year in 2015. Christina is the youngest daughter of 
Chuck and Kathy Argon and is running her way into the record books.
  Christina, known as Teeny by friends and family, is a remarkable 
track and field athlete whose events include the 400m, 800m, 1500m, 
1600m, and the 3,200m. Over the course of her high school career, 
Christina earned nine State champion titles; three of those titles were 
earned while running with a broken elbow.
  On June 5, Christina attended the Payton Jordan Invitational at 
Stanford and completed the 1500m in 4:11.24. Competing in a packed race 
with multiple professionally sponsored runners, this 18-year-old 
surprised everyone in attendance. On June 12, at the Portland Track 
Festival, Christina defied expectations yet again and set a national 
record of 4:09.27, becoming the third fastest 1500m high schooler in 
history, while simultaneously qualifying for the Olympic time trials. 
This weekend, she will compete in the Brooks PR Invitational in Renton, 
WA, where she holds the record for the 800m at 2:04.00. Christina will 
also attend the Olympic time trials in Oregon on July 1, 2016.
  Christina represents the youngest of the Aragon track and field 
legacy. Her father was the first Notre Dame runner to break the 4-
minute mile in 1981. Her mother competed in her third Olympic time 
trial in 2004, and her older sisters, Danielle and Alexa, hold multiple 
State champion titles and run together as All-Americans at Notre Dame. 
Christina will attend Stanford University this fall and continue her 
track and field career.
  When asked about the Olympic time trials, Christina commented, ``I'm 
obviously going to be pretty nervous, but I'm just going to try to 
channel that nervousness into more excitement because that's just an 
awesome opportunity and I'm really lucky to be able to have that so I'm 
just going to go out there and have fun and run fast, hopefully.''
  William Shakespeare wrote, ``Though she be but little, she is 
fierce,'' a quote that I feel resonates all too well with this 
determined and fearsome young lady. I ask that you join me in wishing 
Christina the best of luck in the coming weeks. I have no doubt that 
she will continue to make her family and Montana proud.

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