[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4838]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         ST. ANTHONY HIGH SCHOOL 2016-17 BOYS' BASKETBALL TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 24, 2017

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the Effingham St. 
Anthony High School boys' basketball team upon winning its first state 
championship. This is a remarkable achievement for the Class 1A school 
and reflects the hard work, determination, and talent this year's team 
possessed.
  The Bulldogs' season started and ended in exciting fashion. They 
opened with the annual St. Anthony Turkey Tourney and beat a Class 3A 
opponent for third place, beginning a 19-game winning streak. The 
Bulldogs later took home the titles in the Vandalia Holiday Tournament 
and the National Trail Conference Tournament.
  Although the Bulldogs hit a rough patch when they lost four of six 
games, lone senior and all-state selection Drew Gibson coined St. 
Anthony's 1,000-point club, and the team completed a perfect 8-0 
conference season.
  In the state championship game, St. Anthony matched up with the 
highly ranked Okawville Rockets, who forced overtime, but the Bulldogs 
would find a way to close out a 49-46 victory to conclude a 30-5 
campaign, the most wins in school history. In addition to being the 
school's first state title, it also marked the first for the city of 
Effingham.
  Led by Coach Cody Rincker, team members were Gibson, Alex Beesley, 
Adam Levitt, Jack Nuxoll, Alex Deters, Cade Walsh, Wyatt Lawrence, 
Brandon Runge, Luke Ludwig, Bryson Wall, Ben Strullmyer, Quinton 
Milleville, and Jaccob Dust.
  I look forward to watching their future successes in both their 
academic and athletic pursuits and wish them all the best in these 
endeavors.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the St. Anthony Bulldogs on a job well 
done.

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