    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [April 6, 2006]
    [Pages 673-676]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Honoring NCAA Championship Teams
    April 6, 2006

        Thank you all. Welcome. Please sit down. Thanks for coming. It's an
    honor to welcome outstanding athletes to the White House. I welcome the
    athletes and their coaches. We offer our congratulations, and we're
    thrilled to call you national champs.
        I'd like to say, champions day is also National Student Athlete Day.
    It's a chance for us to honor those who excel on the field as well as
    those in the classroom.
        I'm especially pleased to welcome the Members of the United States
    Congress here, Senators and Congressmen from the States that we're
    honoring. Thank you all for coming. Proud you're here. I know you'll
    want to congratulate the coaches and the team members after these brief
    remarks. We want to welcome the school officials who are here.
        Today is the day we recognize that millions have competed in the
    NCAA, but only a few become champs. And the first champs we honor are
    the mighty Florida Gators, ably coached by Billy Donovan. People are making hand gestures back there.
        I want you all to recognize that the Gators started the season with
    17 wins in a row, and they ended with 11 in a row--the most important 11
    wins of the season.

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    They have a following all over the country, including my brother. [Laughter] I'm pleased to welcome you here. I'm also
    pleased to remind the Gator fans the captain of your team, Adrian
    Moss, was from Humble, Texas. [Laughter]
        We have three teams today from the great State of Maryland. Perhaps
    one theme of champions day is: Fear the Turtle.
        I want to welcome Brenda Frese and the
    University of Maryland women's basketball team. They are the NCAA's
    newest national champions. Less than 48 hours ago, they were cutting
    down the nets in Boston. Here they are soaking up the sun in the White
    House. We welcome you here. We marvel at your dramatic overtime win, and
    we thank you for being such fantastic athletes.
        We also welcome the University of Maryland field hockey team. Missy
    Meharg is with us as well. These women were the
    number one seed in the NCAA tournament, and they win the NCAA
    championship. We're proud you're here. It probably gave you a special
    delight to be able to beat your archrival, Duke.
        We want to welcome Sasho Cirovski's
    University of Maryland men's soccer team. The men's soccer team won its
    first national championship in almost 40 years. I thought it was
    interesting that on Times Square, the NASDAQ ticker displayed a message
    that said, ``Go Terps,'' in honor of the soccer team.
        I want to welcome the University of Portland women's soccer team,
    coached by Garrett Smith. Portland came to
    celebrate the championship here in the year 2003. I think one of them
    said to herself, ``You know, we'll be back, but I'm not sure if old
    George W. is going to make it.'' [Laughter] You're back, and so am I.
    [Laughter] I appreciate the fact that the Pilots dominated the season.
    They did not lose a single game. I appreciate what Father
    Beauchamp said--he's the university
    president--``They are Portland's team. They brought us together as a
    community.'' Congratulations, ladies, for the championship.
        Jerry Schumacher of the University of
    Wisconsin men's cross country team is with us today. For 3 years in a
    row, Wisconsin finished second in the NCAA championships. This year,
    they broke the pattern, and they come to the White House as national
    champs. Congratulations.
        I welcome Peter Tegen and the Stanford
    women's cross country team. Stanford won its second women's cross
    country national championship in the past 3 years. Lauren
    Centrowitz is with us. She asked me not to
    mention her name. I kind of mentioned names, but I did it anyway. Sorry,
    Lauren. And the reason I did is because her dad, Lauren--I mean,
    Lauren's dad, Matt, won a national cross
    country championship of his own in 1977. The daughter and the dad on
    national cross country championship teams--there's nothing better than
    someone following in a famous father's footsteps. Congratulations to
    Stanford's team.
        Jim McLaughlin and the University of
    Washington women's volleyball team is here. Congratulations to the
    Huskies. These women won their first national championship in school
    history. They weren't supposed to win. They were the underdog. They had
    low expectations. It's a good thing, is to keep expectations low, by the
    way. And they brought home a national championship to the University of
    Wisconsin. Congratulations to you all. I mean, the University of
    Washington; I beg your pardon.
        Now we've got the University of Auburn men's and women's swimming
    and diving teams. Coach David Marsh is with us.
    Both the men's swimming and diving teams earned national championships.
    That's rare to do. And I welcome both teams with us today. It kind of
    says that, in a year of swimming, this is the year of War Eagle. I want
    you all to know that the women's swimming team kindly brought me a--
    [laughter].

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    [At this point, the President held up a Speedo swimsuit.]

        Awfully thoughtful of you. [Laughter] I'm not going to wear it.
    [Laughter]
        I welcome the University of Colorado ski team, under Richard
    Rokos. This is a coed team. The Colorado ski
    team's motto was ``One team, one goal,'' and you achieved your goal by
    winning the National Championship. We welcome you. Your coach is an
    interesting story. He escaped Communist Czechoslovakia. He's a proud
    American coaching a wonderful group of athletes. Congratulations, and
    we're glad you're here.
        The university--the United States Military Academy men's rifle team
    is with us. I congratulate the team here today. This is West Point's
    first championship in any varsity sport in a half a century.
    Congratulations to you. If you happen to be walking around and run into
    the Vice President--[laughter]--you might give
    him a few pointers. [Laughter] In the meantime, I look forward to coming
    to see you as your--as the graduation speaker here in May.
        The thing I like about these teams is, they're not only great
    athletes but they also are champs off the field. When you think about
    the folks here from West Point, they decided to serve our country in a
    time of war. And I want to thank you for your contributions to our
    country.
        Florida basketball players spent Thanksgiving morning serving hot
    meals at a local shelter. The Maryland basketball players raised money
    to support breast cancer research. The Maryland field hockey players
    worked as counselors in summer camps for girls. They served as mentors.
    The Maryland soccer players helped the school canned food drive. The
    Portland soccer players arranged for the university to donate money for
    hurricane relief for every goal the team scored. The Wisconsin cross
    country runners participated in the Frostbite Road Race to raise money
    for the local YMCA. The Stanford cross country team visited schools in
    East Palo Alto to talk about the importance of education and staying off
    drugs. The Washington volleyball players visited children in hospital.
    The Auburn swimmers helped raise funds for hurricane relief. The
    Colorado skiers participated in the Read With the Buff program in
    elementary schools. What I'm telling you is, we've not only got fine
    athletes with us; we've got fine Americans with us. Thank you for
    serving your communities.
        Welcome to the White House. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:05 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Billy Donovan, head coach,
    University of Florida men's basketball team; Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida;
    Brenda Frese, head coach, University of Maryland women's basketball
    team; Missy Meharg, head coach, University of Maryland women's field
    hockey team; Sasho Cirovski, head coach, University of Maryland men's
    soccer team; Jerry Schumacher, head coach, University of Wisconsin men's
    cross country team; Peter Tegen, head coach, and Lauren Centrowitz, team
    member, Stanford University women's cross country team; Jim McLaughlin,
    head coach, University of Washington women's volleyball team; and
    Richard Rokos, head coach, University of Colorado women's and men's ski
    teams.

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