[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 14 (Monday, April 10, 2006)]
[Pages 658-660]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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. 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 Champion's 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

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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].

[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

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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 Roadrace 
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; 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; Garrett Smith, 
head coach, University of Portland women'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; David Marsh, 
head coach, Auburn University women's and men's swimming and diving 
teams; and Richard Rokos, head coach, University of Colorado women's and 
men's ski teams.