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Skriven 2006-04-06 23:34:12 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0604064) for Thu, 2006 Apr 6
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President Welcomes 2005-06 NCAA Sports Champions to the White House
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 6, 2006

President Welcomes 2005-06 NCAA Sports Champions to the White House
The South Lawn

President's Remarks view


3:05 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: 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. (Applause.)

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.
I 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 -- (applause) -- ably coached by Billy Donovan. (Applause.)
People are making hand gestures back there. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.)
Perhaps one theme of Champion's Day is: Fear the Turtle. (Applause.)

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. (Applause.) 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 arch
rival, Duke. (Applause.)

We want to welcome Sasho Cirovski's University of Maryland Men's Soccer
Team. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)

I want to welcome the University of Portland Women's Soccer Team, coached
by Garrett Smith. Portland came to celebrate -- (applause) -- 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. (Applause.)

Jerry Schumacher of the University of Wisconsin Men's Cross Country Team is
with us today. (Applause.) For three 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.
(Applause.)

I welcome Peter Tegen and the Stanford Women's Cross Country Team.
(Applause.) Stanford won its second women's cross country national
championship in the past three years. Lauren Centrowitz is with us. She
asked me not to mention her name. I kind of mentioned some 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. (Applause.) Congratulations to Stanford's team.

Jim McLaughlin and the University of Washington Women's Volleyball Team is
here. Congratulations to the Huskies. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) 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) -- awfully
thoughtful of you. (Laughter.) I'm not going to wear it. (Laughter.)

I welcome the University of Colorado Ski Team, under Richard Rokos.
(Applause.) 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.
(Applause.)

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. (Applause.)

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 Frost Bite 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
volley ball 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. (Applause.)

END 3:15 P.M. EDT

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