CONGRATULATIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-VICTORIA JAGUARS
— Extensions of Remarks,
May 22, 2008
2008 Ron Paul 31:1
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to congratulate The University of Houston--Victoria (UHV) Jaguars softball
team on an amazing inaugural season. The Jaguars completed the season with a
32-18 record and finished fourth in Region VI of the National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics, missing the national tournament by one slot.
2008 Ron Paul 31:2
The Jaguars faced a strong slate of contenders in the regular season, including 14 nationally recognized
opponents,nine of which fell to the Jaguars. The team also defeated NCAA teams
Houston Baptist University and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
2008 Ron Paul 31:3
“You’ve got to beat the best to be the best,” head coach Keri Lambeth always tells her players, and the
Jaguars showed they are more than capable of competing with the best. On March 17, the
softball team ranked No.4 in 18-team Region VI in the first season poll based on
play, marking the first rating of a UHV sporting team. On March 19, the
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) ranked the softball
team No. 15 in the Nation. The team ended the season in the same impressive
position.
2008 Ron Paul 31:4
The players didn’t just work hard on the field. Coach Lambeth demanded academic and civic excellence. The
players were required to attend a number of study hall hours every week based
on their grade-point averages. A perfect 4.0 required 10 hours, while anything
less required increasingly more. The players also met with Coach Lambeth
each week to discuss how their classes were going and what kind of grades they were
earning. As a result, a third of the team is expected to hold a 4.0 GPA this
semester, and most of the team members are expected to appear on the UHV Dean’s
List for the spring semester.
2008 Ron Paul 31:5
As Coach Lambeth always tells her players, “We’re not just here to play sports. We are here for an
education first and foremost.”
2008 Ron Paul 31:6
As part of their civic activities, the players participated in a mentoring program in which they tutored
at-risk elementary school students in reading, and middle and high school
students in remedial math. The players also served as role models and life coaches
to these students. Many players put in hours above and beyond what was required
by the mentoring program.
2008 Ron Paul 31:7
Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to formally congratulate the women of the Jaguars on their
accomplishments, both on and off the softball field, in their historic
first season. I would also like to insert the Jaguars roster into the
of the team into the Congressional Record:
Jessica Salas, Erin Litvik, Samantha Campagna, Kristen Lindley, Curby
Ryan, Lindsey Ferguson, Lauren Garza, Chelsi Fitzgerald, Kasey Voyles, Cayla
Dluhos, Ashley Falco, Stephanie Lavey, Amber Scott, Whitney Damborsky, Brittany
Faas.
