Recognizing the ``Gainesville Nine''

Floor Speech

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Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Speaker, today we recognize and cerebrate the legacy of a group of individuals whose passion for the game of baseball helped lay the foundation for college athletics at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida.

In the 1970-71 academic year, at what was then known as Santa Fe Junior College (SFJC), a group of players formed a baseball club--one of the earliest steps, along with other club sports, that would eventually lead to the college becoming a recognized National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) member in 1973. They were known as the ``Gainesville Nine.''

The baseball club, which predates the Northwest Campus, the largest of Santa Fe's seven locations across Alachua and Bradford counties, played other club and college teams from across the North Florida region. The bonds formed among the players showed that athletic participation and physical activity not only enrich the campus experience, but also foster a sense of perseverance and belonging that support a college-going culture.

Santa Fe College's Athletic programs have since grown in stature both regionally and nationally. The Northwest Campus gymnasium was built in the late 1970s and the baseball and softball fields were added in the early 1980s. Over the college's illustrious history, multiple NJCAA sports were offered including track, cross country, tennis, and slow pitch softball. Currently, the college offers five sanctioned intercollegiate teams in volleyball, men's and women's basketball, softball, and baseball.

Today, we honor the legacy of the 1970-71 SFJC club baseball team, the ``Gainesville Nine'' and celebrate their place in the rich history of Santa Fe College and its athletic programs.

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