Congratulating Central High School Women's Softball Team

Floor Speech

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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the Central Falcons softball team for their first-ever State championship title.

The heart of this historic victory was the junior left fielder Hadley Witherow, who made the catch of her life to seal the 4-1 win over King William for the class 2 State title.

The Falcons were led by Coach Timmy Wakeman and Assistant Coach Jamey Mantz, who instilled belief in players like Kristen Hockman, whose bat sparked the offense; Veronica Gordon, who delivered key hits; and Keriana Stottlemyer, who set the tone with her patience at the plate.

Serenity Burnshire and Carsyn Burton added crucial doubles, and Vanessa Gordon's sacrifice fly RBI in the bottom of the fifth created another scoring play.

While in the circle, Lexi Burkholder and Liz Bilbow combined for a stellar performance, supported by the steady glove of Emily Finks behind the plate. Together, they held off King William's powerful bats.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating this remarkable group, the Central Falcons softball team, and their unforgettable championship run. recognizing president's cup winner christendom college

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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor Christendom College, which has, once again, shown that excellence on the field can go hand in hand with achievement in the classroom.

The United States Collegiate Athletic Association named Christendom the winner of the 2025 President's Cup, recognizing the Nation's top academic-performing athletic department. I commend Director of Athletics Patrick Quest and Assistant Athletic Director Joe Dotson for their outstanding leadership.

Christendom's varsity teams posted a 3.51 GPA, with the senior student athlete class achieving a 3.61 average. A total of 45 student- athlete sophomores, juniors, and seniors earned USCAA and NCR National Academic All-American honors. The 20 senior academic all-Americans are Josie Belleville, Regina Bonvissuto, Cate Brezinsky, Jude Burkett, Sean Corcoran, Joshua Cruz, David Echaniz, John Gunthorpe, Miranda Keller, Colleen Kosten, Bridget McCaughey, Mary Noble, Mary Sabados, Lizzie Scarchilli, Andrew Snyder, Catherine Thomas, Michael Townsend, JP Tsakanikas, Christopher Usher, and Nicholas Ward, many excelling in multiple sports. Twenty-five sophomores and juniors were also recognized for their academic excellence.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Christendom on this fourth President's Cup in 6 years, which reflects a deep commitment to forming student athletes who excel both intellectually and athletically. recognizing salem high school boys' lacrosse team

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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the Salem High School boys' lacrosse team, which made history this year by capturing their first-ever VHSL State championship.

They capped an incredible 2025 season with an 11-7 victory over Loudoun County. Along the way, they won the Region 4D championship with a 14-3 win over Jefferson Forest and claimed the Tommy Girani Cup, achieving all three of their goals.

Their journey was defined by resilience and determination. After falling short in last year's quarterfinals, they returned to defeat Broad Run 9-4 and upset three-time defending champs Atlee in a hard- fought 7-5 semifinal.

This historic run was powered by standout performances. Jackson Jones led with 37 goals and 47 assists. Holden Custer added 45 goals and 21 assists. Parker Dallas scored 42 goals with 36 assists. Jackson Wininger contributed 24 goals and 26 assists.

On defense, Ronnie Frith, Brayden Hall, and Carson Garland combined for over 120 takeaways and 180 ground balls, while goalie Richard Hof made 125 saves. Face-off specialist Ryan Warren won nearly 70 percent of his draws. Remarkably, seven players earned first team all-State honors.

I commend Coach George Revercomb, his staff, and Athletic Director Drew Barrett. This championship reflects the spirit of Salem, a city that rallies behind its youth.

I congratulate the team, their families, and the Salem community. protecting americans from financial surveillance

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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act. This critical legislation aims to safeguard financial privacy and freedom of the American people.

A central bank digital currency may sound like innovation, but under Federal control, it becomes a powerful and dangerous tool for surveillance. This allows unelected bureaucrats to monitor and potentially restrict how Americans spend their hard-earned wages.

Recently, we have seen alarming examples of this kind of overreach, from the Chinese Communist Party using its digital currency to track and control citizens to Prime Minister Trudeau in Canada freezing the bank accounts of peaceful protesters. That kind of government power has no place in the United States.

The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act ensures the Federal Reserve cannot issue a CBDC without explicit authorization from Congress. It protects financial privacy and upholds the constitutional rights of every American.

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