A Tribute to the Players and Coach of the University of Vermont Men's Basketball Team

A TRIBUTE TO THE PLAYERS AND COACH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM -- (Extensions of Remarks - April 27, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. BERNARD SANDERS
OF VERMONT
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2004

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the players of the University of Vermont Men's Basketball Team, and their coach, Tom Brennan, on an extraordinary basketball season.

It is certainly worthy of both recognition and celebration when a team finishes a tough schedule with over 20 wins-UVM went 22-9 on the year-and wins its conference championship. UVM lost its first game in the NCAA tournament to Connecticut, but there is no disgrace in losing to the only team which never lost a game in the entire tournament, for UConn was the eventual champion of the collegiate Division I basketball.

And it is certainly worth acknowledging the excitement that the team evoked all over the state of Vermont; our state is very proud of the wonderful record of this year's glorious team, and of both the men's and women's basketball teams at the University of Vermont in recent years. And the state is very proud as well that Vermont's own Taylor Coppenrath was selected to the AP All-America Team, as an honorable mention.

But what the people of Vermont are most proud of, and I include myself in their number, is that this basketball team not only played well on the basketball court, they worked hard and learned well in the classrooms and laboratories that are the heart of our state university. College is, after all, primarily about academics and not athletics.

At a time when the nation, and the NCAA as well, is deeply concerned that many athletes competing in major sports at Division I schools are not graduating from college, when there is widespread concern that often the educational mission of universities is put aside in the interest of athletic success, the men's basketball team in Vermont reminded us all that education and athletics can go together.

Of the 64 teams in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball tournament, only the University of Vermont had 8 of its players with a grade point average of 3.0 or better. The Catamounts had the best GPA of any team in the 65-team NCAA tournament.

The team's dual achievement-succeeding at the highest level in both athletics and academics-makes Vermont proud, and serves, I believe, as an example to the nation.

Our congratulations go to the members of the 2003-2004 University of Vermont Men's Basketball Team: T.J. Sorrentine, Jack Phelan, Kyle Cieplicki (of Shelburne, VT), Martin Klimes, Mike Goia, Taylor Coppenrath (of West Barnet, VT), David Hehn, Germain Njila, Alex Jensen, Corey Sullivan, Matt Hanson, Scotty Jones and Matt Sheftic (of Essex Junction, VT). And to those who helped them succeed on the court and off: Tom Brennan, head coach; Jesse Agel, associate head coach; Pat Filien, assistant coach; Jeff Rush, assistant coach; Chris Poulin, athletic trainer/strength coach; Reza Mohamed and Amarildo Barbosa, student managers; and Ryan Gore, student athletic trainer.

END