Florida Senate - 2009 (NP) SR 2814 By Senator Crist 12-05405A-09 20092814__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing the accomplishments of the 3 University of South Florida Bulls women’s basketball 4 program and commending the 2008-2009 team and coaching 5 staff on winning the Women's National Invitation 6 Tournament Title. 7 8 WHEREAS, Florida’s universities offer a world of 9 opportunity to young men and women through intercollegiate 10 sports, and 11 WHEREAS, student athletes enrolled in the University of 12 South Florida benefit from a quality academic experience and 13 top-level athletic competition, and 14 WHEREAS, the USF Women’s Basketball Team competes in the 15 nation’s premier college basketball conference, the Big East 16 Athletic Conference, and 17 WHEREAS, Head Coach Jose Fernandez and the 2008-2009 18 players, Crystal Ayers, Melissa Dalembert, Brittany Denson, 19 Shantia Grace, Porche Grant, Jessica Lawson, Ashley Sanders, 20 Jazmine Sepulveda, Allyson Speed, Janae Stokes, Kelsey Varney, 21 and Jasmine Wynne completed the most successful season in the 22 program’s history, setting a record for most wins in a season, 23 and 24 WHEREAS, the University of South Florida Women’s Basketball 25 Team won more games during the 2008-2009 season than any other 26 Florida NCAA Division I college basketball program, with the 27 Green-and-Gold ranking in the top five in the nation in scoring 28 throughout the season, averaging 78 points per game, and 29 WHEREAS, Head Coach Jose Fernandez has recorded the most 30 career wins by a head basketball coach in the program’s history, 31 and 32 WHEREAS, on Saturday, April 4, 2009, the University of 33 South Florida captured the Women’s National Invitation 34 Tournament Title, defeating the University of Kansas by a final 35 score of 75-71, and 36 WHEREAS, Sarasota’s own Senior Guard Shantia Grace, a 37 First-Team All-Big East performer during the regular season, was 38 named the Most Valuable Player of the Women’s National 39 Invitation Tournament, and 40 WHEREAS, the USF Women’s Basketball Team and their fine 41 Bulls coaching staff stand tall as yet another reason for Bull 42 Pride for the more than 4 million people in USF’s 10-county 43 Tampa Bay service area and in the State of Florida, NOW, 44 THEREFORE, 45 46 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 47 48 That the members of the Florida Senate recognize the 49 profound accomplishments of the University of South Florida 50 Bulls Women’s Basketball program, commend the 2008-2009 team and 51 coaching staff for this championship run, and express gratitude 52 for the honor that the team has brought to the state.