HR 9091

1	House Resolution
2	A resolution honoring the 2008-2009 University of South
3	Florida Women's Basketball Team.
4
5	WHEREAS, Florida's universities offer a world of
6	opportunity to young men and women through intercollegiate
7	sports and, as part of the State University System, student
8	athletes enrolled at the University of South Florida benefit
9	from both a quality academic experience and the chance to
10	compete at the highest levels of college athletic competition,
11	and
12	WHEREAS, the University of South Florida Women's Basketball
13	Team competes in the nation's largest conference in college
14	basketball, the Big East Conference, and
15	WHEREAS, USF Women's Head Basketball Coach Jose Fernandez
16	and the 2008-2009 USF team members, Crystal Ayers, Melissa
17	Dalembert, Brittany Denson, Shantia Grace, Porche Grant, Jessica
18	Lawson, Ashley Sanders, Jazmine Sepulveda, Allyson Speed, Janae
19	Stokes, Kelsey Varney, and Jasmine Wynne, completed the most
20	successful season in the program's history, setting a record for
21	most wins in a season, and
22	WHEREAS, the Bulls chalked up the most 2008-2009 wins of
23	any Florida NCAA Division I college basketball program, with the
24	Green-and-Gold ranking in the top five in the nation in scoring
25	throughout the season and averaging a phenomenal 78 points per
26	game, and
27	WHEREAS, Head Coach Jose Fernandez has recorded the most
28	career wins by a head basketball coach in the program's history,
29	with the USF women's basketball team going to postseason play in
30	each of the last six seasons, and
31	WHEREAS, on Saturday, April 4, 2009, the University of
32	South Florida captured the Women's National Invitation
33	Tournament Title, defeating the University of Kansas in a
34	thrilling contest, stunning the record crowd of 16,113 in the
35	Jayhawks' own Allen Fieldhouse by a final score of 75-71, and
36	WHEREAS, Sarasota's own Senior Guard Shantia Grace, a First
37	Team All-Big East performer during the regular season, was named
38	the Most Valuable Player of the Women's National Invitation
39	Tournament, and
40	WHEREAS, the University of South Florida Women's Basketball
41	Team and the Bulls' excellent coaching staff stand tall as yet
42	another reason for "Bull Pride" among the more than 4 million
43	people in the University of South Florida's ten-county Tampa Bay
44	service area and citizens throughout the state, NOW, THEREFORE,
45
46	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
47	Florida:
48
49	That the Florida House of Representatives recognizes the
50	extraordinary accomplishments of the University of South Florida
51	Bulls Women's Basketball program, commends the 2008-2009 team
52	members and coaching staff for their championship run, and
53	expresses its gratitude for the honor which the team has brought
54	to the state.
55	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be
56	presented to the University of South Florida, to Head Coach Jose
57	Fernandez and each member of his coaching staff, and to each
58	member of the University of South Florida Bulls Women's
59	Basketball team as a tangible token of the sentiments expressed
60	herein.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.