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Rep. Kenny Marchant

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise to recognize the Carroll Senior High School Dragon cross country boys and girls teams for winning their respective 2011 Texas state championship titles.

Carroll Senior High School competes in the University Interscholastic League Class 5A, the most competitive athletic class composed of the largest schools in Texas. For the girls team, this championship was their fifth in Class 5A since 2005, and their first since 2008. For the boys team, this was their first title in school history.

Both teams turned out strong performances by all competitors. The girls won with a team score of 34 points. Three of their runners earned a spot among the top ten finishers at the state competition. Courtney Kriegshauser led the Lady Dragons with a second-place finish.

The boys' first title broke the championship record for team points. They finished with 20 points, which is the lowest in the history of 5A state meets. Five of the boys made the top ten, with Nate Sullivan leading the way in fifth.

I am extremely proud of the Carroll Dragon cross country teams for their excellence in athleticism and sportsmanship. I would like to recognize each player on these championship teams. For the girls: Shelby Chapin, Rachel Harper, Felice Johnson, Courtney Kriegshauser, Allison Naval, Sarah Roe and Julia Sunderland. For the boys: Jordan Chavez, Trevor Gilley, Ben Golestan, Connor Hendrickson, Alex Johansson, Joe Sansone and Nate Sullivan. The team was guided by an exceptional coaching staff that included Justin Leonard, Nichole Gilley, Brandon Rogers, and Christopher Anderson.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating the Carroll Dragon cross country teams on winning the boys and girls state championship titles.