IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1035 

Honoring Villanova University for winning the 2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association championships in Division I women’s cross country 

and Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I–AA) and for other 

accomplishments. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 21, 2010 

Mr. SESTAK (for himself, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Ms. SCHWARTZ, and 

Mr. PITTS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring Villanova University for winning the 2009 National 

Collegiate Athletic Association championships in Division 

I women’s cross country and Football Championship 

Subdivision (formerly I–AA) and for other accomplishments. 

Whereas, on November 23, 2009, the Villanova University 

Wildcats’ women’s cross country team won its eighth National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I national 

championship; 

Whereas five runners on the Villanova University women’s 

cross country team finished in the top 26 positions at the 

national championship; 


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•HRES 1035 IH 

Whereas junior Amanda Marino finished sixth, junior Sheila 

Reid finished 13th, sophomore Bogdana Mimic finished 

22nd, junior Ali Smith finished 24th, senior Nicole 

Schappert finished 26th, freshman Brooke Simpson finished 60th, and senior Kaitlyn Tallman finished 98th 

overall at the national championship; 

Whereas the roster of the Villanova University women’s cross 

country team also included Meredith Altenhofen, Shannon Browne, Anna Francis, Meaghan Higgins, Callie 

Hogan, Katherine LoCosa, Sarah Morrison, Ariann 

Neutts, Kristen O’Dowd, Kaitlin O’Sullivan, Theresa 

Rush, and Meghan Smith; 

Whereas Gina Procaccio won her first title as the head coach 

of the women’s cross country team and was named women’s Division I National Cross Country coach of the year 

by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches 

Association; 

Whereas men’s cross country head coach Marcus O’Sullivan 

and assistant coaches Meghan Courtney and Adrian 

Blincoe contributed significantly to the success of the 

women’s cross country team; 

Whereas, on Friday, December 18, 2009, the Villanova University men’s football team won its first national title; 

Whereas the Villanova University football team won the 

championship game by defeating the top-ranked team 

from the University of Montana by a score of 23 to 21 

points; 

Whereas the Villanova University football team reached the 

National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Championship Subdivision title game with playoff victories over 

the football teams from the College of the Holy Cross, 


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•HRES 1035 IH 

the University of New Hampshire, and the College of 

William and Mary; 

Whereas the Villanova University football team was led by 

senior captains Brian Brannigan, Phil Matusz, and Osayi 

Osunde; 

Whereas junior wide receiver Matt Szczur and junior offensive lineman Ben Ijalana were named to the Football 

Championship Subdivision All-American Team; 

Whereas Will Thompson, the senior long snapper on the football team was the inaugural winner of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Elite 88 academic award for 

the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and has 

a 3.97 grade-point average as an accounting major; 

Whereas the roster of the Villanova University football team 

also included Louis Adeyemi, Ronnie Akins, Angelo 

Babbaro, Aaron Ball, Alex Behm, Ryan Bennett, Devon 

Bridges, Josh Bucci, Jonathan Bugli, Blaise Butler, 

Marlon Calbi, Tony Canci, Brant Clouser, Angel 

Clybourn, Aaron Conaway, Jarred Corey, Rakim Cox, 

Christian Culicerto, Donald Davis, John Dempsey, Lawrence Doss, Miller Edwards, Chidozie Ekweozor, Brennan 

Erbeznik, Chris Farmer, Delano Ferguson, Matthew 

Fritz, Aaron Grey, Patrick Haggerty, Chris Halcovage, 

Mark Hamilton, Brandyn Harvey, Nick Hurley, John 

Jackson, Larry Jackson, Anthony Johnson, Chris Johnson, Kelvin Johnson, Mario Johnson, Marlon Johnson, 

Marquis Kirkland, Tim Kukucka, Eric Loper, Conor 

Maher, Joe Makoid, Frederick Maldonado, Mike Mayock, 

Kenny Miles, Sean Miller, Ramin Mobasseri, Martel 

Moody, Sean Morrisey, Connor Nelson, John Nelson, 

Gene Oakley, Chris Otten, Vince Peterson, James Pitts, 

Travis Poston, Joshua Potts, Eric Predatsch, Joe Price, 


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•HRES 1035 IH 

Mikey Reynolds, Jeremy Rodriguez, Dominic Sarnecchia, 

Michael Sheridan, Dan Shirey, George Siracuse, Tom 

Teel, Terence Thomas, Jonathan Toroni, Zach Ugarte, 

Ross Ventrone, Jacob Wade, Thomas Weaver, Dorian 

Wells, Norman White, Chris Whitney, Nick Yako, 

Antwon Young, and Tamai Young; 

Whereas head coach Andy Talley led the Villanova University 

football team to its first national championship with 14 

wins and 1 loss, marking a program best; 

Whereas head coach Talley, who has admirably guided the 

Villanova University football program for 25 years, was 

named the 2009 American Football Coaches Association 

Football Championship Subdivision National Coach of 

the Year; 

Whereas head coach Talley started the national bone marrow 

registration campaign, known as the ‘‘Get in the Game 

and Save a Life’’ campaign, enlisting 26 college football 

programs from all levels that have combined to test more 

than 8,000 potential donors; 

Whereas head coach Talley and his coaching staff, including 

Daniel Blume, Billy Crocker, Mark Ferrante, Brian 

Flinn, Justus Galac, Pierre Ingram, Mark Reardon, 

David Riede, Darrius Smith, Sam Venuto, and Clint 

Wiley, deserve much credit for the outstanding determination and accomplishments of the team; 

Whereas the Villanova University football program, by being 

in the top 10 percent of football programs with regard 

to academic progress, received a Public Recognition 

Award from the National Collegiate Athletic Association 

for having an academic progress report of 980 out of a 

possible 1,000; 


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Whereas the Villanova athletic department holds an overall 

academic progress report of 986 in the May 2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association report, has a graduation success rate of 95 percent, and an overall gradepoint average of more than 3.0 for the 12th consecutive 

semester as of the spring 2009 semester; 

Whereas both the Villanova University men’s and women’s 

basketball teams qualified for the 2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament, and the men’s 

basketball team advanced to the Final Four in the Tournament; 

Whereas men’s basketball head coach Jay Wright was named 

the 2009 Big East Conference coach of the year and 

women’s basketball head coach Harry Perretta was 

named the 2009 Big East Conference co-coach of the 

year; 

Whereas the Villanova University men’s lacrosse team won 

the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association Championship and 

qualified for its first National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament appearance; 

Whereas Villanova University also supports a Special Olympics Committee that regularly plans and executes the 

largest student-run Special Olympics event in the world; 

Whereas Villanova University students and student athletes 

through their academic, athletic, and philanthropic accomplishments embody the meaning of the Villanova 

motto of ‘‘Veritas, Unitas, Caritas’’; and 

Whereas the students, alumni, faculty, and supporters of 

Villanova University are to be congratulated for their 

commitment to excellence in the classroom, in competitive 

athletics, and in community service: Now, therefore, be it 


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•HRES 1035 IH 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) congratulates the Villanova University wom3 en’s cross country team for winning the 2009 Na4 tional Collegiate Athletic Association Division I na5 tional championship; 

6 (2) congratulates the Villanova University 

7 men’s football team for winning the 2009 National 

8 Collegiate Athletic Association Football Champion9 ship Subdivision (formerly I–AA); 

10 (3) recognizes the achievements of the entire 

11 Villanova University Athletic Department, including 

12 players, coaches, and support staff, both on the play13 ing field and in the classroom; and 

14 (4) directs the Clerk of the House of Represent15 atives to make available enrolled copies of this reso16 lution to Villanova University for display and to 

17 transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to each 

18 coach and member of the 2009 National Collegiate 

19 Athletic Association Football Championship Subdivi20 sion men’s football national championship team, and 

21 to each coach and member of the 2009 National Col22 legiate Athletic Association women’s cross country 

23 national championship team. 

Æ 


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