Jerry Moran: “I rise and join my colleagues here today to recognize a group of young women from Kansas who exemplify the meaning of…”

“I rise and join my colleagues here today to recognize a group of young women from Kansas who exemplify the meaning of teamwork: the 2010 Emporia State University Lady Hornets, who this year won the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship. Teams in my home State of Kansas and across the plains know the Emporia State University Lady Hornets all too well. Under the direction of Head Coach Brandon Schneider, the Lady Hornets have developed into a powerhouse of women's college basketball from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, the MIAA. Heading into the 2009-2010 season, Coach Schneider had led the Lady Hornets to 10 NCAA tournament appearances, six MIAA regular season conference championships, three MIAA tournament conference championships, four NCAA South Central Regional Championships, and two NCAA Division II Final Four appearances. Moreover, at the conclusion of this season, Emporia State University had been ranked as the NCAA Division II Top 25 for the last 13 seasons and has been ranked in the top 10 in weekly polls for a total of 125 weeks since 1998, more than any other program in the country.”