R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, On February 15, 1997, at the age of 14, Tara

 1-2     Lipinski became the youngest woman to win the U.S. Figure Skating

 1-3     Championships, and this accomplishment is indeed deserving of

 1-4     special legislative recognition; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, A native of Philadelphia, Ms. Lipinski  and her

 1-6     parents, Pat and Jack Lipinski, have resided in Sugar Land since

 1-7     the early 1990s; her schedule, however, keeps her on the go almost

 1-8     constantly, taking her all across the country and to international

 1-9     locales such as Lausanne, Switzerland, and Budapest, Hungary; and

1-10           WHEREAS, This tiny titan of figure skating began her career

1-11     at the age of three when her mother took her to a local

1-12     roller-skating rink; after competing in and winning numerous

1-13     competitions over the next few years, she graduated to the more

1-14     high-profile world of ice skating, although she maintains an

1-15     affinity for roller skating, her first love; and

1-16           WHEREAS, Though still a youngster, Ms. Lipinski has already

1-17     accumulated an impressive list of awards and accolades during her

1-18     career; in addition to her most recent achievement, she won the

1-19     gold medal at the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival as a junior level

1-20     skater and also received the Mary Lou Retton Award, which honors

1-21     athletes who have demonstrated outstanding promise for the future;

1-22     and

1-23           WHEREAS, She finished third in the 1996 National

1-24     Championships and recorded a promising 15th place finish in the

 2-1     1996 World Championships; at the junior level, this talented teen

 2-2     was the runner-up in the 1995 National Junior Championships and

 2-3     placed fourth in that year's World Junior Championships; and

 2-4           WHEREAS, Tara Lipinski's love of skating and her desire to be

 2-5     the best are obvious every time she performs in front of her

 2-6     growing legion of fans, and this mature young woman has

 2-7     demonstrated the hard work, determination, and talent necessary to

 2-8     succeed in this highly competitive field; now, therefore, be it

 2-9           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

2-10     Legislature hereby congratulate Tara Lipinski on her many

2-11     achievements in the world of figure skating and extend to her

2-12     sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness in the

2-13     years to come; and, be it further

2-14           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-15     prepared for Ms. Lipinski as an expression of high regard by the

2-16     Texas House of Representatives.

                                                                      Howard

                                             _______________________________

                                                   Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.R. No. 343 was adopted by the House on April

         3, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House