HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, Brandon Slay of Amarillo, who won the gold medal in
1-2 wrestling at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, is visiting the State
1-3 Capitol on May 23, 2001; and
1-4 WHEREAS, Born in Amarillo, Mr. Slay is the son of Doug and
1-5 Becky Slay, and he has benefited greatly from their love and
1-6 support and that of his grandmother; and
1-7 WHEREAS, At the age of six he began attending wrestling
1-8 practice at the YMCA, and in his first match he was summarily
1-9 beaten by Brandon Brown, sparking a childhood bond that has grown
1-10 into a lifelong friendship and business partnership; refusing to
1-11 give up, Mr. Slay steadily progressed and became Texas state
1-12 champion by the third and fourth seasons; and
1-13 WHEREAS, When attending Tascosa High School, this
1-14 accomplished young Texan and two other wrestlers, Brandon Brown and
1-15 Brandon Caster, formed the "Killer B's" of the school's Wrestling
1-16 Rebels team; they helped their team win the state title in 1991,
1-17 and Mr. Slay continued in his path of victory, garnering three
1-18 state titles and a place on the state championship team as well as
1-19 being a three-time All-American at The Juniors; and
1-20 WHEREAS, Mr. Slay also excelled in his schoolwork, and, when
1-21 he chose to wrestle for the University of Pennsylvania, this
1-22 exceptional individual earned a dual degree from Penn's prestigious
1-23 Wharton School of Business in finance and entrepreneurial
1-24 management, while twice winning second place in the NCAA and
2-1 setting his sights on the Olympics; and
2-2 WHEREAS, In September 1998, Mr. Slay moved to Colorado
2-3 Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center under coach Kevin
2-4 Jackson; his strong faith, determined spirit, and hard work helped
2-5 him to win the 2000 National Championship; a lone Texan competing
2-6 at the 2000 Olympic Trials in Dallas, this proud citizen of the
2-7 Lone Star State won an Olympic berth on June 24, 2000; and
2-8 WHEREAS, At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Mr. Slay
2-9 competed with true Texas honor, courage, and skill; meeting the
2-10 challenges of his staunch competitors, he won the gold medal with
2-11 the honesty and sportsmanship indicative of his character and
2-12 career; and
2-13 WHEREAS, Mr. Slay, in partnership with Brandon Brown, that
2-14 childhood friend who handed him his first defeat, has started a
2-15 company called "Greater Gold" to contribute to the sport and the
2-16 community all that he has learned and gained over the years;
2-17 furthermore, he is creating a nonprofit organization called
2-18 "Greater Gold Outreach," which holds rallies in Amarillo and
2-19 establishes scholarships for high school seniors, and he has plans
2-20 to perform other good works for young people; and
2-21 WHEREAS, A champion on and off the mat, Mr. Slay is a
2-22 remarkable Texan living an inspirational life, and his integrity,
2-23 commitment, and strong character make him a source of great pride
2-24 for his state and a wonderful role model for children everywhere;
2-25 now, therefore, be it
2-26 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-27 hereby honor Brandon Slay for his Olympic gold medal victory and
3-1 commend him for his many other achievements; and, be it further
3-2 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-3 prepared for Mr. Slay as an expression of high regard by the Texas
3-4 House of Representatives and Senate.
Smithee
Swinford
Laney Goodman Merritt
Alexander Goolsby Miller
Allen Gray Moreno of Harris
Averitt Green Moreno of El Paso
Bailey Grusendorf Morrison
Berman Gutierrez Mowery
Bonnen Haggerty Naishtat
Bosse Hamric Najera
Brimer Hardcastle Nixon
Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Noriega
Brown of Brazos Hawley Oliveira
Burnam Heflin Olivo
Callegari Hilbert Pickett
Capelo Hilderbran Pitts
Carter Hill Puente
Chavez Hinojosa Ramsay
Chisum Hochberg Rangel
Christian Hodge Raymond
Clark Homer Reyna of Bexar
Coleman Hope Reyna of Dallas
Cook Hopson Ritter
Corte Howard Sadler
Counts Hunter Salinas
Crabb Hupp Seaman
Craddick Isett Shields
Crownover Janek Smith
Danburg Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Davis of Harris Jones of Bexar Solis
Davis of Dallas Jones of Dallas Solomons
Delisi Junell Swinford
Denny Keel Talton
Deshotel Keffer Telford
Driver King of Parker Thompson
Dukes King of Uvalde Tillery
Dunnam Kitchen Truitt
Dutton Kolkhorst Turner of Coleman
Edwards Krusee Turner of Harris
Ehrhardt Kuempel Uher
Eiland Lewis of Tarrant Uresti
Elkins Lewis of Orange Villarreal
Ellis Longoria Walker
Farabee Luna West
Farrar McCall Williams
Flores McClendon Wilson
Gallego McReynolds Wise
Garcia Madden Wohlgemuth
George Marchant Wolens
Geren Martinez Fischer Woolley
Giddings Maxey Yarbrough
Glaze Menendez Zbranek
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 305 was adopted by the House on May
23, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 305 was adopted by the Senate on
May 23, 2001, by a viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________________
Date
__________________________
Governor