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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Sally Kipyego has been honored by the YWCA of |
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Lubbock with a Women of Excellence Special Award for her remarkable |
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athletic achievements, and her selection for this tribute is most |
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fitting; and |
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WHEREAS, The Women of Excellence Award was created in 1989 to |
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emphasize the vital roles that women play in both the civic and |
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professional worlds, honoring women for their achievements and for |
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their contributions to the community as leaders and volunteers; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the most accomplished women's cross-country |
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runners in NCAA Division I history, Ms. Kipyego has never lost a |
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race in three seasons at Texas Tech University; with three |
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consecutive national championships, she garnered as many |
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prestigious Honda Collegiate Women Sports Awards, becoming only the |
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eighth person to win three straight in any sport in the award's |
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33-year history; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Kipyego led her team to a program-best sixth |
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place at the 2006 national meet and seventh in 2008, and she was |
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named regional and national Female Cross Country Athlete of the |
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Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches |
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Association each season she competed; she also was the Big 12 |
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Newcomer of the Year in 2006 and an Academic All-Big 12 second team |
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honoree in 2007, and she has won a total of eight national titles to |
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date; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to setting the NCAA cross-country |
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championship meet and course record in 2008, Ms. Kipyego holds NCAA |
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records in the indoor 3,000 meters and the outdoor 10,000 meters; |
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indoors, she won national titles for 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters |
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in 2007 and 5,000 meters in 2008, earning national Athlete of the |
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Year honors; she was also Big 12 champion in the distance medley |
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relay, mile, and 3,000 meters in 2007 and in the mile and 3,000 |
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meters in 2008, earning Big 12 Indoor Track Female Athlete of the |
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Year both seasons; and |
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WHEREAS, In outdoor competition, Ms. Kipyego has national |
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titles in the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters, adding All America |
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status in the 5,000 meters in 2007 and l,500 meters in 2008; she was |
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honored as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches |
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Association Female Track Athlete of the Year in 2008 and swept the |
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5,000 meters and 10,000 meters at the Big 12 Championships; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Kipyego began her college career at South Plains |
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College, where she won national titles in cross-country and the |
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1,500 meters, 5,000 meters, and 10,000 meters outdoors, earned |
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Female Athlete of the Year honors, and was named a Lady Texan |
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Academic Athlete; she is currently on schedule to earn her |
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bachelor's degree in nursing in May; and |
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WHEREAS, With her receipt of a Women of Excellence Award, |
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Sally Kipyego joins an elite group of women who have been honored by |
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the YWCA of Lubbock; distinguished by her intelligence, |
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determination, and talent, she is indeed a worthy role model for |
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this and future generations; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby congratulate Sally Kipyego on receiving the YWCA of |
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Lubbock's Women of Excellence 2009 Special Award for athletic |
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achievements and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued |
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success and happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Kipyego as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives and Senate. |