| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Kelley Hurley and Courtney Hurley of San Antonio |
|
|
earned great distinction for their community, their state, and |
|
|
their nation with their medal-winning performance in fencing at the |
|
|
2012 Summer Olympics in London; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In a masterful demonstration of skill and agility, |
|
|
the Hurley sisters joined with teammate Maya Lawrence to capture |
|
|
the bronze medal in the women's team epee event with a thrilling |
|
|
31-30 overtime victory against Russia; Kelley aided the U.S. cause |
|
|
with a convincing 4-1 victory in the fifth bout; Courtney scored in |
|
|
the last 30 seconds of regulation to draw the squad even, then made |
|
|
a daring lunge just 16 seconds into overtime to land the decisive |
|
|
touch that gave the United States a spot on the podium; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, These talented Texans took up their chosen sport as |
|
|
young girls thanks to the guidance of their parents, Robert and |
|
|
Tracy Hurley, who had originally met at a fencing club; |
|
|
demonstrating the fast reflexes and calm nerves necessary to excel, |
|
|
the girls were soon competing regularly in Texas and Oklahoma, and |
|
|
each went on to win national titles in the 10-year-old, |
|
|
12-year-old, and 14-year-old divisions; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Kelley Hurley further demonstrated her precocious |
|
|
talent at the age of 14, when she took the top prize at the Junior |
|
|
National Championships, defeating a number of far-older opponents; |
|
|
three years later, she became the first American to earn the epee |
|
|
title at the Cadet World Championships, and she capped off her |
|
|
junior career at the age of 20 by capturing the Junior World |
|
|
Championship; in 2008, she made her Olympic debut, representing the |
|
|
United States at the Beijing games; a graduate of the University of |
|
|
Notre Dame, she was selected as an All-American three times during |
|
|
her collegiate career and served as cocaptain of the women's epee |
|
|
team as a senior; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Courtney Hurley followed closely in her sister's |
|
|
footsteps, appearing in her first international competition at age |
|
|
14 and securing her own Cadet World Championship title when she was |
|
|
16; she won the Junior Olympic and USA National championships in |
|
|
consecutive years and was the overall points champion on the Junior |
|
|
World Cup circuit during the 2009-2010 season; currently a student |
|
|
at Notre Dame, she is a two-time All-American and the 2010 winner of |
|
|
the school's Knute Rockne Student-Athlete Award; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Throughout their pursuit of athletic excellence, |
|
|
the sisters have benefited from the tireless efforts of their |
|
|
parents as well as the generous assistance of a number of other key |
|
|
supporters; Patricia Hill, their high school principal, and Bill |
|
|
Hill, their guidance counselor, have been avid boosters and were |
|
|
instrumental in helping both young women to succeed in their |
|
|
athletic and academic endeavors at Notre Dame; moreover, the late |
|
|
Paul Pesthy coached the athletes for many years, and his wife, |
|
|
Carolyn, aided their progress in numerous ways; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Earning an Olympic medal is an exceptional |
|
|
achievement that many strive to attain but few accomplish; Kelley |
|
|
and Courtney Hurley's success in London has placed them among the |
|
|
elite of their sport, and these young women are a proud addition to |
|
|
the roll call of exceptional athletes who have hailed from the Lone |
|
|
Star State; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby congratulate Kelley Hurley and Courtney Hurley |
|
|
on winning bronze medals in the women's team epee competition at the |
|
|
2012 Summer Olympics in London and extend to them sincere best |
|
|
wishes for the future; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared |
|
|
for Kelley and Courtney Hurley as an expression of high regard by |
|
|
the Texas House of Representatives. |