|
USC NCAA Champion Women's Soccer And Golf Teams Visit White House
June 24, 2008
• Transcript of President Bush's speech welcoming 2007-08 NCAA champions to the White House • Video of President Bush's speech welcoming 2007-08 NCAA champions to the White House • The 2008 USC women's golf team poses with President Bush as he welcomes this season's NCAA champions to the White House. (Click to View) • The 2007 USC women's soccer team poses with President Bush as he welcomes this season's NCAA champions to the White House (Click to View) WOMEN'S SOCCER WASHINGTON VISIT PHOTO GALLERY
The defending NCAA champion USC women's soccer and golf teams were among 20 national championship teams of 2007-08 welcomed today (June 24) to the White House by President George W. Bush. Bush addressed the assembled teams on the White House's South Lawn, along with a crowd of senators, congressmen, coaches, athletic department staff members and fans. Each team had one player representative -- including USC's Ashley Nick (soccer) and Paola Moreno (golf) sharing the stage with Bush. He also posed for photos with each team inside the White House. The Women of Troy soccer team presented Bush with a soccer ball and jersey, while the golf team gave him a USC golf hat and golf club cover. The other NCAA championship teams joining USC's were: Oregon men's cross country, UCLA's women's tennis, women's water polo and men's golf, Maryland-Eastern Short women's bowling, California men's water polo, Tennessee women's basketball, Georgia men's tennis and women's gymnastics, North Carolina women's field hockey, Penn State men's volleyball and women's volleyball, Denver skiing, Ohio State fencing, Boston College men's ice hockey, Minnesota-Duluth women's ice hockey, Oklahoma men's gymnastics and Syracuse men's lacrosse. "We honor you all and we welcome you to the White House," said Bush. "And as importantly, we thank you for your contributions to the communities in which you live. These athletes have volunteered at food banks during holidays, they have visited schools to inspire children with disabilities, they've encouraged literacy and good health, they've raised money to fight cancer. What I'm telling you is they're great athletes and good citizens. And for that, our country is grateful. ,We're glad that you're here. We congratulate you and your families and your schools for your achievements. We ask for God's blessings on you and on our country. "I appreciate the fact that you showed incredible discipline, skill, perseverance. It's hard to become a champ, and that's why we love to honor people here at the White House when you become one." Prior to their stop at the White House, both USC teams visited the Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Monday (June 23). In 2007, USC captured the program's (and the Pac-10's) first-ever NCAA women's soccer crown in a record-breaking season, posting a 20-3-2 mark (a school record for victories) with a record 15 shutouts and a record-low 13 goals allowed. On their march to the NCAA title, the Women of Troy posted four consecutive shutouts, then beat crosstown foe UCLA in the semifinals (2-1) before shutting out Florida State, 2-0, in the final. Head coach Ali Khosroshahin became the first coach in NCAA history to win the national championship in his first season at a school and was honored as National Coach of the Year. Goalie Kristin Olsen made the All-American first team and midfielder Nick was an All-American second teamer. Featuring a school-record lineup of five All-Americans, the 2008 USC women's golf team won the program's second national championship, leading the 72-hole NCAA final wire-to-wire. Under 12th-year head coach Andrea Gaston, USC won a school record four tournaments in a row to close the season. Prior to winning the NCAA crown, USC won its first Pac-10 title since 1989 and won its NCAA Regional for the third year in a row. Belen Mozo led USC's quintet of Trojans as an All-American first teamer. Dewi-Claire Schreefel, Stefanie Endstrasser and Lizette Salas were All-American second teamers while Paola Moreno was an All-American honorable mention pick. Gaston was also tabbed the National Coach of the Year. USC now has won 108 national team championships in its history.
|
 |
