House Resolution 142 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 142 BY KRESSIG , KELLEY , WENTHE , BERRY , T. OLSON , WINCKLER , JACOBY , PETERSEN , GASKILL , KEARNS , MURPHY , KAJTAZOVIC , THOMAS , MASCHER , ABDUL-SAMAD , T. TAYLOR , STECKMAN , RUNNING-MARQUARDT , ISENHART , WOLFE , THEDE , H. MILLER , HUNTER , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , LENSING , LYKAM , COHOON , M. SMITH , QUIRK , OLDSON , WILLEMS , MUHLBAUER , GAINES , WITTNEBEN , R. OLSON , RASMUSSEN , LOFGREN , SCHULTZ , ROGERS , and HUSEMAN A Resolution to honor the University of Northern Iowa’s 1 Women’s Rugby Club. 2 WHEREAS, there are over 300 women’s college 3 rugby teams in the United States, and the University 4 of Northern Iowa’s (UNI) Women’s Rugby Club has 5 consistently been one of the best; and 6 WHEREAS, the club was formed in 1994, and is the 7 premier club in Iowa, nationally recognized for the 8 numerous accomplishments and achievements of the 9 players and volunteer coaching staff; and 10 WHEREAS, for nine years the club has played in 11 Division I competition, moving up in 2004 from Division 12 II, where the club won two national titles; and 13 WHEREAS, the club has qualified for the Division I 14 National Sweet Sixteen for eight consecutive years and 15 will be competing in the event again this year on April 16 20-22 in Ohio; and 17 WHEREAS, UNI won the Division I Midwest Championship 18 in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2011, compiling an overall 19 record of 315 wins and 50 losses over 18 years; and 20 WHEREAS, UNI has had three players participate in 21 -1- LSB 6120HH (3) 84 jr/nh 1/ 2

H.R. 142 the World Cup; two alumni play for the USA Senior 1 Women’s Eagles, with one currently playing; and nine 2 women play for the USA U23 Women’s Eagles team; and 3 WHEREAS, several UNI players have advanced to the 4 regional and national levels, with over 30 players from 5 the UNI club participating on the Midwest U23 All-Star 6 team, five players being a part of the USA U19 Women’s 7 Eagles, over 100 players participating in the Iowa 8 Select Side Program, and six players representing UNI 9 on the collegiate All-American First Team; and 10 WHEREAS, the UNI club regularly competes against 11 much larger schools including Ohio State, the 12 University of Minnesota, the University of Illinois, 13 and Iowa State University in the Division I arena, 14 while the national competition includes Penn State, 15 Stanford, Texas A & M, and the Air Force; and 16 WHEREAS, Steve Murra has been the only head coach 17 since the club’s inception, with Jennifer Murra acting 18 as assistant coach, manager, and advisor to the club 19 since its inception; NOW THEREFORE, 20 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That 21 the House of Representatives honors the young women of 22 the University of Northern Iowa’s Women’s Rugby Club, 23 and coaches Steve Murra and Jennifer Murra, for the 24 remarkable and ongoing success of the UNI women’s rugby 25 program. 26 -2- LSB 6120HH (3) 84 jr/nh 2/ 2