IN RECOGNITION OF LAURA WHALEN SLANE ON HER INDUCTION INTO THE LUZERNE COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 144
(Extensions of Remarks - September 10, 2019)
Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN RECOGNITION OF LAURA WHALEN SLANE ON HER INDUCTION INTO THE LUZERNE
COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME
______
HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT
of pennsylvania
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor former athlete
and Northeastern Pennsylvania native, Laura Whalen Slane. This year,
Laura was inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame at the
35th annual dinner on August 11, 2019 for her distinct athletic
achievements in the sport of field hockey.
Every year, the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame honors those who
have brought fame and recognition to the state of Pennsylvania through
their outstanding achievements and contributions in athletic endeavors.
Laura is a graduate of Crestwood High School's Class of 1996. There
she played several sports including basketball, soccer, track and
field, and field hockey. In 1995, Laura was named field hockey team
captain and helped her team secure the AAA District Championship. For
her impressive efforts, she was placed on the All-Conference first team
and the All-State second team. In addition to her many accomplishments
in field hockey, she was also the captain of the basketball team and
set a number of district track records.
After high school, Laura continued her excellence in sports at
Rutgers University. During her time at Rutgers, she won several field
hockey awards including The Mission Statement Award, The Coaches Award,
Rutgers Defensive Player of the Year, and Team MVP. She also earned
other honors during her college career, including Big East Player of
the Week, Big East Academic All-Star, and Rutgers Player of the Year.
She played on the Big East All-Conference team and was named a Division
I Regional All-American. While helping her team accomplish six shut-out
games, she succeeded in breaking the Rutgers school record for most
defensive saves in a single season.
In addition to her stunning sports record, Laura pursued an academic
career which led her to become world history teacher in New Jersey. She
has taught at Warren Hills Regional School District for 16 years while
coaching for the past 13 years. To date, her teams have only lost a
total of 5 games under her leadership. Laura still has time to
participate in other sports as well; she plays in a soccer league and
runs 5ks and half-marathons when time allows. She is supported in her
sports endeavors by her husband Roger and son Andrew.
It is an honor to recognize Laura on her induction into the Luzerne
County Sports Hall of Fame. May her tremendous athletic career and
service to the community be a source of inspiration to future athletes
in Pennsylvania.
