Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Bush welcomes national champs to White House
By Brendan Lowe
The Diamondback (U. Maryland)
04/07/2006

(CSTV U-WIRE) COLLEGE PARK, Md. — WASHINGTON — After spending yesterday morning in Charlotte talking about eliminating al-Qaeda and winning the war in Iraq, President Bush took to the South Lawn of the White House in the afternoon to compare heights with forward Crystal Langhorne and mangle the name of men's soccer coach Sasho Cirovski.

It was just another whirlwind day for Bush and the Terrapin women's basketball team, which joined the men's soccer team and the field hockey team at the White House's National Champions Day less than 48 hours after winning its first national championship.

"Perhaps one theme of Champion's Day is: Fear the Turtle," Bush said to several hundred players, politicians and media gathered on the South Lawn that extends toward the Washington Monument.

The three Terrapin teams were among 12 collegiate national champions from the fall and winter seasons that spent the afternoon touring the White House and getting their pictures taken with Bush.

"We went to one of the nice little bathrooms," freshman guard Kristi Toliver said.

At 3 p.m., the teams were announced to the crowd and, with "The President's Own" United States Marine Band playing the university fight song, walked out of the Diplomatic Reception Room and downstairs to fans pumping their arms to M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D.

Among those in attendance were U.S. Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Paul Sarbanes, Congressman Steny Hoyer and university President Dan Mote. Mikulski, who won a barbecue meal in a bet with North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole over the Duke championship game, wore a red jacket and red "Fear the Turtle" hat.

"This is just simply a matter of Terrapin pride," said Athletics Director Debbie Yow, who visited the White House in 2002 when the men's basketball team won the national championship.

Representatives from each of the teams stood on a small platform, while the rest of the formally dressed players and coaches sat in the general audience. Langhorne, representing the basketball team, lined up directly behind Bush's right shoulder, while Emily Beach (field hockey) and David Glaudemans (soccer) stood to her side.

In his 10-minute remarks, Bush tried to say something personal as he addressed each program, referring to the women basketball team's "dramatic overtime win" and how it must have given the field hockey team "a special delight" to defeat Duke in the title game.

When he reached the men's soccer team, Bush gamely tried to pronounce coach Cirovski's name, which is pronounced 'Sir-ov-ski.' In 2001, Bush did not bother trying to pronounce Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's name when he brought his team to the White House.

"The reason I call him 'Coach K' is because sometimes I have trouble pronouncing long words," Bush said then.

This time around, Bush took at a stab at Sasho Cirovski and ended up with "Sasha Ciroviski."

"I've heard so many versions of my name I'm used to it," Cirovski said later. "It's just such an honor to have your name mentioned by the president of the United States."

Later in his speech, Bush again made the crowd laugh, this time purposefully, when he announced the U.S. Military Academy men's rifle championship team.

"If you happen to be walking around and run into the Vice President, you might give him a few pointers," Bush said, calling to mind Vice President Dick Cheney's accidental shooting of a hunting companion in February.

After Bush finished speaking, each team presented him with a personalized jersey, and the field hockey team threw in an autographed stick. As Langhorne posed for a picture with Bush, junior guard Shay Doron captured the proceedings on video for a local TV show that couldn't attend.

Despite waiting 30 minutes to take a picture with Bush and not being fed anything during the four mid-afternoon hours they spent at the White House, the teams all reported having a memorable experience, especially men's soccer player A.J. Godbolt.

Bush singled out Godbolt when he met the team for its picture. The president had heard the junior midfielder was a native of Austin, Texas, where Bush lived for eight years when he was governor of the Lone Star State. Godbolt said Bush was familiar with the high school he attended.

"It was an honor to meet him," Godbolt said. "I love that he has so much pride in Texas."

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