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2011 SESSION
WHEREAS, Gary Franke, the illustrious head coach of the Washington and Lee University wrestling program, will retire in 2011 after 38 seasons with the Generals; and
WHEREAS, a native of Minnesota, Gary Franke graduated from Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University-Mankato), where his own wrestling career included a school-record 32-match winning streak in the 118-pound weight class; and
WHEREAS, after serving as an assistant coach at the United States Military Academy, Gary Franke joined the staff of Washington and Lee University in 1973 as head wrestling coach and assistant athletic trainer, and in 1979 traded the assistant trainer position for that of the men’s head tennis coach; and
WHEREAS, a man of high principles who has demonstrated great enthusiasm for and commitment to his teams, Gary Franke has instilled in his players a strong work ethic, commitment to excellence, and sense of integrity; and
WHEREAS, as the men’s head tennis coach, Gary Franke led the Generals to Washington and Lee University’s first NCAA Division III national championship in 1988 and received the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III National Coach of the Year award; and
WHEREAS, as head wrestling coach, Gary Franke has compiled an impressive record, becoming the winningest coach in Washington and Lee University’s 90-year wrestling history; and
WHEREAS, Gary Franke led the wrestling team to three Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championships and was named the ODAC Coach of the Year twice; and
WHEREAS, in 2006 the Generals took fifth place in the Centennial Conference championships, the best finish ever for the Generals in the conference, with Gary Franke taking home Centennial Coach of the Year honors; and
WHEREAS, Gary Franke has encouraged his players to excel not only on the mat, but also in the classroom, having coached over a dozen Academic All-American wrestlers; and
WHEREAS, during Gary Franke’s tenure, Richard Redfoot became Washington and Lee University’s only NCAA Division III All-American and for three of the past four years, the wrestling team has been named an Academic All-American Team, finishing fifth, eleventh, and third among Division III schools ranked by GPAs; and
WHEREAS, Gary Franke has left a lasting mark on Washington and Lee University’s wrestling and tennis programs and on the lives of the hundreds of young men he has mentored and coached over the years; and
WHEREAS, after a distinguished career as head coach, Gary Franke will continue to guide and influence Washington and Lee University’s wrestling team and students as an assistant coach and associate professor of physical education; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend Gary Franke on his stellar coaching career at Washington and Lee University on the occasion of his retirement as head coach; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Gary Franke as an expression of the General Assembly’s congratulations and admiration for his award-winning coaching career.