UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2491 Page 1 of 2 XXXX 3/25/2024 5:13 PM Jacketed A RESOLUTION honoring the Sacred Heart Academy Valkyries, 2024 KHSAA 1 Girls' Sweet Sixteen Basketball Champions. 2 WHEREAS, on March 16, 2024, before a crowd of 3,562 fans at Rupp Arena in 3 Lexington, the Sacred Heart Academy Valkyries defeated the Mustangs of McCracken 4 County High School by a score of 60 to 49 to capture the 2024 Kentucky High School 5 Athletic Association (KHSAA) Girls' Sweet Sixteen Basketball Championship; and 6 WHEREAS, the championship game, a rematch of last year's final, was a close 7 affair in the first half, with no team holding a lead of more than five points. The 8 Valkyries broke the game open with a 14-2 run at the end of the second quarter and the 9 beginning of the third, turning a 28-28 tie with 55 seconds left in the first half into a 42-10 30 lead three minutes into the second half; and 11 WHEREAS, the state championship is the school's eighth, which is the most in state 12 history and marks the first time any basketball squad, boys or girls, has captured four 13 consecutive state basketball championships; and 14 WHEREAS, the victory in the championship game punctuated a season that saw the 15 Valkyries compile a record of 31 wins against seven losses, extend their winning streak 16 against teams from the Commonwealth to 73 games, and outscore their opponents by an 17 average of over 23 points a game; and 18 WHEREAS, the Valkyries were led by junior ZaKiyah Johnson, who averaged 18.9 19 points and 7.2 rebounds a game over the course of the entire season and earned Sweet 20 Sixteen MVP honors averaging 18.9 points and 4.5 assists per game in the tournament; 21 and 22 WHEREAS, other members of the Valkyries who were named to the All-23 Tournament team were senior guard Reagan Bender, who averaged 12.3 points per game, 24 and senior guard Angelina Pelayo, who averaged 12.8 points and 6 rebounds per game; 25 and 26 WHEREAS, other members of the team were seniors Allea Holbrook, Emi-Lee 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2491 Page 2 of 2 XXXX 3/25/2024 5:13 PM Jacketed Howe, Claire Russell, and Abigail Wolff; juniors Morgan Frey, Addison Kincaid, and 1 Caroline Osting; sophomores Kat Cummins and Gabby DeCamillis; freshmen Becca 2 Carson, Amirah Jordan, and Ashleah Smith; and manager Audrey Potempa; and 3 WHEREAS, the Valkyries were coached by Donna Moir, who earned a record 4 seventh state championship, and assistants Presley Brown, Matthew E. Carson, David 5 Green, Frederick Moir, Jr., Crystal L. Riley II, and Amy Siegel; and 6 WHEREAS, although the Valkyries lose three senior starters off their 2024 squad, 7 the four-time defending state champions have high hopes that the team can continue their 8 unprecedented streak of consecutive state championship in 2025; and 9 WHEREAS, the incredible run of four consecutive state championships by the 10 Sacred Heart Valkyries has cemented their place in the storied annals of Kentucky high 11 school basketball history, and this amazing team is doubtless worthy of public 12 recognition; 13 NOW, THEREFORE, 14 Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 15 Kentucky: 16 Section 1. The members of the Senate join Senator Julie Raque Adams in 17 congratulating the Sacred Heart Valkyries and Coach Donna Moir on their winning the 18 2024 KHSAA Girls' Sweet Sixteen Championship, saluting their tradition of basketball 19 excellence and their unprecedented fourth consecutive state championship, and wishing 20 the team and coaches good fortune in all future endeavors. 21 Section 2. The Clerk of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this Resolution to 22 the Senator Julie Raque Adams for presentation to the team. 23