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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Swimming coach Bev Ball is retiring from McMurry |
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| 6 | 7 | | University in 2017, drawing to a close a storied career in athletics |
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| 7 | 8 | | that has spanned 67 years; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, A graduate of Throckmorton High School, Bev Ball |
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| 9 | 10 | | went on to earn a bachelor's degree from North Texas State |
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| 10 | 11 | | University and then took a job at Jefferson Middle School in |
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| 11 | 12 | | Abilene; after teaching and coaching there for three years, she |
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| 12 | 13 | | joined the faculty at Abilene High School as the girls' tennis |
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| 13 | 14 | | coach; she switched her focus to swimming 15 years later and coached |
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| 14 | 15 | | the sport at Abilene and Cooper High Schools for a total of 32 years |
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| 15 | 16 | | before retiring from the Abilene Independent School District in |
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| 16 | 17 | | 1999; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, The following year, Ms. Ball was hired as the first |
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| 18 | 19 | | swimming coach at McMurry University, where she was tasked with |
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| 19 | 20 | | developing the program from scratch; through her leadership and |
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| 20 | 21 | | acute knowledge of the sport, she molded the War Hawks into a |
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| 21 | 22 | | fiercely competitive team, and in 2016, five McMurry swimmers set |
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| 22 | 23 | | school records at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference swim |
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| 23 | 24 | | meet; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, In recognition of that accomplishment, Ms. Ball was |
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| 25 | 26 | | selected as corecipient of the 2016 SCAC Coaching Staff of the Year |
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| 26 | 27 | | Award; she has also earned a host of other accolades, including a |
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| 27 | 28 | | 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Swimming and Diving |
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| 28 | 29 | | Hall of Fame, a 2012 Woman of Outstanding Achievement Award from the |
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| 29 | 30 | | Abilene branch of the American Association of University Women, the |
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| 30 | 31 | | 1999 Chuck Moser Girls' Coach of the Year Award, the 1998 Theron |
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| 31 | 32 | | Pickle Outstanding Achievement Award from the Texas |
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| 32 | 33 | | Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association, and a 1997-1998 Coach Who |
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| 33 | 34 | | Makes a Difference Award from Fox Sports Southwest; moreover, she |
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| 34 | 35 | | was inducted into the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, One of the longest-tenured coaches in any sport in |
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| 36 | 37 | | Texas, Bev Ball has proven her abilities at the middle school, high |
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| 37 | 38 | | school, and college levels over the course of six and a half |
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| 38 | 39 | | decades, and the exemplary record she has built as a coach, mentor, |
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| 39 | 40 | | and role model will continue to resonate in Abilene and beyond for |
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| 40 | 41 | | decades to come; now, therefore, be it |
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| 41 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 42 | 43 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Bev Ball on her retirement from |
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| 43 | 44 | | McMurry University and extend to her sincere best wishes for the |
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| 44 | 45 | | future; and, be it further |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 46 | 47 | | prepared for Coach Ball as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 47 | 48 | | House of Representatives. |
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