LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating Jessica Lawson upon the occasion
of capturing the NYSPHSAA Girls Track and Field Championship

WHEREAS, Excellence and success in competitive sports can be achieved
only through strenuous practice, team play and team spirit, nurtured by
dedicated coaching and strategic planning; and
WHEREAS, Athletic competition enhances the moral and physical develop-
ment of the young people of this State, preparing them for the future by
instilling in them the value of teamwork, encouraging a standard of
healthy living, imparting a desire for success and developing a sense of
fair play and competition; and
WHEREAS, Jessica Lawson is the NYSPHSAA Girls Track and Field Cham-
pion; and
WHEREAS, A standout junior distance runner for the Corning Hawks,
Jessica Lawson earned her second state championship in the 3,000 meters
on Friday, June 10, 2016, and did so by breaking her own school record
in the event; and
WHEREAS, As the top-seeded girls runner in the 3,000 meters at the New
York State Public High School Athletic Association track and field cham-
pionships, Jessica Lawson bested the field with a personal and school-
record time of 9:24.36; and
WHEREAS, The recipient of numerous awards and accolades, Jessica
Lawson was twice named the Gatorade State Girls Cross Country Runner of
the Year for New York; she was named the 2015 New York State Girls
Runner of the Year for cross country by the New York State Sportswriters
Association; and
WHEREAS, The athletic talent displayed by Jessica Lawson is due in
great part to the efforts of Coach Ray Lawson, a skilled and inspira-
tional tutor, respected for his ability to develop potential into excel-
lence; and
WHEREAS, Jessica Lawson's overall record is outstanding; she was
loyally and enthusiastically supported by family, fans, friends and the
community at large; and
WHEREAS, Athletically and academically, Jessica Lawson has proven
herself to be an unbeatable combination of talents, reflecting favorably
on her school; and
WHEREAS, Coach Ray Lawson has done a superb job in guiding, molding
and inspiring Jessica Lawson towards her goals; and
WHEREAS, Sports competition instills the values of teamwork, pride and
accomplishment, and Coach Ray Lawson and Jessica Lawson have clearly
made a contribution to the spirit of excellence which is a tradition of
their school; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate Jessica Lawson upon the occasion of capturing the NYSPHSAA
Girls Track and Field Championship; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Jessica Lawson and Coach Ray Lawson.