HOUSE MEMORIAL 76

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2010

INTRODUCED BY

Rhonda S. King

A MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING THE ATHLETIC PROWESS, ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS OF CURTIS LEE BEACH AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION OF JULY 1, 2009 AS "CURTIS LEE BEACH DAY" IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

     WHEREAS, Curtis Lee Beach of Albuquerque was named the Gatorade national boys track and field athlete of the year on July 1, 2009; and

     WHEREAS, Curtis is the first New Mexican athlete to ever receive this esteemed award; and

     WHEREAS, every year, Gatorade, in partnership with ESPN RISE, bestows this prestigious award on elite athletes who have demonstrated not only athletic excellence, but standards of academic achievement and exemplary character; and

     WHEREAS, an advisory board of sportswriters and sports-specific experts from around the country selected Curtis Beach from more than five hundred forty-eight thousand high school track and field athletes nationwide; and

     WHEREAS, Curtis, who graduated from the Albuquerque academy shortly before receiving the award, maintained a 3.75 grade point average and was recruited by more than forty colleges and universities before selecting Duke university, which he is currently attending and where he will compete in track and field; and

     WHEREAS, Curtis, a decathlete, shattered the sixteen-year-old national prep decathlon record at the Arcadia invitational in the spring of 2009, scoring seven thousand nine hundred nine points, making him the highest scoring decathlete in United States high school history and setting personal bests in the high jump, the javelin, the four-hundred-meter dash, the shot put and the one-thousand-five-hundred-meter run; and

     WHEREAS, the six-foot, one hundred sixty-five pound decathlete holds all-class state records in the two-hundred-meter dash, the one-hundred-ten-meter hurdles and the long jump; and

     WHEREAS, he won the great southwest track and field classic in Albuquerque three years in a row and secured the USA track and field junior outdoor championships decathlon title in 2009; and

     WHEREAS, Curtis Beach has had a progressive career of athletic success, beginning in 1997 when he first joined club speedy in Moriarty, kicking off his running career; and

     WHEREAS, in 2007, Curtis placed fourth in the international association of athletics federations world youth championships in the octathlon; in 2008, he was named the New Mexico sports hall of fame high school athlete of the year; and in 2009, the Albuquerque Journal named him prep male athlete of the year; and

     WHEREAS, Curtis was the high point individual four times, from 2006 to 2009, in the New Mexico state track and field class 4A championships; and

     WHEREAS, he was a gold medalist in the pentathlon three times in the national scholastic indoor track and field championships; and

     WHEREAS, in 2009, Curtis competed in and won the decathlon in the Pan American junior athletics championships in Trinidad and Tobago; and

     WHEREAS, in addition to his many remarkable achievements in sports, Curtis served as a volunteer coach for the Albuquerque track club, assistant coach of Whittier elementary school, a camp counselor for the New Mexico wheelchair games and participated in fundraising efforts in support of cancer research; and

     WHEREAS, in the words of Albuquerque academy head track and field coach Adam Kedge, Curtis "is truly the epitome of the ultimate multi-sport athlete. I've seen him put in five, six or seven hour days just training with his coaches; then he still finds the time to be a good student and give back to his community"; and

     WHEREAS, according to Jeff Urban, Gatorade senior vice president of sports marketing, "without question Curtis is deserving of recognition as the nation's best high school track and field athlete; he represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade player of the year"; and

     WHEREAS, in recognition of his achievements and to honor his accomplishments, Governor Bill Richardson issued a proclamation declaring July 1, 2009 as "Curtis Lee Beach Day";

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the athletic prowess, academic success and community contributions of Curtis Lee Beach be recognized and the governor's proclamation of July 1, 2009 as "Curtis Lee Beach Day" be acknowledged in the house of representatives; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to Curtis Lee Beach, his parents, Jeana King-Beach and David Beach, and to his grandparents, Don and Dorothy King.

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