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Congratulating Elonica Tester for Winning A National Title in the Meter Hurdles and High Jump

Floor Speech

Date: Aug. 31, 2026
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Elonica Tester on her extraordinary achievement of capturing two national championships in track and field at the Under Armour Nationals, held May 29 through May 31 in Bradenton, Florida. Her remarkable accomplishments are a testament to the discipline, determination, and perseverance that define outstanding athletes of Northern Michigan.

At just 15 years old, Elonica recently completed her third year at Traverse City East Middle School, where she has already established herself as one of the school's most accomplished student-athletes. She currently holds 13 school records and recently added two national titles to an already impressive list of achievements. This past season, she also helped lead the Traverse City East Trojans girls track and field team to its first Mid-Michigan MegaStar team championship, a competition widely regarded as the middle school equivalent of a state championship.

Despite her success at the local and state levels, Elonica had never envisioned herself competing on the national stage. That changed when she decided to pursue national competition. This was no easy feat, unlike Michigan middle school track, where hurdle races are either 55 or 200 meters long, Under Armour Nationals only provided 100 and 200- meter competitions, requiring her to compete in an event where she had little experience.

After a slow start on her first day of the competition, Elonica rallied to post a title winning 14.92 second run in the 100-meter hurdles the following day. She followed up that performance by adding another championship in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet 5 inches.

Mr. Speaker, let us all join in recognizing Ms. Elonica Tester on her extraordinary achievement of capturing two national championships at the Under Armour Nationals. Her willingness to embrace new challenges serves as an inspiration to young athletes across Michigan's 1st Congressional District.

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