09

Contact: John Johnson or Geoff Kimmerly
517.332.5046 or [email protected]

EAST LANSING, Mich. – April 9 – Okemos’ Tom Minter, an official for nine MHSAA Finals and longtime clinician and trainer of referees and umpires all over the state, has been selected to receive the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Vern L. Norris Award for 2013.

The Norris Award is presented annually to a veteran official who has been active in a local officials association, has mentored other officials, and has been involved in officials’ education. It is named for Vern L. Norris, who served as executive director of the MHSAA from 1978-86 and was well-respected by officials on the state and national levels. 

Minter will be honored at the Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet on May 4 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. He is in his 48th year as an MHSAA-registered official and has worked games in football, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer and baseball. He also served on the MHSAA staff as assistant to executive director John E. “Jack” Roberts from September 1995 until retiring at the end of January 2012. 

While the desire to remain part of the games after his playing career ended led to Minter’s early involvement, the opportunity to pass on what he’s learned keeps him immersed in the officiating community. He continues to work soccer, football and basketball games, while also providing mentorship at clinics all over the state.

“Hopefully now I’m able to pass some of this on and to encourage, provide the listening ear like people provided to me in the past,” Minter said. “It’s created in me a sense of legacy.

“To be in the company of people like Vern Norris and Dick Kalahar and all the other winners, it’s just the recognition that you’ve made a contribution. That is so satisfying.”

Minter began his officiating career while a student at a U.S. Air Force base high school overseas. A native of Akron, Ohio, he moved with his family to Scotland in 1958 and refereed his first high school soccer game in 1961. After also officiating for a year in Ohio, Minter began officiating in Michigan while a student at Jackson Community College. He graduated from Jackson Community College in 1966 and Michigan State University in 1971, and also served a stint with the U.S. Army.

Minter continues to work football, basketball and soccer games and has served as an officials assignor both at the high school and college levels; he currently is secretary for the Greater Lansing Area Soccer Officials Association. He worked five baseball MHSAA Finals, two football and one each in boys and girls soccer before joining the MHSAA staff in 1995.

Among many contributions as an MHSAA employee, Minter was assistant director in charge of boys and girls soccer and oversaw construction of the MHSAA’s home office, which opened in December 1996. Although retired, he remains a versatile contributor providing assistance to the MHSAA in East Lansing and high school athletics on a national level.

“Tom Minter continues to help with capital improvement projects at the MHSAA office, and he continues to represent the National Federation (NFHS) Officials Association on its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee,” Roberts said. “His many contributions to high school athletics, and especially officiating, continue to be far-reaching. We are delighted to recognize Tom Minter with the Vern L. Norris Award.” 

Minter came to the MHSAA after serving as Meridian Township Treasurer for 19 years and also as a volunteer fireman for that community, which includes Haslett and Okemos. Minter was an Ingham County commissioner for six years and served on Meridian Township’s planning commission and zoning board of appeals, and has been a member of the Haslett/Okemos Rotary Club for 36 years – including as its president in 1985-86.

He currently serves as chairperson of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports, a 15-member body established in 1992 that promotes the increase of physical activity and improvement of health for Michigan residents. He was first appointed in February 2012.

Minter also continues to work as a Big Ten football replay official and observer of officials for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – for which he served as an on-field official for 25 seasons including eight as crew chief. He also worked in the Mid-American Conference and Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Previous recipients of the Norris Award are:
1992 – Ted Wilson, East Detroit
1993 – Fred Briggs, Burton
1994 – Joe Brodie, Flat Rock
1995 – Jim Massar, Flint
1996 – Jim Lamoreaux, St. Ignace
1997 – Ken Myllyla, Escanaba
1998 – Blake Hagman, Kalamazoo
1999 – Richard Kalahar, Jackson
2000 – Barb Beckett, Traverse City; Karl Newingham, Bay City
2001 – Herb Lipschultz, Kalamazoo
2002 – Robert Scholie, Hancock
2003 – Ron Nagy, Hazel Park
2004 – Carl Van Heck, Grand Rapids 
2005 – Bruce Moss, Alma
2006 – Jeanne Skinner, Grand Rapids
2007 – Terry Wakeley, Grayling
2008 – Will Lynch, Honor
2009 – James Danhoff, Richland
2010 – John Juday Sr., Petoskey
2011 – Robert Williams, Redford
2012 – Lyle Berry, Rockford

High school game officials with 20, 30, 40, 45 and 50 years of service also will be honored at the Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet on May 4.

Six officials with 50 or more years of service will be honored, along with 24 officials with 45 years. A 40-year award will be presented to 62 officials. In addition, 97 officials with 30 years and 208 officials with 20 years of experience will be honored. With the induction of this year’s group of 397, the honor roll of officials who have aided young student-athletes grows to 9,045 since the inception of the banquet in 1980.

Tickets for the banquet are available to the public and priced at $20. They will not be sold at the door. Tickets can be ordered by calling the MHSAA office at (517) 332-5046 or by sending the order form available at this link: http://www.mhsaa.com/portals/0/documents/officials/offbanq.pdf

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,600 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools.  Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.

 

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MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
20, 30, 40, 45 & 50-YEAR OFFICIALS

The officials on this list will receive their 20, 30, 40, 45 or 50-year service awards at the 34th annual Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing on May 4.

20 YEAR OFFICIALS

Adrian - Gregg Wonderly

Alanson - James Young

Allen Park - Mark Klein

Allen Park - Juan Molina Jr.

Allendale - Matthew Carlson

Alpena - Robert Centala Jr.

Alpena - Jeffrey Trelfa

Armada - John King

Au Gres - David Wolthuis

 

Bad Axe - Brent Wehner

Battle Creek - Michael Granger

Battle Creek - Robert Ward

Bay City - Craig Gard

Bay City - Stephen Linton

Bay City - Scott Packard

Bay City - Joseph Pietryga

Bessemer - James Trcka

Bridgman - James Stine Jr.

Brooklyn - Greg Meschke

 

Caledonia - Bene Benedict

Caledonia - Stacy Smith

Caledonia - Walter Van Wyngarden

Canton - Amanda Pelukas

Canton - Michael Rossman

Center Line - Scott Manteuffel

Charlotte - Val Nelson

Chelsea - Eric VanHevel

Chesterfield - Anthony Mancina

Clinton - Robert Kelly Jr

Clinton Township - Scott Walendowski

Comstock Park - Kathy Felty

Concord - Scott Pelham

Cornell - Joanne Chouinard

Crystal Falls - Lori Anderson

 

Davison - James Edgar

Davison - Nelson Kirkland

Dearborn - Gloria Joseph

Dearborn Heights - Dennis Lesmeister

Detroit - Bedford Hurst

Detroit - Joyce Smith

 

East Jordan - Audrey Nelson

East Lansing - John Lennemann

East Lansing - Brent Sorg

Eastpointe - Kendal Smith

Ecorse - James Smith

Escanaba - Karin Flynn

 

Farmington Hills - Robert Dobson Jr.

Fenton - Richard Higgins

Fenton - Paul White

Ferndale - George Markley

Flat Rock - Janis Stahr

Flint - Robert Peek

Flint - Leonard Sparks Sr

Flint - John Yelle

Flushing - Jeffrey Straley

Fort Gratiot - Douglas Hendershot

Frankfort - Andrew Micham

 

Gowen - Gary Jensen

Grand Blanc - Paul Bujalski

Grand Blanc - Bernadette Koenig

Grand Blanc - Paul Ranville

Grand Rapids - Jacquie DeJonge

Grand Rapids - David Garwood Jr.

Grand Rapids - Jeff Green

Grand Rapids - Michael Kopinski

Granger - Joan Nowak

Grant - Theodore Horning

Greenville - Darcia Kelley

Grosse Pointe - Ryan Murphy

Grosse Pointe Woods - Renee Dicristofaro

 

Hartford - Ben Chambers

Hazel Park - Benny Holzman

Hickory Corners - Dean Bostwick

Holland - Lynette Dooley

Holt - John Massey

Howell - Michael Brown Jr.

Howell - Daniel Jeffery Sr

Howell - Kim Kaye

Hudsonville - John Crumb

Hudsonville - Marene Van Farowe

 

Imlay City - John Forti

Indian River - Mark Holland

Ionia - Clifford Graham

 

Jackson - David Hein

Jackson - Shelby Tomaw

Jenison - Donald Nyenhuis

 

Kalamazoo - Paul Edington

Kalamazoo - Judi Holland

Kalamazoo - Julie Jones

Kincheloe - Robert Norton

Kingsford - Jack Wallis

 

Lansing - Dee Hammond

Lansing - Brian Jacobs

Lansing - Kevin Konen

Lansing - Robert Mccullem

Lansing - Thomas Pier

Lexington - Perry Sutherland

Linden - James DeVoe

Linden - Patrick Martin

Linden - Donald Wohlford

Livonia - Charles Sorentino Jr.

Livonia - Steve Timm

 

Mackinac Island - Anneke Myers

Macomb - Sean Barel

Macomb - Barbara Laird

Macomb - Patrick Walsh

Manchester - James Connors

Manistee - Aaron Wemple

Marinette - Neil Motto

Marinette - Keith Plude

Marion - Marc Taylor

Mason - Daniel Carmichael

Mason - Alan Olson

Mason - Kathy Showers

Mattawan - John Visser

Midland - Katherine Duso

Midland - Terry Schmidt

Midland - David Shane

Milford - Derrick Mroz

Millersburg - Joseph Brewbaker

Mio - Michael Kann

Monroe - Carolyn Peters

Montague - Stanley Bush

Montgomery - Kent Sanborn

Mt. Pleasant - Patricia Jaksa

Munising - Anthony Immel

Muskegon - Jacklyn Burr

Muskegon - Chris Calkins

Muskegon - Dennis Danicek

Muskegon - Randall Peters

Muskegon - Peter Shireman

Muskegon - Edward Wilder

 

New Boston - Thomas Carollo

New Hudson - Leonard Brockhahn

Newaygo - Stanley Thomas

Niles - Scott Stewart

North Muskegon - Tony Kartes

Northville - Aaron Gniewek

Norway - Brad Grayvold

Novi - Tina Miller

 

Ontonagon - Andrew Borseth

Ontonagon - Tim Marczak

Owosso - Gary Kanan

 

Parma - Linda Scholl

Paw Paw - Karla Koviak

Perry - Thomas Montpas

Pierson - Joseph Williams

Pleasant Lake - Marty Shean

Plymouth - Richard Schmidt

Portland - Bobbe Johnson

 

Quincy - Candace Cox

 

Rapid River - Mike Pilon

Ray - Thomas Caponi

Ray - Dan Hill Sr

Rochester Hills - Katherine DiMeglio

Rochester Hills - Janette Luttenberger

Rochester Hills - Robert Szmania

Rockford - Kent Graves

Romeo - Mary Milke

Rossford - Steven Agler

 

Saginaw - Thomas Nichols

Saline - Todd Schultz

Shelby - Todd Fox

Shelby Township - Michael Ampola

Shelby Township - James Boggio

Shelby Township - Sheila Brownlee

Shelby Township - Kristi Dean

South Bend - James Arnett

South Lyon - Michael Lieding

Southfield - Dianne Elliott

Sparta - Ryan Huber

Spring Lake - Chris Falak

St Clair Shores - Gary Kowalewski

St Clair Shores - Thomas Waelchli

St Joseph - Terry Myers

Standish - Kimberly Belchak

Stanton - Jason Petersen

Sterling Heights - John Agbay

Sterling Heights - Pietro Loria

Sterling Heights - John Moceri

Stevensville - Wesley Collins

Stevensville - John Phelan

Swartz Creek - Richard Murphy

 

Taylor - Debra Keen

Taylor - Joseph Taylor III

Toledo - Stanley Davis

Toledo - Douglas Sanders

Traverse City - Allen Hebden

Trenton - Michael Kiselis

 

Unionville - Lynn Ewald

 

Walled Lake - Donald Magee

Warren - Jerry Badia

Warren - Joseph Di Bucci

Warren - Joel Maljak

Washington - Gloria Berger

Wayland - Mark Kampen

Wayne - Robert Allen II

West Bloomfield - James Dworman

West Bloomfield - Cynthia Tyzo

White Lake - Jack Butler

Williamsburg - David Lemmien

Williamston - Marilyn Bowker

Williamston - David Sweeney

Wolverine - David Ashenfelter

Wyandotte - David Shalda

Wyandotte - Robert Szczechowski

Wyoming - Stephen Hendrickson

Wyoming - Mark Steenbergen

    

30 YEAR OFFICIALS

Adrian - Doris Goodlock

 

Battle Creek - Corby O'Leary

Bay City - Tony Biskup

Brooklyn - Steven Reese

Brown City - David Hines

Brownstown Township - Fred Howard

Buchanan - Ronald Bartz

 

Caledonia - Clinton Abbott

Caro - Frederick Galsterer

Carson City - Thomas Walker

Cedar Springs - Dan Rypma

Charlevoix - Daniel Ulrich

Clark Lake - Ralph Piepkow Jr.

Clinton Township - Patrick Crandall

 

Detroit - Aimee Davis

Detroit - Edward Jackson

Detroit - John Leidlein Jr.

Detroit - Richard Shalhoub

DeWitt - Thomas Barker

 

Eastpointe - Paul Kolbe

Edwardsburg - Gerald Wright

 

Fort Gratiot - Jeff Klausing

Freeland - Richard Welzein

 

Garden City - Eric Hebestreit

Gaylord - Robert Graczyk

Gladstone - Thomas Vanlerberghe Sr.

Grand Rapids - William Recker

Grass Lake - Gary Childs

 

Hancock - Brian Rimpela

Haslett - Ken Ouellette

Hazel Park - Michael Sunquest

Holland - Brent Hoitenga

Holt - Jamie Evans

Hudsonville - Gerald Kuiper

 

Jackson - Thomas Morrissey

Jenison - Romelio Dieppa

Jonesville - Kirk Snyder

 

Kalamazoo - Rodger Henry

Kentwood - William Meade

 

La Salle - Michael Bitz

Lake Orion - James Weidman

Lansing - John Hersman Jr.

Lansing - Daniel Kitchel

Lansing - Terrance Walters

Lapeer - Scott Strickler

Linden - Gene Essenmacher

 

Marlette - Gilbert Thompson

Marysville - Thomas Martin

Mason - Craig Allen

Mason - Larry Wight

Mayville - Gary Libka

McBain - Jerry Taylor

Midland - Bradley Crampton

 

National City - Paul Becker

Negaunee - Helen Grossman

New Port Richey - Charles Cordero

Niles - Charles Poynter

Novi - Thomas Beyersdorf

 

Oscoda - Donald Ward

Oxford - Randy Cook

 

Plainwell - Lurinda Shrauger

 

Reed City - David Erler

Republic - Paul Price

Rockford - Carl Knoop

Rogers City - Karl Grambau

Roseville - Mario Soresi

Royal Oak - Richard Stoll

Royal Oak - Elaine Torvinen

Ruth - Daniel Romzek

 

Saginaw - Michael Mayers

Saginaw - Dennis Wildey

Sand Creek - Jack Sager

Saranac - Christopher Coulson

Sault Ste Marie - Dale Cryderman

Shelby Township - Skipper Mukhtar

South Bend - Thomas Bolinger

St Clair Shores - Gerald Garcia

St Clair Shores - Wayne Rockensuess

St Joseph - James Mandarino Jr.

St Joseph - Bruce Molineaux

Sterling Heights - Marie Smith

Swartz Creek - James Loria

 

Tecumseh - Gregory Corley

Toledo - Oscar Hill

Traverse City - Barbara Beckett

Traverse City - Perry Johnson

Traverse City - Joe LeMieux

Troy - William Gerbe

 

Walled Lake - Nicholas Lesnau

Warren - Michael Smith

Waterford - Dennis Hill

Waters - Rick Sehl

West Bloomfield - Dennis Scarpace

Westland - Marion Coombs

White Lake - Paul Safran

Woodhaven - Steven Vecchioni

Ypsilanti - Jerry Kelley

    

 40 YEAR OFFICIALS

Adrian - Gary Laskowsky

Allendale - James Aalderink

Allenton - Christopher Pollock

Ann Arbor - Michael Parsons

Auburn - James Kapala

 

Battle Creek - John Wooten

Bay City - Paul Anderson

Bloomfield Hills - Richard Lambert

Bronson - Keith Dykman

Buchanan - Francis Mucha

 

Canton - David Mattingly

Clinton Township - Dennis Cieplak

Clinton Township - Daniel Korbutt

Clio - Neil Monroe

Coleman - Terrance Cashin

Comstock Park - Stanley Hill

 

DeWitt - Raymond Barnes

Dowagiac - Randy Melvin

 

East Jordan - H. Michael Burr

East Lansing - John Southwick

 

Fenton - Hewitt Judson

Fruitport - David Fisher

 

Grand Blanc - William Chilcutt

Grand Rapids - James Groendyke

Grandville - William Garrett

 

Hillsdale - Ned White

 

Jackson - Tim Frey

Jenison - Robert Katsma

 

Kalamazoo - Charles Hartman

Kewadin - Donald Peck

 

Lansing - Jerry Sutter

Livonia - Steven Boyak

Livonia - John Dunn

Ludington - Roger Chappel

 

Manistee - David Johnson

Manistee - David Masengarb

Manistee - Robert McCary

Marlette - Jerry Sauder

Marquette - Gene Aho

Marshall - David Adams

Mio - James Houlton

Monroe - Gary Nowitzke

 

Northville - Richard Gibson

Norway - Raymond Bray

 

Ontonagon - John Gravier

 

Port Huron - James Allen

Portage - David Turley

Posen - Charles Wozniak

 

Rockford - Donald Bourdon

Rodney - Jeffrey Greene

Rogers City - Michael Grulke

 

Saginaw - Richard Havercroft

South Haven - Robert Linderman

South Haven - John Long

Stanton - Larry Petersen

Stevensville - Bruce Arter

 

Temperance - LeRoy Wood

Traverse City - Tom Post

Trenton - Frank Jaskula

 

West Bloomfield - Anthony Magni

Whitehall - Chuck Hulce

Williamston - John Mueller

    

 45 YEAR OFFICIALS

Bad Axe - Lee Kahler

 

Caledonia - James Uyl

Clarksville - Ronald Bjork

 

Dearborn - Eugene Smith

Dryden - Louis Miramonti

 

Farmington - Jack Inch

Flint - Joseph Ragnone

 

Grand Blanc - Thomas Evans

Grand Rapids - Lewis Clingman

Grandville - Steve Start

Grayling - Clayton Brown

 

Hopkins - Mark Austin

 

Iron Mountain - Richard Olds

 

Kalamazoo - Fletcher Lewis

 

Lake City - Gerald Hoekwater

Lake Orion - G. Timothy Curtis

Laurium - Tom Renier

 

Mears - Richard Tompkins

Muskegon - Michael Henry

 

New Boston - Richard Nicholson

 

Paw Paw - Robert Adams

Petoskey - Burt Matteson

 

Roseville - James Hillock

 

Wyandotte - Stephen Semetko

   

50 YEAR OFFICIALS

Ann Arbor - Richard Honig

 

Bad Axe - Lynn Abke

Burton - Calvin Ter Haar

 

Jackson - William Hestwood

 

Livonia - Lyle Beardslee

 

Muskegon - Ralph Burr

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