'Midnight Express' Got Start at Cass Tech
April 11, 2017
By Ron Pesch
Special for Second Half
If Eddie Tolan had his way, he might have been a football hero or, maybe, a star on the baseball diamond. But fate is a funny thing.
Instead, he became an Olympic track star and, one can strongly argue, the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s greatest athlete of all-time.
A heart attack took him early, at the age of 57 in late January, 1967. His kidneys had failed him two years prior, and were the primary reason for his early death. Easily recognizable by his horn-rimmed glasses, Tolan would inspire generations of athletes during his lifetime and in the years that followed. Recognition for his accomplishment, via induction to Halls of Fame, would mostly arrive after he departed.
“Eddie was just Eddie,” said his youngest sister, June, “very humble and gentle. He enjoyed meeting and knowing other people, and was loved by children.”
Born Thomas Edward Tolan, Jr., in Denver in 1908, Eddie and his family moved to Salt Lake City when he was young. His father, a hotel cook, then moved his wife and their four children to Detroit when Eddie was 15. Stories of opportunity for African-Americans had prompted the move.
Within the family, Eddie’s older brother, Hart, his senior by a year, was considered the better athlete.
“Only Hart neglected to train,” said sister Martha. “Eddie was a worker.” His mother, Alice, simply described Eddie as more determined.
Following in the footsteps of his brother, Eddie joined the football team at Detroit Cass Technical High School in the fall of 1924. A sub on the squad, Eddie emerged as the team’s quarterback in the fall of 1925 under the school’s new football coach, William Van Orden. Although Eddie stood only 5-foot-4, he threw a beautiful pass. He was also lightning fast, light, and evasive. It was here, on the football field, that it seemed he would find stardom.
While the team saw limited success in the early going, Eddie quickly emerged as the star. He scored the lone touchdown in the Mechanics’ 12-6 season-opening loss to Detroit Southwestern. Held scoreless in the second game of the season, Cass Tech tied Southeastern, 6-6, in the season’s third game. The next week, the team exploded for 47 points, shutting out the Detroit Western Cowboys in “one of the biggest upsets of the current season,” according to the Detroit Free Press. Tolan accounted for four of Cass Tech’s seven touchdowns. His brother, Hart, also scored that day. Despite what the future held, it was the moment he would always rank as his favorite among his athletic achievements. Football was Eddie’s favorite sport, followed by baseball.
With the goal of avoiding injury and damage to Detroit’s prep gridirons, a heavy five-hour downpour on Saturday, Oct. 24 meant Cass Tech’s game with Hamtramck was rescheduled for Monday the 26th at Northwestern High School.
Despite the delay, the teams squared off on a field that was in worse condition than it had been Saturday. Early in the first quarter, the heavier Hamtramck squad dashed Cass Tech’s hopes for a shot at contending for the Detroit Public School League crown. Thrown for a four-yard loss, Eddie Tolan “was left lying in the mud, the victim of several torn ligaments.”
Cass Tech lost the game, 12-0, and Eddie Tolan was lost for the season.
“Rated as one of the best forward passers in the city, Tolan combined all the qualities of a first class quarterback,” noted the Free Press a few days later, “and his loss is a death blow to the chances of Cass finishing near the top.”
In spite of the injury, Eddie had been impressive enough to be named quarterback on the paper’s All City third-team squad at season’s end.
He would never return to the gridiron.
Birth of a legend
Back in the 1920s, winter meant indoor track for preps. It was the age of dynasties, where the sport at a team level was ruled by the public schools of Detroit, and one school in particular – Detroit Northwestern. The Colts had won four of the last five indoor city meets as the public schools entered the 1925 track season, and they would again reign that spring.
As it remains today, skill was needed across both track and field events to dominate as a team. Still, there was room for individuals to shine. Tolan arrived on the track scene during this time, and as a sophomore, showed early promise.
It was the golden age of athletics, as well as newsprint. Today it’s hard to imagine a time when track headlines could snake their way to the top of the sports page of a big city newspaper, highlighting the accomplishments of the local preps. Yet in the 1920s and 1930s, that was the case. Tolan earned two spots in the annual city meet in 1925, appearing in the 30 and 220-yard dashes. While he failed to place among the leaders in the furlong, Eddie did finish fourth in the 30-yard dash, behind three runners from Northwestern, including Charles “Snitz” Ross, the winner of the event and the city’s emerging sprint star. Unfortunately, Tolan’s finish was disqualified, as he had run out of his lane.
On March 20 and 21, the first indoor interscholastic track and field meet was hosted at the University of Michigan. The two-day event featured 20 in-state schools, and a pair from outstate – Waite High of Toledo and Austin High of Chicago. A total of 185 athletes showcased the university’s newly opened Yost Fieldhouse while competing in 12 events. The competition was ruled by Detroit Northwestern, with first-place finishes in eight of the events and a total of 51½ points. Cass Tech finished a distant second with 14 points. Tolan earned a second place in the 50-yard dash, behind Ross of Northwestern, the winner of the race.
Eddie’s skills continued to bloom during the outdoor season, which began in April. There, the sophomore excelled in the 100 and 220 events. A breakout performance at a late-season triangular meet with Northwestern and Southwestern, where Eddie defeated Ross in the 100-yard, caught the attention of many. His time of 10.2 seconds tied the city record, established by George “Buck” Hester of Detroit Northern in 1922. Born in Windsor, Ontario, Hester had competed for Canada in the 1924 Olympics, hosted in Paris. He would run collegiately at the University of Michigan.
At the same meet, Tolan topped the city mark in the 220-yard dash, covering the distance in 23.1 seconds.
Less than a week later, Ross toppled the century mark, with a 10.1 in the preliminaries to the city’s outdoor meet. A rivalry, bubbling at the surface, now exploded.
Anticipation for the showdown between Ross and Tolan at the city finals in the 100 was met with disappointment among fans, as Tolan won the race with a spurt in the final three steps to the wire, posting a 10.4 time, while Ross finished fourth. Tolan also won the 220 while Ross did not place. John Lewis of Northeastern finished second in both events.
Junior William Loving of Cass Tech emerged as the city’s outstanding performer, “taking first place in the high jump, and both hurdles, aside from running in the relay and finishing third in the discus,” that Saturday, May 16 at Codd Field. The performances still were not enough to unseat Northwestern, the winner of the meet.
Northwestern also won the 25th Annual Outdoor meet at the University of Michigan. Loving finished as the high point winner at the event, while Tolan tied with Lewis of Northeastern for second in the century dash, behind Jimmy Tait of Northwestern. Ross finished fourth.
Beginning with their victory in 1920, Northwestern also ruled the annual state track championship in East Lansing, clinching the Class A title in four of the previous five years under the guidance of Bert Maris. (The 1922 Class A title was won by Detroit Northern).
At the first championship sponsored by the newly formed Michigan High School Athletic Association, the result was the same. This time, Maris was assisted by Warren Hoyt, and it took a prep “world’s record in the 880 relay” to top Cass Tech. Northwestern ended the day with only three first-place finishes. Team depth had allowed Colts to win the meet with 38 points against 34 2/3 by the Mechanics.
Cass Tech’s Loving ended the day with the top point total for an individual, with 12½, while his teammate Tolan added 10 points, by winning both the 100 (10.1) and 220-yard (22.4) dashes. While expected to do well, the sophomore was still an underdog in each event. Lewis again finished second in both events, while Tait landed third place and Ross finished fourth in the 100.
The injury, and a reminder
Following the football injury, Tolan was still unable to perform in January when the 1926 indoor track season opened. However, the high school junior was back in February in time for the Mechanics’ dual meet with Northwestern. Sporting a bandage on his left knee, Tolan topped Ross in the 30-yard dash. The bandage, covering the knee, would remain with him for the rest of his running career, symbolic of that return victory.
Hopes ran high that Cass Tech might challenge the Colts for the city’s indoor title in 1926, but it didn’t turn out that way. Northwestern again dominated the city’s seventh annual meet, winning five of the day’s first nine events. Ross and Tolan tied at the tape in the 30-yard dash, but the run was tainted. Ross’ “eagerness to outsprint Tolan, his most bitter rival,” resulted in two false starts, and Ross was set back two feet to begin the race. Without the penalty, there was little doubt that Ross would have won the event cleanly.
At the Second Annual Indoor Interscholastic, held at Yost Fieldhouse on March 20, George Simpson of East Columbus, Ohio, grabbed the 50-yard dash crown. Ross earned second in the race, while Tolan finished fourth. Detroit Northwestern again won the invitational, but this time in less-dominating fashion, as the field of participating schools was greatly expanded.
Multiple Detroit athletes were selected to compete at the prestigious Northwestern University Indoor prep invitational, scheduled for the following week in Evanston, Ill. Loving finished as high point scorer of the meet with 11, with a win in the 60-yard high hurdles and second-place finishes in the low hurdles and high jump. Combined with Tolan’s second-place finish in the 50-yard dash, the pair totaled 14 points, enough to win the event. Cass Tech’s return to Detroit as champion was loudly trumpeted in the press.
Based on the performance at the national level, the Mechanics were identified as strong candidates to dethrone the Colts during the upcoming outdoor season. Despite strong results at duals and triangular meets, Cass Tech still fell to Northwestern in total points at the annual city carnival.
Finally, a team victory
At the 26th annual University of Michigan outdoor interscholastic meet, Cass Tech scored its biggest triumph, surprising “the best of the schoolboy athletes from Detroit, Toledo and Chicago, without mentioning stars from the states of Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and West Virginia at large.” Amazingly, Kalamazoo Central also slipped past Detroit Northwestern in the standings. The Colts had to settle for a third-place finish at Ann Arbor.
While rain and cold temperatures meant record performances were few, Tolan won the 100, over Jimmy Patterson of Chicago Tilden Tech (winner of the 50-yard indoor race at Northwestern University earlier in the spring), Lewis of Northeastern and Ross of Northwestern, with a time of 10.3. His 22.1 seconds in the furlong topped Patterson, Edgar Fenker of Kalamazoo Central and Lewis, respectively.
Of course the Colts were expected to find redemption at the 20th annual state track and field meet, scheduled for May 28 and 29 at Michigan State College. As expected, both Northwestern and Cass Tech, along with Kalamazoo Central did well at the preliminaries. Yet, in a stunning turn of events, the finals mimicked that of a week before with Cass Tech, guided by Coach Van Orden, winning the Class A state title, followed by Kalamazoo Central, then Northwestern. Loving and Tolan were the stars of the event. Tolan “romped” in the 100 and 220 dashes, while Loving, now a senior destined for Western State Teachers College, repeated as winner of both the high and low hurdles.
Graduation gutted Cass Tech’s track roster, and by the time of the indoor city meet in 1927, only Tolan remained to take on Northwestern’s juggernaut. Jack Dant of Northwestern surprised everyone with a new city record in the furlong, with a 24.7 in the preliminary of the city meet. The mark would stand as the city indoor record for 24 years until topped in 1942. In the finals, Tolan grabbed top honors in the 30-yard dash and finished second in the 220. Dant placed fourth, with each runner trailing Edward Swan, captain of Northwestern. The Colts again reigned as city champions. Two weeks later on the 19th, Tolan won the 50-yard dash at the Third Annual Indoor event at the University of Michigan. At Northwestern University’s national indoor championships on March 26, he won the 50, running the distance in 5.3 seconds.
Tolan’s star shined brightest during the outdoor season. On May 14th at the University of Michigan’s annual outdoor interscholastic, Tolan won the 100 and 220 dashes. On the 22nd, he captured the same two events at the city’s outdoor meet.
One week later, for the first time in history, all four classes of Michigan high schools met for the state championships in East Lansing. Favored to win, Tolan closed out his career by matching Hester’s record time of 9.8 seconds in the 100 – a mark thought unattainable. With little rest, he then fought off Kalamazoo’s Fenker in the 220, winning by a stride with a time of 21.9. The victories meant Tolan was undefeated in each event over his three years running at the MHSAA state championships.
Northwestern returned as team champion, this time coached by Malcolm Weaver. Outside of back-to-back team victories in 1916 and 1917 by Grand Rapids Central, the Class A crown had been possessed by Detroit schools in 11 of the past 14 years. (No meet was run in 1918 due to World War I.)
Tolan wrapped up his high school career at the University of Chicago. One of 14 Detroit area athletes invited to the Interscholastic Track Championships, Tolan equaled the prep world’s record time of 9.8 seconds in the 100-yard dash, then grabbed the furlong, topping runners from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana.
Accurate or not, news spread from coast-to-coast via the media wire of Tolan’s track skill, noting he had won 17 out of 18 city and state outdoor championships in three years of prep competition.
As a junior, Tolan had run Amateur Athletic Union track, sponsored by the Detroit Department of Recreation in the summer, and he returned to AAU competition following graduation, running against active and former college track luminaries. At the state track championships at Belle Isle on July 4, Tolan starred. Running for the Detroit Athletic Association team, he won the 100 and 220, topping Victor Leschinsky, former University of Michigan sprinter.
Next stop: Ann Arbor
While enrolled at U-M, in January of 1928, Tolan was named a 1927 High School All-American by the AAU. At Michigan, he earned the nickname “Midnight Express” and began to chew gum while racing.
As a sophomore, Tolan tied the world’s record in the 100-yard dash, laying down a 9.6-second time at the Western Conference preliminaries at Evanston, Ill, against George Simpson, a former prep opponent from Columbus, Ohio, now running for Ohio State. One day later, on May 25, 1929, at Duche Stadium at Northwestern University, Tolan bested the mark.
With a slight breeze at the runners’ backs, Tolan came from behind, and “with his big horn-rimmed spectacles firmly taped to his head, electrified the crowd by winning the 100-yard dash in :09.5 seconds. He beat Simpson to the tape in an eyelash finish that was inconceivably close.”
These were the days when starting blocks were still not accepted for official races. It took a year before the International Amateur Athletic Association pronounced the mark as the new world’s record.
By college graduation, Eddie had run the 100 a total of 143 times for the Wolverines, losing the race on only nine occasions.
An Olympic hero
While the participants and witnesses have been silenced by father time, their voices gone thanks to the ailments that arrive as we age, Tolan’s exploits at the 1932 Olympics have been well recorded.
After graduation, Tolan and the nation’s top sprinters traveled North America, racing in preparation for the Olympic trials. When they finally arrived, he was beaten by Ralph Metcalfe of Marquette University in both the 100 and 200-meter races. Still, the top three times qualified, and both men, along with old rival George Simpson, made the Olympic roster.
It was a time where the press was very cognizant of skin color and quick to note that this was the first time that the top two individual sprinters representing the United States were African-American. At the games, staged in Los Angeles, Tolan became the first African-American to receive the title “world’s fastest human” when he edged Metcalfe in the first-ever photo finish in the 100-meter race, and then earned a second gold with victory in the 200-meter event. His time in the 100 would remain an Olympic record until 1960.
Tolan returned to Detroit to a hero’s welcome when his train arrived at Michigan Central Station in late August. The acclaim continued at city hall, then at the Brewster Recreation Center, where he celebrated with friends and family. September 6, 1932, was declared “Eddie Tolan Day” by Michigan governor Wilber Brucker.
This country was in the depths of the Great Depression, and opportunity for all Americans was limited. But while his had become plentiful, Tolan had no plans to “cash in” on his fame, and he expected to remain an amateur.
For a short time following the games, he joined Bill “Bojangles” Robinson on the vaudeville circuit. There, he described his Olympic success to attentive crowds. It was ruled that the venture violated his amateur status. In 1933, with both his father and brother out of work, Tolan found employment as a filing clerk in the register of deeds office of Wayne County. In 1934, he was offered a chance to race professionally in Australia. Following a six month barnstorming tour, he returned home, resuming his position with Wayne County.
In 1937, he was appointed to Michigan’s National Youth Administration, where he assisted other African-Americans with vocational guidance and placement. He continued to support his parents financially. In his final years he worked as a physical education teacher in Detroit.
A bachelor all his life, in 1954 Tolan lost his mother to old age. Later in the year, he was named to a roster of 22 all-time greatest U.S. Olympians. In 1958, he was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame along with five others. Only 12 names had preceded the group, and Tolan was just the second African-American honored by the Hall.
“Oh, man, it was a terrible thing,” said Jessie Owens, four-time U.S. gold medalist at the 1936 Olympics, discussing the loss with Jet magazine at the time of Tolan’s death in January 1967. “When I was in high school, Eddie and Ralph (Metcalfe) were my idols. Eddie and I later became close friends. I used to live in Detroit, and every time I’d go back Eddie was one of the first ones I’d look up.”
Posthumously, in May 1967, a 17-acre playground on Detroit’s east side, near the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, was dedicated with his name. An artificial kidney machine, purchased for Wayne County General Hospital with funds raised by his sisters, was donated in his honor in 1969.
Eddie was inducted into the University of Michigan’s Athletic Hall of Honor along with 10 others at the university’s third induction in 1980 and was added to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame along with its ninth class in 1982. Today, medals and a pair of his track shoes, donated by his sister, June Tolan Brown, are on display at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.
Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.
PHOTOS: (Top) The 1926 Detroit Cass Tech track & field team was led by a handful of standouts including the emerging Eddie Tolan. (Middle top) Tolan, in 1925. (Middle) Detroit Northwestern standout Charles Ross. (Middle) Bill Loving, also a Cass Tech star. (Middle below) The program cover from the 1927 MHSAA Track & Field Finals. (Below) Tolan after the World Professional Sprint Championships in Melbourne, Australia, in 1935. (Photos collected by Ron Pesch with assistance from Detroit Cass Tech's Regenia Kirk.)
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- Officials
Livonia's Karabees-Betts Named 35th Vern L. Norris Award Honoree
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 15, 2025
Debby Karabees-Betts has dedicated more than 50 years to serving high school and middle school students, often in several roles simultaneously to provide opportunities to learn and compete both academically and athletically.
To celebrate especially her 30-plus years as a Michigan High School Athletic Association-registered game official and her immense impact on that community, Karabees-Betts will be honored with the 35th Vern L. Norris Leadership in Officiating Award during the MHSAA’s Officials Awards & Alumni Banquet on April 26 in East Lansing.
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. Karabees-Betts will be honored at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Center along with high school game officials with 20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 years of service.
She began her career in education in 1973 and spent the next 40 years as a teacher and later guidance counselor. Her contributions to school sports also began in 1973 with her first of what would become several coaching tenures. She became an MHSAA-registered official first during the late 1970s, then returned to officiating in 1990-91 – first in swimming and track & field, later adding volleyball and cross country – and has officiated a combined five MHSAA Finals – two each in volleyball and boys swimming & diving and one in girls swimming & diving.
But that covers only one area of her influence on statewide officiating. Also a collegiate volleyball line judge in the Big Ten Conference over the last 16 years, Karabees-Betts co-wrote the “Best Practices for Line Judges” protocol adhered to at MHSAA Finals and has been an MHSAA officials trainer in the sport since 2010. She has conducted more than 100 officiating and line judging clinics over the last two decades, mentored several school-aged officials as part of the MHSAA Legacy Program and spoken to numerous high school classes on the benefits of becoming an official.
“The (essence of) officiating is that you bring sportsmanship, safety and respect and love for the games,” said Karabees-Betts, who first met Vern Norris while officiating an MHSAA Finals at Eastern Michigan University. “I have so many former players’ children that I’m officiating now. … You want that knowledge to make sure they have the most fair playing field that you could possibly give them.
“It’s kind of a legacy of love for the sport, the participation in the sport, the growth and knowledge of the sport and safety of the sport – because throughout 50 years, the safety factor has increased in almost every sport.”
Karabees-Betts, who lives in Livonia but did the majority of her teaching and counseling at Taylor public schools, first stepped into educational athletics as a professional in 1973 when, as a first-year teacher, she also took on the head coaching positions at Taylor Truman for girls swimming, volleyball and track & field during the early years of those programs.
She made the former Inkster Cherry Hill High School a force in boys swimming & diving, coaching that program to 10 straight Tri-River League titles and a Lower Peninsula Class B-C-D runner-up finish in 1977 before that school closed in 1985. She was named Coach of the Year in that league multiple times for that sport and also girls track & field.
She also earned multiple Western Wayne Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors during a decade-long run at Taylor Center from 1986-96, where she led the boys cross country, swimming & diving and track & field programs. Karabees-Betts would later coach the Dearborn Divine Child volleyball team to a Catholic High School League title and take the Riverview Gabriel Richard girls basketball team on a long Class C Tournament run. She also coached at Taylor Kennedy and Garden City high schools and middle school swimming and cross country in the Taylor district.
Karabees-Betts moved on to coaching volleyball at Schoolcraft College, serving as an assistant coach for a decade through 2010 and helping that program reach the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament. She continued officiating MHSAA events during that time and became a collegiate volleyball official in 1996.
She has served as an officials observer at the MHSAA Volleyball Semifinals and Finals the last four seasons and also several more as the officials crew chief for that high-profile event. She served as board secretary and awards chairperson for the Michigan Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association from 1979-84 and has served as board secretary/treasurer for the Capital Area Association of Volleyball Officials since 2013.
“Debby Karabees-Betts has brought her expertise and dedication as an educator into the athletic classroom, especially as one of our state’s most respected and admired teaching officials and mentors in volleyball,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “Her work across several sports has had a far-reaching impact stretching decades and continuing to this day, and her approach not only to officiating, but to teaching and mentoring is admired across her several sports communities.”
Karabees-Betts graduated from Taylor Center High School in 1969. She earned her bachelor’s and education specialist degrees from Michigan State University in 1973, the former in physical education, health and recreation and the latter in exercise physiology and science. She later earned master’s degrees in educational guidance and counseling, and athletic administration, from Eastern Michigan University, and then her doctorate in education and guidance and counseling from EMU in 1990.
She has contributed to her community in several more ways, including as a member of the Taylor Jaycees organization and president of its women’s club where she participated in some of the many charity efforts she’s been part of locally. She served on the Taylor Schools and Community Council and volunteered as part of the district’s crisis team, organized a traveling theatre troupe that performed at local elementary schools and taught first-aid classes at the local community center. She also served as director for the Dearborn Heights summer recreation department’s track & field program.
Karabees-Betts has been honored several times for her service, including with 12 Golden Apple Awards from the Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency. She received the Michigan Exceptional Educator of the Year Award from EMU in 2003 and the Guidance Counselor of the Year Award from the Wayne County Intermediate School District in 2010.
She is married to husband Dennis, who also is an MHSAA-registered swimming & diving official and worked the Lower Peninsula Finals to conclude both the girls and boys seasons this school year. They have two daughters, Desiree McMahon and Lori Hall, and a son Greg Betts.
Previous recipients of the Norris Award
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 Par
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
2013 – Tom Minter, Okemos
2014 – Hugh R. Jewell, West Bloomfield
2015 – Sam Davis, Lansing
2016 – Linda Hoover, Marshall
2017 – Michael Gentry, Shelby Township
2018 – Jill Baker-Cooley, Big Rapids
2019 – David Buck, St. Joseph
2020 – Hugh Matson, Saginaw
2021 – Lewis Clingman, Grand Rapids
2022 – Pat Hayes, Birmingham
2023 – Chuck D. Walters, Jackson
2024 – Candace Cox, Quincy
High school game officials with 20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 years of service also will be honored at the Officials Awards & Alumni Banquet on April 26. Eight officials with 60 years of service will be honored, as will 15 with 55 years of service, 70 with 50 years of service, 72 officials with 45 years and 90 officials with 40 years of service. A 30-year award will be presented to 164 officials, and 287 officials with 20 years of experience will be honored.
Also being honored during the Awards & Alumni Banquet is Legacy Program official Avery Beach, a senior at Mason High School who also is dually enrolled at Ferris State University. Beach carries a 3.96 grade-point average and is a member of both the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society as she plans to pursue a career in education. An all-state bowler and four-year varsity softball starter for the Bulldogs, Beach has officiated middle school volleyball as part of the Legacy Program, and also youth softball.
20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 55 & 60-YEAR OFFICIALS
The officials on this list are receiving their 20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60-year service awards.
20-YEAR OFFICIALS
Ada - Rick F. Hert
Allegan - Arthur K. Ziemelis
Allen Park - Kim A. Viculin
Alpena - John A. Anderson
Ann Arbor - Dennis J. Busse Jr.
Ann Arbor - Edward H. Rodenhouse
Ann Arbor - Shane J. Smith
Ann Arbor - Daniel H. Tarrant
Athens - Vergne C. Gregrich
Battle Creek - Cork Baker
Battle Creek - Harvey L. Glass
Battle Creek - April D. Hooker
Battle Creek - Nicholas C. Metheny
Battle Creek - Timothy J. Rizor
Battle Creek - Brenton T. Watkins
Battle Creek - Augie Zapata
Bay City - Josh A. Bauer
Bay City - David M. Bublitz
Bay City - Jeff A. Doan
Bay City - David M. Pietryga
Bay City - Dale E. Sneller II
Bay City - Jeff J. Zalucha
Bellaire - John F. Hanson
Belleville - Greg R. Reynolds
Belleville - Harold Rochon
Bellevue - Sarah M. VandenHeuvel
Berkley - Mark W. Steffens
Berkley - Mark R. Williams
Bloomfield - Thomas B. Wolford
Boyne City - Cindi L. Place
Bridgman - Robert S. Clark
Brighton - Scott D. Kelley
Brighton - Shanda Willis
Brownstown - Kenneth A. Stephens
Buchanan - Mark L. Soltys
Burton - Jamie S. Galant
Burton - Rojelio D. Lara
Byron Center - David M. Meltzer
Byron Center - Helga Roelofs
Byron Center - Timothy K. Smeby
Cadillac - William Anderson
Cadillac - Timothy L. Fekete
Caledonia - David M. Bommarito
Caledonia - Thomas J. Buist
Canton - Donald G. Dukes
Canton - Scott M. Shaw
Carney - Jeff C. Stage
Carsonville - Tom S. Nowotny
Charlotte - Jenny A. Granger
Chassell - James K. Tervo
Chesaning - John F. Ebenhoeh II
Chesterfield - Edmund J. Kordas
Clarkston - Thomas J. Giannaris
Clarkston - Ted S. Rozwadowski
Clinton Township - Christopher M. Catenaro
Clinton Township - David A. Clifton
Clinton Township - Bradley A. Jarson
Clinton Township - Robert T. Joyce
Clinton Township - Patricia J. Rigterink
Coldwater - Eric M. Anglin
Coldwater - William H. DeBeau
Coldwater - Chad A. Rakocy
Coleman - Jason F. Harper
Coloma - Jamie S. Riley
Commerce Township - Dennis A. Sartor
Concord - Kevin Herendeen
Corunna - Benjamin J. Hall
Corunna - Robert L. Hinojosa Jr.
Davison - Robert W. Myers
Davison - Wally Rose
Davison - Dana E. Rouse
Dearborn - John P. Satko
Detroit - Harold B. Bettie III
Detroit - Shawn A. Crawford
Detroit - Quincy R. Jones
Detroit - Warren Pettaway
Detroit - Lawrence E. Roberts
DeWitt - Randy L. Puffenberger
Dimondale - Dana M. Kirk
Dimondale - Scott E. McKimmy
Eastpointe - Brian A. Smith
Eau Claire - Ted R. Parker
Escanaba - Robert S. Johnson
Evart - Susan J. Guiney
Farmington Hills - Timothy E. Hay
Farmington Hills - Gary C. Maike
Fennville - Paul A. Marfia
Flint - Sims Johnson III
Flushing - Kenneth R. Tucker
Flushing - Roger L. Winfield Jr
Freeland - Sharon Sawyers
Gaylord - Douglas L. Curtis
Gaylord - David M. Johnson
Gaylord - Richard D. Marshall
Gladstone - Eric J. VanDamme
Gladwin - David P. Volk
Goodrich - Gaye L. TenBrink
Gowen - Casey N. Lake
Grand Blanc - Jerry L. Balogh
Grand Blanc - William N. Hoffmann
Grand Haven - Donald G. Verwey
Grand Ledge - Tim W. Bedford
Grand Rapids - Daniel C. Anderson
Grand Rapids - Greg James
Grand Rapids - Ryan P. Levitt
Grand Rapids - Jeffrey P. Simmons
Grand Rapids - Bert J. Smith
Grand Rapids - Cory D. Smith
Grand Rapids - Scott L. Stabler
Grand Rapids - Paul M. Wiercinski
Grand Rapids - Onesiphorus B. Burrel II
Grand Rapids - Johnny E. Davidson Sr.
Grandville - Douglas C. Diekman
Grandville - Natasha L. Phose
Grass Lake - James (Ed) E. Earley II
Greenville - Jeffrey Brown
Greenville - Andrew J. Krey
Grosse Ile - Christopher C. Vigh
Grosse Pointe - Brian A. Effinger
Grosse Pointe Farms - Larry A. Klimek
Grosse Pointe Woods - Thomas P. McCabe
Hamilton - Larry A. Meiste
Hamilton - Terry L. Perysian
Hancock - David C. Dow
Hancock - Jason J. Parker
Harper Woods - Mychael D. Foster
Hart - Brandon W. Bruce
Hartland - Roger T. Luck
Haslett - Deborah L. Traxinger
Highland - David E. Crow
Hillsdale - Lance E. Benzing
Hillsdale - Timothy J. Frosch
Holland - Douglas L. Bazan
Holland - Robert T. Carlson
Holly - Dave M. Thatcher
Holt - Jim E. Moreno Sr.
Holt - Jessie D. Read
Holton - Robert J. Stitt
Hudsonville - Arlyn J. Bohl
Hudsonville - Nathan Topie
Hudsonville - Roberto Ortega-Ramos
Interlochen - Gregory W. Allar
Iron Mountain - John L. Benzie
Ithaca - Rex L. Beracy
Jackson - James K. Haehnle
Jackson - Dale B. Lehman
Jackson - Corey C. McCave
Jenison - Chad J. Essebaggers
Jenison - Kip E. Haverdink
Jenison - James E. Krol
Jonesville - Eric P. Swihart
Kalamazoo - Michael A. Bailey
Kalamazoo - Patrick T. Cronin
Kalamazoo - Raynard A. Dunigan Jr.
Kalamazoo - Larry H. Ollie
Kalamazoo - David B. Saunders
Kalamazoo - Christopher A. Furlong
Kentwood - Glenn E. Ingram
Kentwood - Timmy D. Dickens
Kimball - Michael T. Roosen
Lake Orion - Brenton T. Bailo
Lakeview - Timothy A. Reed
Lansing - Jason R. Baley
Lansing - Steven L. Edgerly
Lansing - Melvin W. Eiland Sr.
Lansing - Robert W. Linman
Lansing - Roderick Turner
Livonia - John E. Eberhart
Livonia - Keith D. Riling
Macomb - Richard J. Moceri
Macomb - Jennifer L. Zacharzewski
Manchester - William T. Coggins
Manistique - John H. Ziemba
Marinette (Wis.) - Fred A. Furton
Marquette - Mark A. Petrie
Marshall - James R. DeBrabander
Marshall - Jon K. Morris
Mattawan - April C. Davenport
Mattawan - Mickey F. Peter
Mendon - Donald K. Koole III
Mendon - Donald K. Koole Jr.
Middleville - Joseph A. Broussard
Midland - Zachary A. Eagly
Midland - Mark E. Howison
Midland - Ian K. Lundquist
Midland - Kevin M. Nehil
Midland - Andy Reyes
Midland - Laurie A. Smith
Milan - Edward J. Marx Jr
Monroe - Steven A. Sowatsky
Monroe - Dale A. Stringham|
Moran - Gregg P. Fettig
Mt. Clemens - Kenneth Wynn
Mt. Morris - Shannon M. Smith
Mt. Pleasant - Cindy Verwey
Mt. Pleasant - James J. Waters
Muskegon - Troy A. Gardner
Muskegon - Gordon J. Hansen
Negaunee - Bobbi E. Ayotte
Negaunee - Mark A. Marana
Novi - Ned D. Harrington
Oak Park - Daniel Silva
Ontonagon - Allen A. Graham
Ortonville - Laurel M. Kobe
Oxford - Robert M. Kelly
Parchment - Thomas A. Jordan
Paw Paw - Barbara J. Alden
Paw Paw - George W. Kilts
Petoskey - Shane P. Brown
Petoskey - Paul D. Tunison
Pewamo - Michael A. Weber
Pickford - Rodney W. Priskorn
Plymouth - Greg W. Hames
Plymouth - Leslie S. English
Pontiac - Darris L. Finney
Pontiac - Trevor K. Williamson
Port Huron - Stephen F. Dusellier
Portage - Larry L. Allgaier
Portage - James P. Eichstaedt
Portage - Harley J. Franks
Ray - Jill M. White
Redford - Michael J. Laird
Riverview - Jason C. Gribble
Rochester Hills - Robert P. Bowery
Rochester Hills - Richard P. Burns
Rochester Hills - Kimberly A. Tobin
Rockford - Alex O. Briggs
Rockford - David M. Carattini
Rockford - Michael H. Jacobs
Rockford - John G. Mowat
Rockford - Seth D. Powell
Romulus - John C. Graham Sr.
Royal Oak - Paul M. Hayner
Royal Oak - Michael R. Pomroy
Rudyard - Tracy R. Peterson
Rudyard - Ron Vansloten
Saginaw - Brian W. Galsterer
Saginaw - Joel A. Keup
Saginaw - James J. Wood
Saline - William H. Kahn
Sandusky - Michael D. Dreyer
Saranac - Robert W. Simpson
Sears - Karen S. Ehl
Sheridan - Lorri A. Snyder
South Lyon - David Arvo
South Lyon - Amy E. Braun
Southfield - Berwyn Ellis
Southfield - Darcy A. Gitchuway
Southfield - Joseph L. Hamblin
Southfield - Justin M. Marshall
Southgate - Robert J. Tarabula
Spring Lake - Dennis R. Masson
St. Ignace - Denise E. Freed
St. Johns - Kevin P. Smith
St. Joseph - Robert Cultice
St. Clair Shores - Brandon A. Baetens
Sterling Heights - Russell P. Carl
Sterling Heights - Cliff T. Whiteside
Sturgis - Ron C. Abbs
Sturgis - Mark W. VanDosen
Swartz Creek - Mark W. Grantham
Sylvania (Ohio) - Andrew M. Dier
Taylor - Anthony Maffesoli
Temperance - Larry A. Nocella Jr.
Traverse City - Mike F. Wolf
Trenton - Brien R. Baeckeroot
Troy - Peter R. Bucheli
Troy - Thomas D. Jendrusch
Twin Lake - Douglas A. Prim
Union City - Daniel J. Hanna
Vassar - Mark Dowe
Warren - Daswell L. Campbell
West Bloomfield - Alan K. Murray
West Branch - Jeremy M. Bewley
West Olive - Steve J. Bazan
West Olive - Rich Johnson
Westland - Jeremy L. Jozefczak
Westland - Kenneth G. Smith
Westphalia - Kenneth J. Spitzley
Whitehall - Harold F. Schneider
Whitmore Lake - James F. Kreklau Jr.
Wyandotte - Dawn R. Manthei
Wyoming - Edward J. Howes
Wyoming - Andrew W. McKellar
Ypsilanti - Alexander M. Bade
Ypsilanti - David P. Lascewski
Zeeland - Justin S. Bazan
30-YEAR OFFICIALS
Ada - Christopher R. Becker
Allegan - Rick Lee
Allendale - Matthew R. Carlson
Allendale - Gregory D. VanderGoot
Alma - Kathleen A. Paul
Alpena - Mark S. Uekman
Ann Arbor - Eric D. Zemper
Baroda - Richard D. Albers
Baroda - Jerry T. Nitz
Bay City - Robert O. Huddleston
Bay City - Ronald L. Leahy
Belleville - Terry Landoski
Big Rapids - James N. Turner
Birmingham - Leon O. Braisted III
Bridgman - Dennis R. Ott
Brooklyn - Gary L. Schuch
Brownstown Township - Todd D. Skopczynski
Burton - Donald K. McCombs
Byron Center - Glennon W. Eckelkamp
Byron Center - John D. Philo
Byron Center - Jaime A. Pilbeam
Caledonia - Tina J. Hamp
Caledonia - Walter E. Van Wyngarden
Canton - Kenneth M. Letts
Canton - John J. Vichinsky Jr.
Carsonville - Roy D. Calahan
Charlevoix - Martin B. Seyfried
Cheboygan - Jason R. Friday
Chelsea - Keith M. DePaoli
Clawson - Rene C. Brooks
Coopersville - Joseph E. Meerman
Coopersville - Lynn K. VanSickle
Detroit - Donta Favors
Detroit - Joseph R. Flowers Jr.
Detroit - Jo Ann Jones
Detroit - Lawrence W. Miller
Dexter - Douglas A. Kelly
Dorr - Randy Kasper
Dowagiac - Scott E. Wiltse
East Lansing - David M. Hallman
East Lansing - Theresa S. Shepard
East Tawas - Joseph M. Cano Jr.
Eaton Rapids - Joe H. Dixon Jr
Eau Claire - Dennis F. Ostyn
Ecorse - James I. Cooley
Escanaba - John F. Ziemba
Farmington Hills - Diane M. Klucka
Fenton - Phillip J. Diener
Fenton - Thomas E. King Jr.
Flint - Terry A. DeCaire
Flint - Darrell A. Young
Flushing - Richard J. Murphy
Fountain - Duane R. Wolf
Frankenmuth - John W. Shelton
Garden City - Mark K. Mazzon
Gaylord - John M. Tithof
Grand Blanc - Stanley Beard
Grand Blanc - Sami Khal
Grand Ledge - Mary K. Gavitt
Grand Rapids - Patrick G. McLaughlin
Grand Rapids - Jane C. Plaisted
Grand Rapids - Robert S. Ruschmann
Grand Rapids - Randy R. Sheahan
Grand Rapids - Brett A. Svacha
Grandville - James J. Backowski Jr.
Hamilton - Kenneth W. Demann
Henderson - Karen A. Shuster
Hillsdale - William J. Mullaly
Holland - Peggy A. Lintemuth
Holland - Matthew M. McCrea
Holland - John L. Robertson
Holland - Scott W. Vanderstoep
Houghton - John B. Sanregret
Houghton - James A. Weiler
Howell - Frank A. Dame
Howell - Craig R. Williams
Hudsonville - Dale J. Heyboer
Hudsonville - Matthew D. Kuiper
Huntington Woods - Joseph J. Rozell
Ithaca - Rodney W. Whitmore
Jackson - Marla E. Grant
Jackson - Nelson D. Negus III
Jerome - Brad L. Brown
Kalamazoo - Charlie D. Westervelt
Kawkawlin - Jack A. Servis
Kentwood - Robert A. Navarro
Kingsford - Jack B. Wallis
Lake Orion - Michael J. Ley
Lansing - Mark G. Simon
Lathrup Village - Darryl A. Alexander
Lawrence - Allan D. Wood
Lincoln - Troy M. Somers
Livonia - Debby E. Karabees-Betts
Lowell - Shane S. Risner
Luther - John J. Syrewicze
Macomb - Patrick J. Walsh
Mancelona - Edward L. McCarty
Manistique - Kevin K. Koski
Marinette (Wis.) - Keith Plude
Marquette - Michael J. Caster
Marquette - Todd E. Koski
Marquette - Brian W. Maki
Marquette - Charlie W. Morrison
Mason - Daniel P. Carmichael
Middleville - Steven P. Shutich
Midland - Gary R. Meredith
Midland - Jeffrey T. Servinski
Milan - Karen E. Draves
Milan - Larry D. Sanford
Monroe - Christopher H. Essex
Munising - Pete Kelto
Muskegon - Curtis L. Adams
Muskegon - Jeremy S. Goorman
Muskegon - Robert L. Graham
Newberry - Jason R. Depew
Niles - David Negron
Northville - Ronald R. Reinke
Norway - James J. Bal
Novi - Harold Butch Wingfield
Olivet - Jeff S. Smith
Ontonagon - Dr. Joseph A. Strong
Orleans - Michael K. Kapustka
Owosso - John T. Sandlin
Peck - William A. Burns
Plymouth - Pericles L. Chiatalas
Portage - Todd R. Gooding
Portage - Larry L. Wegener
Portland - Karen J. Dugan
Quinnesec - Robert D. Forstrom
Rockford - Brian L. Vogel
Rockford - Bruce F. Walterhouse
Romulus - Vincent B. Lewis
Royal Oak - James G. Demres
Saginaw - Barry L. Damzyn
Sanford - Dave A. Jezowski
Schoolcraft - Jeffry P. Morgan
Scottville - Matthew C. Miller
Shelby Twp. - Steven L. Wood
South Bend (Ind.) - James E. Arnett
Southfield - Raymond Kelser
Sparta - William Kotchka
St. Charles - Raymond F. Guzy
St. Clair Shores - Rick A. Fields
St. Joseph - Kenneth J. Baratta
St. Joseph - Richard L. Bloodworth
St. Joseph - Stephen D. Petlick
St. Clair - Ronald Churchill
Sterling Heights - Walter J. Kujawa
Taylor - Raymond C. Kuhr
Three Rivers - Robert J. Laverdure
Toledo (Ohio) - Tom M. Balas|
Traverse City - Bill Parker
Traverse City - John M. Sawyer
Troy - Robert L. Szmania
Vicksburg - James R. Boer
Vulcan - Alan W. Richards
Warren - Kenneth M. Stefanski
Washington - Jerome Angelo
Waterford - Ron H. Stafford
Waterford - Randy Welch
West Bloomfield - James M. Dworman
West Bloomfield - Brian C. Gurwin
West Branch - Michael R. Dematio
West Branch - David M. Gutierrez
40-YEAR OFFICIALS
Ada - Donald L. Slater
Battle Creek - Daniel L. Akins
Bay City - Charles A. Case
Bay City - William P. Heintskill
Bay City - Cindy L. Linton
Beaverton - Ross S. Martin
Blissfield - Patrick L. Seiser
Boyne Falls - Craig W. Oldham
Byron Center - Leroy M. Hackley Jr.
Cadillac - Kevin J. Hughes
Canton - James D. Gagleard
Caro - Mandy J. Knox
Cheboygan - Michael A. Grisdale
Coldwater - Ken Smoker
Comstock Park - Brian P. Macomber
Concord - Karen D. Anderson
Dearborn - Thomas P. Arsenault
Dearborn Heights - Algirdas P. Norkunas
Dearborn Heights - Paul Oshanski
Detroit - Kevin M. Hall
Detroit - Willie Hall Jr.
Detroit - Darryl C. Jones Sr.
DeWitt - Rob A. Stanaway
Dowagiac - Thomas W. Russom
Fennville - Lowell A. Winne Jr.
Fenton - Danny L. Harris
Fenton - Anthony M. Mora
Flint - Robert L. Farrar
Frankfort - Karen Leinaar
Fruitport - Jeff S. VanBeek
Gladstone - Michael F. Gobert
Gobles - Michael G. Long
Grand Haven - Patrick R. Hood
Greenville - Mark K. Schoenfelder
Grosse Pointe Farms - Margaret A. Gatliff
Hastings - Jason L. Sixberry
Holt - Jamie C. Evans
Howell - Janice B. Holda
Howell - Richard W. Humphries
Hurley (Wis.) - Greg Rigoni
Iron Mountain - Steve A. La Coursier
Ironwood - Dennis A. Mackey
Ithaca - James L. Gross
Jackson - Richard J. Eby
Kalamazoo - Mike L. Squires
Kawkawlin - William J. Jaynes
Lambertville - Mark J. Dushane
Lapeer - Robert W. Thomas
Lawton - Michael F. Garvey
Leesburg - Wallace J. Green Jr.
Linden - Gary R. Duke
Linden - Jeffery R. Prince
Manistee - John P. O'Hagan
Marlette - Fred Mroczek
Marysville - Patrick D. Sheehy
Mattawan - Robert M. Nicey
Mecosta - William O. Howes
Midland - Keith R. Netzley
Midland - Brian G. Roberts
Mt. Morris - Jeffery T. Flynn
Nashville - Tony M. Joostberns
Newaygo - Dean A. Duchemin
Oscoda - Duane W. Keck
Otisville - Frank R. Mar
Ottawa Lake - Jamie L. La Rocca
Plainwell - Lurinda A. Shrauger
Port Huron - Scott C. Tallmadge
Portage - Michael L. Bignell
Rochester Hills - Timothy J. Soave
Saugatuck - Ross J. Such
Saugatuck - Timothy J. Woodby
Sault Ste. Marie - David A. Blaskowski
South Lyon - Michael T. Schram
St. Clair Shores - Gary M. Gassen
St. Joseph - Gilbert J. Urban
St. Clair - David W. Baumgart
Stanton - Randy L. Reese
Sterling Heights - Edward S. MacKool Jr.
Stevensville - Fredrick J. Smith
Sylvania (Ohio) - William F. Bisbee Jr.
Taylor - Michael D. Mullin
Temperance - Carroll J. Selmek
Three Oaks - Michael J. Smith
Traverse City - Kenneth M. Allen
Utica - Carl W. Territo
Warren - Thomas J. Mastrovito
Washington - James A. Bade
West Bloomfield - Patrick B. Paul
Woodhaven - Michael A. VonLinsowe
Wyandotte - Michael J. Gniewek
45-YEAR OFFICIALS
Alger - Leroy A. Oliver
Alpena - Phil C. Schultz
Berrien Springs - Jamie L. Stacey
Big Rapids - Jill E. Baker-Cooley
Brighton - Thomas J. Mora
Brimley - Jerald P. Cook
Cadillac - William T. Bartholomew
Caledonia - Conroy Zuiderveen
Cheboygan - Lynwood Leightner Jr.
Clarksville - Jim D. Johnson
Concord - Charles T. Ewing
Daggett - Michael P. Lyons
Dearborn Heights - Kevin P. Kabacinski
Decatur - Patrick L. Boitnott
Delta - William H. Wiseman
Detroit - James E. Briggs
Fenton - Douglas M. Pastor
Flint - James V. Newell
Fremont - James M. Goorhouse
Galesburg - William W. Weese
Gaylord - Paul B. Holmes
Genesee - Douglas W. Tipton
Grosse Pointe Woods - Robert E. Zaranek
Harbor Beach - Steven M. Linn
Hillsdale - Bruce Caswell
Hudson - Fred C. Bowers
Hudson - Patrick W. Wollet
Hudsonville - Bob C. Wojcik
Iron Mountain - John R. Pucci
Jackson - Steven C. Town
Jackson - Chuck D. Walters
Kalamazoo - Willie B. Watson
Lake - Kathleen V. Hutfilz
Lake Orion - Michael J. Callahan
Lansing - Sam L. Davis
Lansing - Donald J. Yuvan
Madison Heights - Marie S. Bessler
Madison Heights - Richard L. Hillman
Manistee - Jo L. Arnold
Manistee - David A. Nemecek
Marshall - David N. Benham
Marshall - Linda K. Hoover
Marysville - Joel P. Venia
Mendon - Patrick J. Conroy
Midland - Ken P. Beaudin
Monroe - Barry Little
Niles - Michael J. Nate
Okemos - Jay Marcotullio
Portage - Richard M. Bird
Portage - Mike T. Hinga
Ravenna - Thomas C. Wright
Rochester - Brian E. York
Rochester Hills - Fred B. Castelvetere
Rockford - Timothy G. Erickson
Saginaw - Roberta A. Beyerlein
Sandusky - Alan DeMott
Scottville - Rodney D. Marshall
Shelby - Edmundo Flores
St. Clair Shores - Tom P. Frattini
St. Ignace - Donald P. Gustafson
St. Joseph - David J. Buck
Temperance - Randall A. Sehl
Toledo (Ohio) - Jon Everhart
Traverse City - Mark E. Stewart
Trenton - Frederick L. Bruley
Vicksburg - Timothy A. Baker
Wallace - Bruce A. Pearson
White Cloud - Tony A. McHattie
Whitmore Lake - David L. Wint
Zeeland - Marvin F. Hinga
Zeeland - Richard W. Lott
Zeeland - Eric D. Wills
50-YEAR OFFICIALS
Ada - Bryan D. Cullens Jr.
Adrian - Judith A. Walter-Kohn
Albion - Raymond Drysdale
Alpena - David M. Kuznicki
Ann Arbor - Jack L. Coffey
Battle Creek - Steven K. Higgs
Bay City - Thomas F. Cole
Berrien Springs - Timothy A. Krieger
Boyne City - Kirk D. Kujawski
Brighton - Bill T. Rubin
Brooklyn - Michael J. Timms
Byron Center - Andrew J. DeVries
Caledonia - Edward T. Hedgecock
Canton - Dennis J. Bostwick
Canton - Terry A. Wash
Clarkston - Eugene R. English Jr.
Clawson - Betty A. Wroubel
Davison - James L. Eastman
Dearborn Heights - Lou Giroux
Detroit - Lawrence D. Freeman
Detroit - Billy L. Waters
Dowagiac - Randy J. Melvin
East Leroy - James Alday
Fenton - Martin R. Covert
Grand Rapids - Robert G. Galvin
Grandville - Andrew J. Kovac
Grayling - Thomas A. Kemp
Grosse Ile - James R. Knopp
Grosse Pointe Farms - Mike C. Dempsey
Hemlock - Rudy Godefroidt
Holly - Paul W. Matson
Howell - Dennis M. Troshak
Hudsonville - Allan J. Owens
Jackson - Michael C. French
Kentwood - Betty J. Near
Lansing - Ken J. Sudall
Marysville - Mark A. Brochu
Mason - Victor T. Cena
Michigan Center - Charles D. Sprang
Middleville - Bruce F. Bender
Milan - Brad D. Susterka
Monroe - Eric E. Jenkins
Monroe - Joseph A. McCormick
Mt. Pleasant - Dale P. Brecht
Mt. Pleasant - James R. MacLean II
Muskegon - Craig W. Weirich
Negaunee - Steven R. Ayotte
Newaygo - Dave Baldus
Northville - Ann K. Hutchins
Ontonagon - Eugene Fiszer
Rives Junction - Dale A. Baum
Rochester Hills - Tom Delia Jr.
Rogers City - Gerald Purgiel
Royal Oak - Byron A. Photiades
Royal Oak - Carol A. Sheldon
Saginaw - Ronald L. Dressler
Saugatuck - Catherine Dritsas
South Haven - Henry L. Allen
Swartz Creek - Larry L. Schutt
Taylor - Terry H. Styer
Tekonsha - Daniel A. Washburn
Three Rivers - Richard L. Simon
Troy - Kenyon D. Shively
Warren - Hugh R. Jewell
Waterford - Frederick A. Cohen
Waterford - Burton Hurshe
Waterford - Thomas R. Sullivan Jr
Wayland - Norman L. Taylor
Whitmore Lake - Charles E. Lindsay
Wyandotte - Michael R. McMahon
55-YEAR OFFICIALS
Byron Center - Joe A. Zomerlei
Canton - Pamela G. Yockey
Custer - Edward C. Miller
Dryden - Louis W. Miramonti
Grand Rapids - Robert J. Rodenhouse
Kingsford - Joseph R. Reddinger
Lakeport - Donna H. Frohm
Lansing - Donald R. Murray
Lansing - Darwin S. Petersen
Monroe - Albert M. Fernandez
Muskegon - Larry T. Vaandering
New Baltimore - James C. Cleverley
Okemos - Tom Woiwode
Onsted - John M. Springer
Vassar - Harold (Dan) Johnson
60-YEAR OFFICIALS
Allegan - George R. Babcock
Boyne City - Gary L. Francis
Detroit - Geraldine Jackson
Grand Rapids - Frank E. Waskelis
Ithaca - Dean Parling
Niles - James G. Murray
Okemos - Thomas L. Minter
Swartz Creek - Phillip P. Long
PHOTO Debby Karabees-Betts, standing above the net, officiates the 2016 MHSAA Division 4 Girls Volleyball Final.