Pioneering Competitive Cheer Official Cox to Receive MHSAA Norris Award
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 18, 2024
A registered contest official since the Michigan High School Athletic Association introduced competitive cheer with the 1993-94 school year, Quincy’s Candace Cox has played one of the leading roles in building the sport that’s averaged more than 5,500 participants annually over its 31-year history.
She will be celebrated April 27 as the 2024 Vern L. Norris Leadership in Officiating Award honoree during the MHSAA’s Officials Awards & Alumni Banquet, where she and several of her competitive cheer colleagues who began as registered officials that inaugural season also will be recognized for completing their 30th years of service in 2022-23.
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. He initiated the officials banquet in 1980, and this year’s will be the first in-person celebration since 2019. Cox will be honored along with high school game officials with 20, 30, 40, 45 and 50 years of service.
Competitive cheer is unique to Michigan. While several states have spirit or cheer as a sport, the MHSAA format – which includes teams showcasing a variety of skills over three rounds and encourages full teams to participate by scoring higher when more athletes are on the floor – was created in part to provide more opportunities for cheerleaders to compete. Cox brought her knowledge and experience in sideline cheer into the initial development of the competitive format.
She officiated a Regional competition during that first season of competitive cheer in 1993-94, and the following season she began in a string of officiating at the last 30 MHSAA Finals, including in Division 1 this past winter. Cox also is in her 11th year as executive director of the Michigan Cheer Judges Association, the statewide leadership and training organization for the sport, and in that role she has trained thousands of officials – the MCJA instructs about 175 annually.
She will be the first competitive cheer official to be recognized with the Norris Award.
“At the very beginning, we didn't know what (competitive cheer) was going to involve, and there was a lot of work put in, a lot of committees, sharing a lot of information from sideline because Michigan is so unique to cheer,” Cox said. “At the very beginning, I never believed we would advance as much as we have. But I really feel we're a leader in the competitive cheer community.
“My favorite thing is helping educate and be involved, and I do it for the kids. I want them to have a positive experience, and I want them to learn, and I also want to educate other officials so they realize what an important sport this is … another sport for girls to compete in.”
Cox cheered while a student at Coldwater High School and became the sideline cheer coach after she returned from college. It was during that time she was approached by Marilyn Bowker, another of the founding trailblazers in the sport, and from then on Cox became a growing presence as competitive cheer continued to develop and thrive.
She has served on the MHSAA’s Competitive Cheer Committee and Judges Selection Committee, and is an MHSAA registered assigner in the sport. Cox was named MCJA Official of the Year in 1999 and Michigan’s top official in cheer by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in 2000.
“She’s been a pioneer since Day 1 in competitive cheer and is considered literally one of the fundamental pillars who have grown and promoted the sport over the years,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “Candy is a very worthy Norris Award winner.”
Cox is the clinic manager at the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency and provides expertise from her professional field as part of the MHSAA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. A 1973 Coldwater High School graduate, she earned an associate’s degree in medical administration from Barton Bryman School in Phoenix in 1979 and is certified as an HIV counselor by the State of Michigan, and BLS (basic life support), CPR/AED and first aid instructor by the American Heart Association.
She has served her community of Girard Township in several roles, including currently as township supervisor after previously holding office as trustee and contributing on multiple boards and commissions. She’s also served as Branch County jury board chairperson and was named Branch County Citizen of the Year in 2011 by the Coldwater Area Chamber of Commerce.
Cox is a member of the Coldwater Early Bird Exchange Club and has served as president of the Bronson Polish Festival. She is active in service projects for St. Charles Borromeo Parish and judged CPR for local, district and regional Future Health Professionals (HOSA) competitions.
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
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 April 27. Twenty-four officials with 50 or more years of service will be honored, along with 36 officials with 45 years and 51 officials with 40 years of service. A 30-year award will be presented to 110 officials, and 176 officials with 20 years of experience will be honored.
Tickets for the banquet are available to the public and priced at $25. They will not be sold at the door. Tickets can be ordered by calling the MHSAA office at (517) 332-5046 or by registering online at this link (officials must be logged into the website to register). Deadline to register is April 19.
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MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
20, 30, 40, 45 & 50-YEAR OFFICIALS
The officials on this list are receiving their 20, 30, 40, 45 and 50-year service awards.
20-YEAR OFFICIALS
Allegan - Joseph Munn
Allen Park - James Murdoch
Ann Arbor - Shawna Lorch
Bad Axe - Gary Krause
Bannister - Clyde English
Baraga - Scott Koski
Battle Creek - Lonzo Warren
Bay City - Jason Ruple
Bay City - David Szczypka
Belleville - Michael McCormick
Big Rapids - Marty Shaffer
Blissfield - Steven Babbitt
Bloomfield Twp. - Richard Dylewski Jr.
Bloomfield Village - Maynard Timm
Bridgman - Shane Peters
Brimley - George Jones
Bronson - Brian Case
Bronson - Kevin Gardner
Brownstown Twp. - Charles Monette Jr.
Cadillac - Demetrio Rojas-Cruz
Chassell - Robert Fay
Chassell - Shana Ruotsala
Chesterfield - Paul McBride
Clarkston - Jamie Rykse
Clarksville - Michael Burgess
Clinton Township - Mark Carney
Clinton Township - Brad Thomas
Clinton Township - Keith Justice Sr.
Commerce Township - Robert Foss
Constantine - Jerry Burgess
Cottrellville - Grant Harris
Dearborn Heights - Abasi Sanders
Detroit - Delonda Little
Detroit - Kevin Cleveland
Detroit - Cozette Ealy
Detroit - Cedric Green
Detroit - William Pugh
DeWitt - Mark Kellogg
Dewitt - Adam Miller
Dorr - Dan Heasley
East Lansing - Eric McGaugh
Estero - Michael Jager
Fenton - Paula McAllister
Flint - Rozier Looney
Frankenmuth - Matthew Krause
Freeland - Nick Horn
Fremont - Kevin Holmberg
Gaylord - Michael Switalski
Gobles - Randy Hood
Grand Blanc - Josh Dean
Grand Blanc - Anthony Klinck
Grand Blanc - David Clement
Grand Haven - Chris Romero
Grand Ledge - Brian Gorman
Grand Rapids - Marc Davis
Grand Rapids - Timothy Gildner
Grand Rapids - Lloyd Kilgore Sr.
Grand Rapids - Fritz Owen
Grand Rapids - Debra Rambow
Grand Rapids - James Stokes
Grand Rapids - Michael Underwood
Grand Rapids - Randy Wilson
Grandville - Kelli Polinskey
Grosse Ile - Michael Szczechowski
Grosse Pointe Woods - Douglas Bohannon
Harbor Beach - Jill Fuller
Harrison Township - Kimberly Broski
Haslett - Casey Kern
Haslett - Scott Bradley
Hastings - Fred Koning
Highland - Jason Zimmerman
Holland - Jayson Dibble
Holt - Andrew Hoard
Honor - Matt Olson
Horton - Jerry Waddington
Houghton - Gregg Richards
Howell - Anthony Vella
Howell - Nathan Thompson
Hudsonville - Roberto Ortega-Ramos
Ionia - April Holman
Ironwood - Guy Trier
Jackson - Tracy Boyers
Jackson - Troy Fairbanks
Jackson - Daniel Garrison
Jackson - Jim Miller
Jackson - Bernard Nabozny
Jackson - Douglas Richardson
Jenison - Alfred Kennedy
Kalamazoo - Jill Lansky
Kentwood - Andrew Terrien
Kentwood - Rus Tien
Lansing - Oscar Castaneda
Lansing - Steve Crowley
Lansing - Terry Harris
Lansing - Arthur Lilly
Lansing - Keith Rhodabeck
Lansing - Cameron Rodgers
Lathrup Village - Gerald Jones
Livonia - Scott Racer
Macomb - Terry Prince
Macomb - Don Kalpin
Manistique - Joseph Crowder
Manistique - Howard Parmentier
Marlette - Chris Storm
Marquette - John Schultz
Marshall - James Dyer
Marshall - Eric Earl
Marysville - John Schweihofer
Mason - Ammahad Wnaikau
Memphis - Steven Gray
Merrill - Malena Marr
Michigan City - Larry Jordan III
Middleville - Darrin Oliver
Midland - Thomas Coatoam
Midland - Alan Huntress
Midland - Douglas Jones
Milan - Jill Hargrove
Milan - Michael St. John
Milford - Jeffrey Garvin
Milford - Larry Walters
Mount Pleasant - Jeff Siler
Muskegon - Robert Koekkoek
Niles - Glenn Kimmerly
Niles - Cory Gowen
Northville - Doug Doyle
Ortonville - Laurel Kobe
Perrysburg, Ohio - Gregg Becker
Pickford - Marc Andrzejak
Pontiac - Wanda Clayton
Port Austin - Andrew Preston
Portage - Phillip Baker
Portage - Jeff Kirkman
Portage - Mike Lauraine
Portage - Michael Northuis
Reed City - Aaron Keup
Riverview - Gregory Drewno
Rochester - Avoki Omekanda
Rochester Hills - Michael Timko
Rochester Hills - Terry Zangkas
Royal Oak - Linda Mariani
Saginaw - Richard Moody
Saginaw - Charles Smith
Schoolcraft - Nathan DeMaso
Schoolcraft - Reid Jones
South Haven - Ken Dietz
South Lyon - Elisabeth Tyzo-DePaulis
St. Clair Shores - Chad Kelly
Sterling Heights - Robert Hornik
Sterling Heights - Patrick Radaj
Sterling Heights - Erik Schneider
Sterling Heights - Ernest Sciullo
Sterling Heights - Terry Sheen
Stevensville - Thomas Rivette
Stevensville - Douglas Wegscheid
Swartz Creek - Andrew Palovich
Tecumseh - Eryn Stamper
Temperance - Mike Faunce
Temperance - Larry Nocella Jr.
Traverse City - Jeffrey Brunner
Traverse City - Jason Meriwether
Traverse City - Thomas Spencer
Trenton - Brian Hill
Trenton - Kevin McMillion
Troy - Glenn Craze
Troy - Patrick Grady
Twin Lake - Mike Vanderstelt
Utica - Edward Kotulski
Wallace - Terry Unti
Walled Lake - Terry Prickett
Warren - Arthur Lynn
Wayland - Joseph Kramer
West Bloomfield - Ilya Beltser
West Branch - Howard Hanft
White Lake - Gregory Waun
Williamston - Kelli Hart
Wixom - Cuba Gregory III
30-Year Officials
Allen - Kent Sanborn
Allen Park - Mark Klein
Alpena - Robert Centala Jr.
Alto - Bene Benedict
Bad Axe - Brent Wehner
Baroda - Chris Falak
Battle Creek - John Crumb
Bay City - Stephen Linton
Bay City - Scott Packard
Bay City - Joseph Pietryga
Bessemer - James Trcka
Brooklyn - Gregg Wonderly
Caledonia - Stacy Smith
Center Line - Scott Manteuffel
Charlotte - Val Nelson
Chelsea - Eric VanHevel
Chesterfield - Anthony Mancina
Clinton Township - Barbara Laird
Clinton Township - Scott Walendowski
Comstock Park - Kathy Felty
Davison - James Edgar
Dearborn - Gloria Joseph
Dearborn Heights - Rick Ballnik
Detroit - Joyce Smith
Dowagiac - Scott Stewart
East Lansing - Brent Sorg
Eaton Rapids - Wesley Collins
Essexville - Mark Gentle
Farmington Hills - Robert Dobson Jr.
Fenton - Paul White
Flat Rock - Janis Stahr
Flint - Richard Higgins
Flint - John Yelle
Flushing - Jeffrey Straley
Freeland - Terry Schmidt
Grand Blanc - Thomas Le Blanc
Grand Blanc - Leonard Sparks Sr.
Grand Rapids - Jacquie DeJonge
Grand Rapids - Jeff Green
Greenville - Darcia Kelley
Grosse Pointe - Ryan Murphy
Grosse Pointe Park - George Markley
Grosse Pointe Woods - Renee Dicristofaro
Hazel Park - Benny Holzman
Hickory Corners - Dean Bostwick
Holt - John Massey
Imlay City - John Forti
Jacksonville Beach, Fla. - Bernadette Koenig
Kalamazoo - Julie Jones
Kalamazoo - Mark Kampen
Kingsley - David Lemmien
Lansing - Dee Hammond
Lansing - Robert Mccullem
Livonia - Steve Timm
Manchester - James Connors
Marinette - Neil Motto
Mason - Daniel Carmichael
Mason - Kathy Showers
Mattawan - John Visser
McMillan - Anthony Immel
Midland - Katherine Duso
Monroe - Carolyn Peters
Montague - Stanley Bush
Muskegon - Jacklyn Burr
Muskegon - Chris Calkins
Muskegon - Dennis Danicek
Muskegon - Randall Peters
North Muskegon - Tony Kartes
Ontonagon - Andrew Borseth
Ottawa Lake - Douglas Sanders
Paw Paw - Karla Koviak
Perry - Thomas Montpas
Petoskey - Mark Holland
Pierson - Joseph Williams
Pleasant Lake - Marty Shean
Plymouth - Richard Schmidt
Plymouth - Michael Rossman
Quincy - Candace Cox
Rapid River - Mike Pilon
Rochester - Janette Luttenberger
Rochester Hills - Katherine DiMeglio
Romeo - Mary Milke
Rossford, Ohio - Steven Agler
Saginaw - Thomas Nichols
Saline - Todd Schultz
Shelby - Todd Fox
Shelby Township - Sheila Brownlee
Shelby Township - Kristi Dean
South Lyon - Michael Kiselis
Sparta - Ryan Huber
St. Clair Shores - Gary Kowalewski
St. Joseph - Terry Myers
St. Joseph - Dave Waaso
Standish - Kimberly Belchak
Stanton - Jason Petersen
Sterling Heights - George Braund
Sterling Heights - John Moceri
Traverse City - Allen Hebden
Utica - Sean Barel
Waldron - Michael Granger
Walled Lake - Donald Magee
Warren - Joseph DiBucci
Washington - Gloria Berger
Wayne - Robert Allen II
West Bloomfield - Cynthia Tyzo
Williamston - David Sweeney
Wolverine - David Ashenfelter
Wyandotte - David Shalda
Wyoming - Stephen Hendrickson
Yale - Perry Sutherland
40-Year Officials
Adrian - Doris Goodlock
Allen Park - James Sombati
Battle Creek - Corby O'Leary
Bay City - Tony Biskup
Buchanan - Ronald Bartz
Cedar Springs - Dan Rypma
Charlevoix - Daniel Ulrich
Clark Lake - Ralph Piepkow Jr.
Clinton Township - Patrick Crandall
Crystal Falls - Lyle Smithson Jr.
Detroit - John Leidlein Jr.
Detroit - Richard Shalhoub
Eastpointe - Wayne Rockensuess
Fort Gratiot - Jeff Klausing
Garden City - Eric Hebestreit
Grosse Ile - Steven Vecchioni
Hancock - Brian Rimpela
Holland - Brent Hoitenga
Hudsonville - Gerald Kuiper
Jackson - Thomas Morrissey
Jackson - Joseph Page
Jonesville - Kirk Snyder
Kentwood - William Meade
Lake Orion - James Weidman
Lansing - Daniel Kitchel
Lapeer - Gary Oyster
Lapeer - Scott Strickler
Macomb Township - William Gerbe
Mayville - Gary Libka
Midland - Bradley Crampton
Newaygo - Clinton Abbott
Ray - David Hines
Reed City - David Erler
Republic - Paul Price
Rockford - Carl Knoop
Rogers City - Karl Grambau
Roseville - Mario Soresi
Saginaw - Michael Mayers
Saginaw - Richard Welzein
Saginaw - Dennis Wildey
Sand Creek - Jack Sager
Sault Ste Marie - Dale Cryderman
St. Clair Shores - Gerald Garcia
St. Joseph - Bruce Molineaux
Swartz Creek - James Loria
Temperance - Michael Bitz
Traverse City - Barbara Beckett
Walled Lake - Nicholas Lesnau
Waters - Rick Sehl
Wolverine - Aimee Davis
Ypsilanti - Jerry Kelley
45-Year Officials
Alpena - Scott MacKenzie
Berkley - Charles Tyrrell
Boyne City - Peter Moss
Bronson - Randy Houtz
Brown City - Curt Lowe
Buchanan - Larry Monsma
Burton - Thomas Rau Sr.
Cheboygan - Peter Stempky
Conklin - Gary Meerman
East Lansing - Bruce Heeder
Flint - Joseph Johnson Sr.
Flushing - David Cowden
Fowler - Dean Schrauben
Frankfort - Peter Olson
Grand Rapids - Todd VandenAkker
Haslett - Heidi Doherty
Holland - Craig Kuipers
Houghton - Roy Britz
Iron Mountain - Robert Barkle
Jenison - James Kerbel
Lake Isabella - James Novar
Linden - John Cross
Madison Heights - Joseph Marcinkowski
Muskegon Heights - Johnny Robinson
Oxford - Donald Maskill Jr.
Plymouth - Charles Hempel
Portage - Richard Bird
Portage - Robert Burch
Posen - Donna Couture
Prescott - Charles Wren
Roseville - Robert Iwasko Sr.
Shelby Township - Michael Gentry
South Bend, Ind. - Dale Matteson
South Lyon - Dan Riggs
Taylor - Clayton Conner
Warren - Vern Rottmann
50-Year Officials
Adrian - Gary Laskowsky
Ann Arbor - Michael Parsons
Canton - David Mattingly
Caseville - Daniel Korbutt
DeWitt - Raymond Barnes
Fenton - Hewitt Judson
Fruitport - David Fisher
Kalamazoo - David Turley
Livonia - Steven Boyak
Livonia - John Dunn
Ludington - Roger Chappel
Marlette - Jerry Sauder Sr.
Marquette - Gene Aho
Ontonagon - John Gravier
Palmetto, Fla. - Donald Bourdon
Rodney - Jeffrey Greene
Rogers City - Michael Grulke
Saginaw - Richard Havercroft
South Haven - Robert Linderman
South Lyon - Richard Gibson
Stevensville - Bruce Arter
Traverse City - Tom Post
West Bloomfield - Anthony Magni
Whitehall - Chuck Hulce
PHOTO: Candy Cox prepares to judge during the 2018 MHSAA Competitive Cheer Finals. (Photo courtesy of the Michigan Cheer Judges Association.)
Hoping to be 'Hardly Noticed,' 50-Year Official Allen Certainly Recognizable, Respected
By
Mike Dunn
Special for MHSAA.com
December 18, 2025
Editor's Note: An extended version of this article appeared originally in the Cadillac News in March. Since then, Allen has been inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan's Hall of Honor in October and is wearing the striped shirt again this basketball season, officially his 50th year.
CADILLAC – Bill Allen’s story is similar to that of many area sports officials, particularly those officials who have been active for many years.
A background in sports, typically playing team sports while growing up, combined with a desire to continue to be involved after high school or college, coupled with an inner urge to be part of the solution – these characteristics find a natural outlet for those brave souls who choose to be officials. and these traits are nearly always part of the make-up of the officials who receive high grades for their efforts and serve capably for many years.
Allen, of Cadillac, would not say this about himself. But he is one of those officials whom coaches are glad to see on the floor because they know they’re getting someone who will be fair and consistent. The same could also be said of Allen when he was umpiring, though he doesn’t work the diamonds anymore.
As Allen can tell you as he enters his 50th year wearing the striped shirt on the hardwood, officiating is a demanding vocation – and it is rewarding at the same time. It requires the right temperament as well as an above-average level of mental and physical fitness, especially as age makes its inevitable demands. It requires the ability to make decisions quickly, sometimes under very stressful conditions. It requires the ability to face criticism, sometimes expressed loudly or very loudly. It requires the ability to be a peacemaker at times and also the willingness not to hold grudges or become petty.
For those like Allen who have what it takes, those who are up to the challenges and the rigors that officiating requires from an individual, there is a deep satisfaction in knowing they are making a positive difference.
“I think that’s a common thread among all the officials, whether it’s basketball or baseball or softball,” Allen said. “You obviously want to do your best, but you want to manage the game in a way that helps it to flow the way it should flow and enables everyone, the players and the coaches and the fans, to get the most out of it.
“It’s an old cliché but it’s true: The best officials are the ones you hardly notice. If you can officiate a game and walk through the crowd afterward and no one recognizes you, then you’ve probably done your job pretty well that game. That’s what every official strives for.
“You’re never going to get every call right, and you have to be willing to accept that going into it,” he added. “But you know the rules and apply the rules the best you can, you put yourself in the best position to make the calls, especially in basketball, and you call it the way you see it.
“Are you always right? No. But if you put yourself in the right position and make the call you believe is correct, you can live with that and normally the coaches can too, even if they’re angry about a particular call in the moment.”
Allen, like most officials, was an athlete himself growing up in Traverse City and playing multiple sports for what was then known as Traverse City High School, the largest high school in Michigan in the early 1970s. By his own admission, he wasn’t one of the top stars in basketball and baseball but he was a good, reliable player for his coaches and a dependable teammate who loved the atmosphere of the arena during each season as well as the sense of achievement that the act of competing brought out in him like nothing else.
“I was pretty athletic growing up, but not a great athlete at Traverse City High School,” he said. “I was good enough to make the teams, but I wasn’t what you would call an impact player. A lot of officials have the same kind of background as mine. Maybe we weren’t the greatest players, but we still enjoy sports and we like being part of the action.”
It was during his final two years at Michigan State during the mid-1970s that Allen received his start in officiating.
“In my junior year at Michigan State, one of the fellows I roomed with did assignments for the intramural programs at the college,” he said. “Everything from touch football to basketball to slow-pitch softball. He told me to take the officiating class and he would assign me to games, and that’s how it all started 50 years ago.”
Allen jumped into the world of officiating eagerly with both feet, working a sporting event “nearly every night” at MSU.
“I would go to school during the day, ref at night, and do it again the next day,” he recalled.
“There were so many contests, maybe thousands, that I got to work with a number of other officials. Tim McClelland, who later became a Major League umpire and made the illegal pine tar bat call against George Brett, was a colleague back then. It was a lot of good experience and good mentoring and laid a great foundation for what turned out to be ahead.”
Allen initially earned a degree in criminal justice, graduating from Michigan State University in 1977, and worked in the field of corrections for a period of time before his love of baseball and a sense of personal confidence in his potential to officiate at a higher level prompted him to attend a school for prospective umpires in Daytona Beach, Fla.
That didn’t quite work out, but Allen was not deterred. He changed his career plans from criminal justice to education, and the switch would also lead to abundant opportunities for officiating down the road not just on the baseball and softball diamonds but the basketball court as well.
“When I didn’t get picked (for umpiring), I went back to school to earn my teaching certificate and a graduate degree in history with the goal of becoming a teacher at Cadillac,” he explained. Allen’s wife Sue already was employed as a teacher with the school district.
Bill’s goal at that point was to join Sue as a member of the faculty, as a social studies teacher, and that’s just what happened. Bill served for 26 years in the classroom before retiring along with Sue 12 years ago.
“I viewed Cadillac schools as a great organization to work for as a teacher before I got hired there, and I was right,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade my years at Cadillac for anything. Susie and I both thoroughly enjoyed our years there.”
In conjunction with teaching, Allen continued to officiate basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring and summer. He umpired a lot of men’s summer league softball games through the years and grew to love in particular working the games under the lights at Cadillac’s Lincoln Field.
He also became a registered official with the MHSAA and has continued in that role, though he decided to hang up his umpire cleats a few years ago.
“I registered with the MHSAA while I was still in Lansing,” he said. “The first place I ever did a sanctioned event was in Perry, Michigan. I had barely enough (umpiring) equipment and I’m sure I looked like a real yahoo out there, but I got through it.”
After coming to Cadillac, Allen met Dave Martin, who was an active official and a fellow teacher at Marion, and Martin became his first “crew chief.”
“They needed some JV officials and I got signed up and was off and running,” Allen recalled. “That’s how you got into it back then. You found a crew and the crew chief assigned you some games, and you were evaluated. As long as they liked you and liked what you were doing, they kept you around.”
Allen expressed admiration and appreciation for Martin and also the late June Helmboldt from Lake City, another crew leader “who had a great perspective on the game.”
Allen served as a crew chief himself for a long time and has built rewarding relationships with fellow officials through the years. He has worked many games with Penny McDonald of Cadillac, another longtime official who has earned much respect for her consistency and quality of work in multiple sports over the decades. Allen, in a reversal of roles, is the one receiving assignments from McDonald these days.
Bill Bartholomew is another longtime officiating partner with whom Allen has worked many games over the years and for whom Allen has great respect. This school year, in fact, marks Bartholomew’s 51st year as an official. There are a few others from northern Michigan who have stood the test of time and have passed the 50-year service milestone, such as Paul Williams of Mesick, Tom Post and Mike Muldowney of Traverse City, Tom Johnson of Gaylord, and Dan Aldrich of Charlevoix. All of these, Allen said, are a credit to the craft of officiating and have earned the respect they receive.
Allen also has fond memories of working frequently through the years with Don Blue of Falmouth and Jill Baker-Cooley of Big Rapids, who was chosen for the MHSAA’s prestigious Vern L. Norris Award in 2018.
“I was there when Don and Julie and Penny all got their start in officiating, and they all found their skill set and became excellent officials,” Allen said.
Bill is included in the 50-year milestone group of basketball officials now that the 2025-26 season is underway. He is pleased that he has been able to maintain his longevity; as to the future, he is ready and willing to keep going.
“As long as I’m healthy and can do it properly, I hope to continue,” said Allen, who remains physically fit, jogging regularly along with activities including downhill skiing in the winters and golf during the warmer months.
“I’ll know when it’s time to step aside. When I can’t see well enough to judge the baseline and need to rely on my partners more than I should, then it’s time to hang up the whistle and let the younger ones take over. I hope that’s not for a while though.”
Mike Dunn is a sportswriter for the Cadillac News and the sports editor of the Missaukee Sentinel weekly. He has won numerous awards through the Michigan Press Association as well as the Michigan Associated Press.
PHOTOS (Top) Cadillac’s Bill Allen, shown here following a varsity girls basketball game in February in Evart, is in his 50th year as an MHSAA registered official. (Middle) Allen waits at the baseline for action to resume. (Below) Allen talks casually with McBain Northern Michigan Christian boys assistant coach Terry Pluger prior to the start of the varsity game with Buckley on Dec. 8. (Photos by Mike Dunn.)