Baranoski Continues Pioneering as Official
February 28, 2019
By Jeff Chaney
Special for Second Half
It took two decades, but Casey Baranoski is on the brink once again of reaching wrestling's highest stage in the state of Michigan.
As a wrestler for Comstock Park High School during the late 1990s, Baranoski was a pioneer in the sport, becoming the first female in the state to record more than 100 wins while wrestling in the 103 and 112-pound weight classes.
She finished with a highly respectable 123-38 record for the Panthers, and was a two-time Regional qualifier.
But she could never take that final step to make it to the MHSAA Individual Finals.
"I got to Regionals, and I kind of choked," said Baranoski, a 1998 graduate.
Now Baranoski is a pioneer in the sport once more, as two weeks ago she officiated the Division 1 Individual Regional at Grand Haven High School, one step away from state.
"This is a fun sport to be part of, and it never quite gets out of your blood," Baranoski said. "(Me getting into officiating) is my brother Tom's fault. He got me to ref for the first time. And I work for a credit union, so I have banker's hours, so it was perfect for my schedule. It just worked out."
That start was five years ago, and slowly Baranoski has been working on her craft in stripes, earning the much needed experience it takes to earn an MHSAA Tournament assignment.
Unlike as a competitor, an official’s quest to make the Finals is not entirely in her or his hands. Officials are graded each match and tournament they work during the season by the coaches, and grades are tabulated. With high enough scores, an official might just get an invitation to ref the sport's best athletes.
Steve Shutich, who has been officiating high school wrestling in Michigan for 29 years, was the head official at the Grand Haven Regional two weeks ago, and he believes Baranoski is close to getting her ticket stamped for the trip to the Finals at Ford Field.
And he should know – he has officiated 16 individual and four team Finals.
"She did well," said Shutich, who is on the board of the West Michigan Wrestling Officials Association. "It proved that she is for better matches. She held her own that day."
Baranoski believes she is up to the task as well.
"I thought I did pretty well that day. It was nice to be accepted by the coaches," Baranoski said. "Wrestling and effort go hand in hand, and you have to rely on effort, not only as a wrestler, but also as a ref. I didn't get booed out of the gym, so I think I did pretty well."
Baranoski did get some experience officiating state finals matches this year. She was an official at the first girls state finals hosted Feb. 3 by the Michigan Wrestling Association.
"That was pretty cool," Baranoski said. "There were 165 girls at Adrian College, and it was a good experience."
Experience that Shutich says Baranoski needs to take one more step for the MHSAA Finals.
"She just needs a little more seasoning," Shutich said. "She'll be ready. She has what it takes to be the best. She knows the sport."
But Baranoski wants no favors.
"I want to earn it down there. I don't want it gifted," Baranoski said. "If my ratings are there, great. If it happens that way, outstanding."
PHOTOS: (Top) Casey Baranoski raises the arm of a winner during the Girls Wrestling Finals on Feb. 3 at Adrian College. (Middle) Baranoski watches for a pin. (Photos by GRW Action Photography.)
Northern MI Officials Honor 'Pioneer'
December 30, 2016
By Mike Spencer
Special for Second Half
TRAVERSE CITY – Barb Beckett was in a familiar spot – center circle at the Traverse City St. Francis gymnasium – for a boys varsity basketball game.
The longtime Michigan High School Athletic Association referee was not tossing up another ball to start the Dec. 17 contest with visiting Cadillac, but she was nonetheless the center of attention.
The Northern Sports Officials Association, and St. Francis athletic officials, honored Beckett for her decades of officiating service at halftime. A 34-year official and longtime president of the NSOA, she received plaudits, a trophy and a bouquet of flowers.
“To be recognized by your peers is probably the greatest thrill that one could hope for,” Beckett said. “It was a totally unexpected and humbling experience.
“I could never give back as much as the NSOA has given to me. And looking up and seeing a sea of officials and generations that I had officiated in my career was amazing.”
"Barb has been instrumental in mentoring, developing, and coaching officials to be the best they can be,” said Bill Parker, who succeeded Beckett as the association’s president earlier this year. "She has always had a great passion for high school sports and her way to stay involved has been officiating and as a leader in NSOA."
Parker said honoring Beckett was a great way to show her that the NSOA appreciated her efforts.
“When someone devotes so much time to an association, it is great to acknowledge their contributions,” Parker said.
Beckett is well known in statewide officiating circles. The first woman to officiate an MHSAA Boys Basketball Final (1995) was awarded the MHSAA’s Vern Norris Award in 2000 and Women In Sports Leadership Award in 2013.
“Barb has been a true pioneer in what she, along with the other leaders of the Northern Sports Officials Association, has been able to accomplish in areas of recruiting, training and retaining sports officials,” said MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl, the association's director of officiating. “At her core, Barb is a people person. The relationships that she has built with fellow officials, school administrators, coaches and student-athletes have been exemplary.”
Uyl said he was not surprised to see Beckett honored by her fellow officials.
“It’s a true testament of the kind of person Barb is,” Uyl said. “She has blazed an incredible trail as a leader in high school officiating. We need more people like Barb that are true advocates and supporters of those that are officiating games in school sports.”
Although Beckett turned in her whistle more than a decade ago, she is still involved in the NSOA as an assignor, advisor to the board and mentor.
“I knew many years ago that I was here to serve,” said Beckett, who also has been the program director for the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA. “I have been able to fulfill that life expectation of myself.”
Beckett, who officiated numerous high-level basketball and softball tournament games, said getting the association to assign games through a web-based system and getting officials better trained are two major accomplishments from her presidency.
“The assigning system has completely changed the way in which we operate and so has the training,” she said. “We emphasize the importance of educating and we wanted our officials to have the best and most comprehensive rules, mechanics and game-situation knowledge of anyone in the state.”
Beckett said she got into officiating just like a lot of others because she thought she could make a difference and do better than those that she had watched.
Beckett said working her first MHSAA Softball Final and the Class C Boys Basketball Final were among her officiating highlights.
“The boys Final was the best experience ever,” Beckett said. “I didn’t get any sleep the night before the game and I was never comfortable with all the attention of being the first female to work a boys Final.
“I saw myself as being just another official, not a female official.”
Beckett said she’s always had the “greatest partners ever,” and “they made me look way better than I actually was.” Among the greats were Joe Lemieux, Tom Post, Kenny Allen, Scott Jones, Clint Kerr and “many more, too,” she added.
As far as accolades, Beckett said she’s not a fan of self-recognition nights. But she’ll remember the cold, snowy winter night of Dec. 17, 2016.
“I like casual and homey nights like that,” she said. “My NSOA family was there with me so it was extra special.
“It’s a bond that we have as officials. We are all brothers and sisters.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Barb Beckett stands along the sidelines with her trophy and bouquet of flowers after the ceremony in her honor Dec. 17 during halftime of the Traverse City St. Francis boys basketball game against Cadillac. (Middle) Northern Sports Officials Association members, from left: president Bill Parker, assignor and mentor Barb Beckett and secretary Mark Stewart. (Photos by Mike Spencer.)