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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --April 24, 1998
Contact: John Johnson or Mike Clifford --517.332.5046
| Blake Hagman, center, receives the Norris Award from MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts (left) and former Executive Director Vern Norris, for whom the award is named. |
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Blake Hagman of Kalamazoo
was honored as the 1998 recipient of the Vern L. Norris Award
by the Michigan High School Athletic Association at its 19th
annual Officials' Award and Alumni Banquet, Saturday evening
(April 25) at the Sheraton Lansing Hotel.
In his 37th year as a registered official, Hagman has been the
head official at the MHSAA cross country and track and field
finals more than 20 times. Formerly the city-wide athletic director
for Kalamazoo Public Schools and building athletic director at
Kalamazoo Central High School, he is a registered official in
cross country and track and field.
A 1960 graduate of Kalamazoo Central, Hagman
began his officiating career in 1961 as a basketball, wrestling,
cross country and track and field official while attending Western
Michigan University. After earning a degree in business education
in 1964, he began his teaching career at Homer High School. In
1966, Hagman left Homer and took a job at Kalamazoo Central in
1966 where he teaches to this day. He later earned his master's
degree in business education in 1971, also from Western Michigan
University.
One of the first recipients of the Al Bush Award in 1992 as an
individual who has had past or continuing service to prep athletics,
Hagman has been a mentor to beginning cross country and track
and field officials and an instructor in the Program of Athletic
Coaches' Education (PACE). He was a founder, past president and
board member of the Association of Track Officials of Michigan
(ATOM), he has also served as the executive secretary of the
Big 8 Conference and the Southwestern Michigan Ice Hockey League
and has been the tournament director of the MHSAA Lower Peninsula
Volleyball Finals for the past 10 years.
The Norris Award is presented annually to an official with more
than 20 years of experience who has been active in their local
official's association, has mentored other officials, and been
involved in official's education. It is named for Norris, who
was executive director of the MHSAA from 1978-86. Hagman was
nominated for the award by Mike Foster of the Wolverine Conference.
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