Officials Eager for New Hockey Format

July 12, 2019

By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor

Tuesday, Feb. 26, was a particularly busy day on the ice as the 2019 MHSAA Ice Hockey Tournament reached just its second day around the state.

On the slate that night were 27 Regional games, bringing the two-day total to 48 on the heels of Monday’s busy calendar.

As teams were busy setting their sights on the ultimate goal, so, too, was another group of accomplished skaters who toil with much less fanfare. Nonetheless, the games can’t start without them – the folks in the striped shirts who call the games.

Just as players and coaches will welcome the expanded playoff format in 2020, the officials are looking forward to the change as well.

“When we got to the first week of the tournament, it seemed like we were going every day,” said Jim Gagleard, who assigns officials for the Livonia Ice Hockey Officials Association. “There are only so many officials to go around in any sport. By allowing us as officials a day or two to catch our breath, it’s good. Good for us, and good for players more than anything.”

If it seemed like every day, well, it was. A total of 66 games were played over the first three days, and 89 over the first four. Considering each game at the Regional level has three officials, that computes to 267 officials needed during that span. On the busiest day, 81 had to take to the ice.

Given that there were a total of 302 playoff-eligible officials in 2019, filling those slots can be a logistical nightmare for assigners at times.

“Regional week will see a huge burden alleviated for officials and especially assigners. There will be so much more flexibility under the new format,” said Dan DiCristofaro, President of the Northeast Hockey Referees Association. “Last year, we were faced with so many doubleheaders at single sites, and the first games needed an early start so that the second games would not last late into the evening on school nights.

“At times, the most important factor for the assigner was scheduling those officials who could get to the arena for the early start times. Merit and ability sometimes had to take a back seat.”

Gagleard agrees, saying, “Assigning-wise, early games are the toughest to fill. Everyone has a job, and in order to work a game they have to tell the boss they’re leaving at 2:30 for a 5 o’clock game. You start to look for officials who are retired, or can get out of work, instead of the most qualified. That’s not fair to the teams playing.”

In the northern reaches of the Upper Peninsula, the problem is more acute.

Sean Jacques is the athletic director at Calumet, and also an experienced official, having skated the Division 2 Final in Plymouth in 2016.

“Not enough,” Jacques said, in reference to the number of playoff officials in the UP. “Not enough. When I get the list of eligible officials that is sent to tournament managers, I have to search and scramble to find three people within an 80-mile radius.”

Moving the Quarterfinals to the weekend will definitely help matters, and eliminating Regional doubleheaders should ease the scheduling anxiety as well.

“With Regionals spread out more, without doubleheaders, officials potentially could work more days,” Jacques said. “And there should be more availability for the Quarterfinals. The last few years, it was in the Sault, and getting four guys to the Sault on a weeknight, whether from Escanaba or northern lower Michigan, was difficult. There were times I’d turn down a Quarterfinal because I just couldn’t get there and back and make it to work the next day. Saturday makes it easier.”

On the west side of the Lower Peninsula, assigner Randy Sheahan uses a mathematical approach to illustrate his challenges, even for the regular season. Sheahan calculates that 98.88 percent of all West Michigan games are scheduled for Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday. Breaking it down further, 84.39 percent skip Wednesday and schedule only Friday or Saturday.

With the shortened regular season coming in 2019-20 to allow for a three-week tournament window, Sheahan took a proactive approach.

“When the MHSAA announced the change to a three-week tournament, I emailed all West Michigan coaches, plus a handful of athletic directors and booster leaders who may be involved in team scheduling,” Sheahan said. “I encouraged them if they are having difficulty squeezing all their games into a window which is now one week shorter, to give further consideration to playing on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays to greatly alleviate some of the stresses we place on the West Michigan officiating staff.”

As for the MHSAA Tournament, Sheahan agrees with his brethren across the state in metro Detroit that the expansion will benefit assigners, officials, and teams.

“I only see positives,” Sheahan said. “This gives me tremendous flexibility with our staff to maneuver around their professional and personal schedules to keep our best officials on the ice every round, which is an expectation teams have for playoffs. It also provides (at times) much needed rest for officials and teams, especially if they are involved in overtime affairs. This could help with the quality of overall game play.”

That’s the goal for everyone. Fresher legs for players and officials alike will provide a better experience for all involved.

“This allows for physical recovery for everyone on the ice,” said DiCristofaro. “It also allows for better time management for student-athletes, officials and coaches. Even at the Quarterfinal offerings with four officials for each game, we’d run into issues as far as which people could get to places, or wanted to travel and skate late on a work night. Saturday give us much more flexibility and should create more interest in the state tournament.”

The Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals have employed a four-official system in recent years, affording an extra position each game for deserving officials while adding to the quality of the game for participants at the highest level.

Sheahan plans to utilize the new format to continue to reward those among his troops who have earned their stripes for such contests.

“In theory, I may have opportunities to increase game counts for some of our perennial playoff officials, but I have no plans to do that,” Sheahan said. “We have other officials every season who are good enough to skate playoffs and have earned it, but simply couldn’t quite break the playoff bubble. Now the opportunity presents itself to reward some of those officials. It would be counterproductive to officiating development if fewer officials are getting opportunities for important games.”

Similarly, DiCristofaro is hoping the time will come when four officials will be assigned to skate Regional Finals, and perhaps the new length of the postseason will open the door.

“Some of most important games are the Regional Finals. Maybe this new schedule can help,” DiCristofaro said. “Four officials offer teams the best possible ice coverage, and they deserve that.”

Hayes Continues to Cultivate Growth of Lacrosse, Generations of Officials

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 18, 2022

This spring, more than 60 years after she graduated from high school, Pat Hayes is officiating five and sometimes six girls lacrosse games a week.

The sport has grown significantly especially over the last 20 years, and there are games at all levels to be played. And Hayes, who has helped guide that growth from the sport’s start in Michigan, has helped make sure those games do get played whether as the assigner of officials to work them, trainer of officials build up the ranks or often as the umpire herself.

Pat Hayes“I played four sports in high school; that’s all we had back then – basketball, swimming, field hockey and tennis,” Hayes said. “And (my coach) said to me, ‘Just remember the last time you didn’t have officials on one of your field hockey games, or basketball games.’ I said, ‘Well, we always had umpires.’ And she said, ‘When you leave here, that’s your time to give back to the next girls. And I’ve been doing that ever since.”

A knowledgeable leader and valued voice for girls lacrosse from its start in Michigan, Hayes’ dedication to the sport began long before its eventual sponsorship by the Michigan High School Athletic Association began with the 2004-05 school year. A longtime coach and official, Hayes has helped guide the growth of the sport most recently as one of the most respected umpires, officials assigners and trainers in the state – and she is being honored for those contributions with this year’s MHSAA Vern L. Norris Award.

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.

Hayes is in her 22nd year as an MHSAA-registered official, a tenure which has included eight years of soccer, five of volleyball and one of basketball – and every season of lacrosse since it became an MHSAA-sponsored sport nearly two decades ago. She also has built a legendary international career as an official for field hockey, which while not an MHSAA-sponsored sport is played by more than 30 of the state’s high schools.

Hayes has officiated both field hockey and lacrosse since graduating from Detroit Western High School in 1958. She also has more than three decades of coaching experience across multiple sports, and is best-known by the most recent generations in her sports as a prized trainer and officials assigner especially in lacrosse and field hockey.

“My reward, when I train somebody, is watching them excel, and my real reward is if they get picked to do a (MHSAA) Final, and there have been several of them that I have trained that have done that,” she said. “And several of them now are doing college lacrosse, which is even more of a reward for me. Watching them go and excel and move on to the next level is my reward.”

While still a student at Wayne State University in 1960-61, Hayes coached field hockey and started the lacrosse program at Grosse Pointe Sacred Heart Academy. After two years there, she moved to Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart, where she remained until 1970 teaching chemistry and biology, coaching field hockey, lacrosse, basketball and volleyball and serving as athletic director as well.

She then left teaching with the birth of her second of three daughters, but continued to officiate. When her daughters reached high school at Birmingham Seaholm, she returned as a coach of the Maples’ freshman boys and then junior varsity girls basketball teams. In 1985 she began a 22-year stint at Detroit Country Day coaching girls lacrosse with five years also coaching freshman boys basketball. She coached the Yellowjackets girls lacrosse team to the first Division 2 championship game and a runner-up finish in 2005.

Hayes currently assigns lacrosse officials for 28 schools as part of the Lacrosse Zebras Organization of Michigan. She has worked seven MHSAA Girls Lacrosse Finals and also officiated college lacrosse at the Division II and III levels. She is retiring this spring after 35 years assigning girls soccer officials as well.

Perhaps her most legendary work has come in field hockey. She played on the U.S. national team and over the last half-century has been considered among the top field hockey officials in the world. She has officiated that sport at the college level for 45 years, with an NCAA Championship assignment in 1986, and she also officiated three World Cup tournaments and the 2004 Olympics as a technical official. She assigns officials for all of Michigan’s high school field hockey games during the sport’s fall season.

Hayes has been recognized numerous times for her extensive service to school sports. She was inducted into the U.S. Lacrosse Michigan Chapter Hall of Fame in 2009 and was named an honorary member of the USA Field Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. She was named to the Bloomfield Hills Roeper School Hall of Fame in 2016 and Detroit Catholic High School League Hall of Fame in 2018. She received the Oakland County Athletic Director Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

"Pat has been a leader and pioneer in officiating, especially creating opportunities for female officials. She has been a true leader for years in lacrosse, soccer and field hockey," MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. "She has that perfect combination of compassion, toughness, grace and grit. Michigan's officiating community is fortunate to have Pat Hayes." 

Hayes graduated from Detroit Western High School in 1958 and with a bachelor’s degree in education from Wayne State University in 1962.

In addition to her continued service to athletics, Hayes has received the Good Neighbor Award for volunteering with the Quarton Lake Neighborhood Association in Birmingham.

Hayes and husband John Hayes were married 50 years, until his death in 2016. Their three daughters all played college athletics, but not lacrosse or field hockey – instead golf, volleyball and soccer.

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 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
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

MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 55 & 60-YEAR OFFICIALS

The officials on this list are receiving their 20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 55 or 60-year service awards.

20-YEAR OFFICIALS

Adrian – Christopher M. Jones
Albion – Matt M. Overweg
Ann Arbor – Brad R. Nevin
Ann Arbor – Luis E. Acosta
Auburn – David J. Radke

Battle Creek – Melvin C. McKnight
Bay City – Thomas E. Barnikow
Bay City – Martin Brown
Bellaire – William J. Johnston
Bellaire – Michael A. Sizen
Belmont – Terrence P. Kerwin
Berrien Springs – Daryl L. Boughton
Beulah – Joe M. Johnson
Birch Run – Joel D. Barnes
Boyne City – Hal G. Price
Brimley – Vincent A. Gross
Bristol – Milan Vuchenich
Burton – Michael J. Vogt
Byron Center – Patrick J. Lane

Canton – Christopher J. Floyd
Canton – Robert R. Maybouer
Canton – Donald W. Mullett
Cassopolis – Charles A. Conner
Cassopolis – Douglas S. Conner
Chesterfield – Erik C. Law
Chesterfield – Ronald G. Masters
Clinton Township – Richard G. Croci
Coldwater – Courtney J. Dean
Coloma – James G. Kalinowski
Commerce Township – James J. McGuigan

Davison – Scott McConnelee
Davison – Edward D. Rodden
Dearborn – Ralph D. Capler
Dearborn – Oliver H. Fragoso
Dearborn – Joseph M. Salmassi
Detroit – Hershell Bell Jr.
Detroit – Rayford Evans
Detroit – Donald F. Gay Jr.
Detroit – Andrew Hill Jr.
Detroit – Herman Pierce
Detroit – Sherell S. Stanley Esq.
Detroit – Gregory Williams
Detroit – Richard A. Hughes
DeWitt – Bret J. Wegenke
Dryden – Mark E. Stevens

Farmington Hills – Jeffrey E. Dornseifer
Farmington Hills – Rob T. Holmes
Farwell – James C. Betts
Fenton – Donald G. Lougheed
Flat Rock – Patricia L. Brodie
Flint – Chris R. Daly
Flushing – Angela Del Morone
Flushing – William J. Furno
Flushing – Thomas F. Theile
Freeland – Bob Diekman
Fremont – Ty Miller
Fruitport – Chad J. Vanderstelt

Gaylord – Michele R. Curtis
Gladwin – Kevin S. Krenzke
Gobles – Michael R. Spencer
Grand Haven – Michael E. Keith
Grand Haven – Ben Wieringa
Grand Ledge – Matthew R. Allen
Grand Rapids – Marquese T. Allen Sr.
Grand Rapids – Kecia Y. Bennett
Grand Rapids – Charles F. Ely III
Grand Rapids – Brett A. Lambert
Grand Rapids – Jay Spencer
Grand Rapids – Gregory S. Yarhouse
Grosse Pointe – Lisa Favors
Grosse Pointe Woods – Michael A. Zilli
Gwinn – Kathy G. Foulks
Gwinn – Steven M. Foulks

Hamtramck – Thomas A. Habitz Jr.
Hartland – Steven P. Tannar
Hillsdale – Bruce A. Britton
Holland – Michael D. Costello
Holland – Vincent L. Duckworth
Holland – Karl Z. Nadolsky
Holland – Heather M. Tietze
Holland – Matt B. Vanderhulst
Holland – David M. Zessin
Howell – Ryan E. Decker
Hudsonville – Bruce Ritsema

Ironwood – Dan L. Meyer
Ironwood – Jeffrey R. Wasley
Ishpeming – John L. Burke

Jackson – Todd R. Sonnenberg
Jackson – Justin D. Ward
Jenison – Mark K. Lundvick

Kalamazoo – Bruce Beery
Kalamazoo – Kris M. Brown Jr.
Kalamazoo – Alan E. Clark
Kalamazoo – William S. Wilkinson
Kaleva – Michael Phillips
Kentwood – Gerry Erb

Lake Orion – Debra L. Bunker-Plasters
Lambertville – Tom M. Condon
Lambertville – Steven M. Rechsteiner
Lansing – Joseph Bard Jr.
Lansing – Donald Childs
Lansing – Natalie J. Queen
Lapeer – Peter S. Haggadone
Litchfield – Mickey J. Rowe
Livonia – Dennis O. Betts
Livonia – Kevin J. Kashat
Ludington – Genevieve M. Knudsen
Ludington – J. R. Schoon

Macomb – Marc W. Sonnenfeld
Manistique – Kelley L. Spettel
Marinette – Jim Kostura
Marquette – Blaine M. Barabas
Marquette – Roxin Zhang
Mason – Heidi S. Hopper
Mason – Robert D. Manes
Midland – Stephen A. Kamin
Milan – Ryan P. Chadderton
Millington – Glen W. Reinert
Monroe – Terrance E. Leabhart
Monroe – Thomas M. Malik
Mount Pleasant – Audie S. Hawkins Sr.

Newport – Kenneth H. Trimiew
North Branch – Luke D. Reynolds
North Muskegon – Anthony T. McBride
Novi – Rick A. VanDerVeer
Novi – Jeffrey S. Woodbury

Okemos – Matthew D. Wilcox
Ontonagon – Patrick A. Pestka
Oxford – Elizabeth A. Cilfone

Petoskey – John F. Tompkins
Portage – Curtis D. Messing
Portage – William L. Rutledge
Portage – David W. Steinmiller

Reese – Kent A. Houghtaling
Reese – Kris K. Shoemate
Richland – Glenn R. Bushouse
Rochester – Luis J. Arellano
Rochester Hills – Peter L. Olson
Rockford – Todd J. Frazier
Royal Oak – James V. Stockel
Rudyard – Steven T. May

Saginaw – Luke S. Schmiege
Sault Ste. Marie – Mike Heyboer
Scotts – David J. Blough
Shelby Township – Gregory J. Lefevre
Shelby Township – Denise L. Roeschke
Southfield – Joel E. Moore
Springport – Steven B. Keeler
St. Helen – Donald L. Hancock
Standish – Steven J. Stodolak
Sterling Heights – David R. Krellwitz
Stevensville – Daniel S. Barz
Swanton – Paul Ramirez
Swartz Creek – Mike Gomez
Swartz Creek – Timothy M. Mowry

Taylor – Cedric Binns
Toledo – Jeremy L. Petroff
Trenton – Eric A. Towe
Trenton – Jason J. Towe
Troy – Peter R. Bucheli

Vanderbilt – John W. Bifoss Jr.
Vicksburg – Carl E. Keller

Wakefield – Peter W. Yon
Warren – Kevin S. Kitka
Washington – William B. Pochinco
West Bloomfield – Kenneth M. Bertin
Westland – Calvin E. Denson
Wolverine – Daniel D. Ashenfelter
Wyoming – Darryl M. Dillard

Ypsilanti – Eva L. Bower

Zeeland – Ted C. Patrick

30-YEAR AWARDS

Albion – Arthur E. Kale

Battle Creek – Laurie S. Mueller
Bay City – Gary L. Merrill
Beverly Hills – Thomas I. Prysby
Bonita Springs – Bryan R. Wild
Byron Center – Todd A. Powell

Cambridge – Mark D. Dooley
Capac – Tom R. Mailloux
Carleton – Geno R. Walker
Cedar Springs – Shane P. Wood
Charlotte – Ron W. Bristol
Charlotte – Michael K. Sumner
Cheboygan – Thom L. Wissner
Columbiaville – Russell M. Cossaboom

Davisburg – Leo P. Flynn
Dearborn Heights – Kenneth E. Butler
Detroit – Damon M. Brown
Detroit – Rich J. Plackowski
DeWitt – Jeffrey R. Spedoske
DeWitt – Mark R. Uyl
Dowagiac – Larry G. Brewer
Dowagiac – Don East

East China – Kirk A. Seibert
East China – Michael J. Welser
East Tawas – Kenneth C. Baker
Escanaba – Kevin P. Ayotte
Essexville – David A. Lovely

Falmouth – Don L. Blue Jr.
Fennville – Philip R. Bard
Ferndale – Mose F. Smith Jr.

Gaylord – Vern W. Collins
Grand Blanc – Dean P. Tondreau
Grand Haven – Lori L. Spelde
Grand Ledge – Daniel P. West
Grand Rapids – Pete M. Cool
Grand Rapids – Geoffrey Henderson
Grand Rapids – Dwayne W. Moore
Grass Lake – Daniel S. Trudell

Harbor Beach – Darryl J. Wehner
Hartland – Larry A. Mach
Hemlock – James R. La Grow II
Holton – Joseph M. Stine

Indian River – David M. Reeb
Iron Mountain – Bruce M. Tapio
Iron Mountain – Hans E. Wienke

Jackson – Paul A. McDonald

Kalamazoo – O'Neal Ollie

Lake City – Richard A. Bradley
Lake Orion – Michael K. Sopko
Lakeport – Kenneth E. Marzka
Lansing – Scott Barnes
Lansing – Lloyd Richard Kieft
Leslie – Juan P. Zamora Jr.
Livonia – Sharon E. Harris-Agrusa
Ludington – Aaron R. Condit

Mesick – Daniel L. Cochrane
Monroe – James T. Beck
Monroe – Brian A. Lamour
Morrice – Andrew P. Flynn
Mount Clemens – Shawn C. Dinkfelt

New Baltimore – Thomas L. Hebben
Norton Shores – Brian R. Holman
Novi – Ron S. Angell

Oakland Township – John C. Bowie
Ortonville – Stephen M. Hendershott
Owosso – Thomas F. Rau

Paw Paw – David P. DeCou
Petersburg – David J. Szenderski
Pinckney – Charles F. Krochmal
Pinconning – Denny M. Wiltse
Port Huron – Tyrone T. Christmas
Portage – William F. Louthan

Reese – David H. Selden
Riverview – Gary E. Kulchar
Rockford – Angela C. DeVito

Saginaw – Michael W. Clark
Saginaw – Brian J. Weaver
Saint Charles – Larry G. Graf
Shelby Township – David J. Roeschke
South Haven – Timothy J. Rediess
South Rockwood – James E. Martin
Southfield – Wayne C. Smith
Spring Lake – David C. Gross
St Clair – Dale R. Kaufman
St Ignace – Eric J. Danielson
St Ignace – Robert J. Lee
St Johns – Daniel J. LeVeque
St Joseph – John W. Ruddell
Stevensville – Larry L. Ward
Swartz Creek – Terry L. Scrivener
Sylvania – Shawn R. Glass

Traverse City – Kevin A. Novorolsky

Waterford – Marc J. Cooper
West Bloomfield – Donald C. Brewer
West Bloomfield – Barry E. Yett
West Branch – Anthony J. Buckett
Whitehall – Warren F. Kent III
Wyandotte – John P. Rzeppa

40-YEAR AWARDS

Adrian – Brenda Betz
Allen Park – Brett S. Davis

Bay Harbor – Peter C. Fitzsimons
Berrien Springs – Michael B. Emerson
Boyne City – Jeffery A. Grice
Buckley – Charles E. Bott
Burton – Gibbon J. Goulish

Chesterfield – James P. Lewis

Dearborn – Gary J. Trocino
Dearborn Heights – Alan Kevwitch
Dearborn Heights – Shaun P. Soraghan
Decatur – Daniel K. Benson

Farmington – Gerald G. Potter
Farmington Hills – Peter Beer
Fenton – Mark D. Larson

Gladwin – Rick C. Stone
Goshen – Stephen V. Grinczel
Grand Rapids – William J. Wagner
Grand Rapids – Brian M. Zdanowski
Grandville – Peter J. VanGessel
Greenville – Thomas W. Kohn
Grosse Pointe – Michael J. Peltz

Holly – Dale M. Smith
Howell – Thomas J. Guilmette
Howell – Kenneth G. Wikle

Jackson – Tim E. Hoffman
Jackson – Phillip T. Westheimer
Jackson – Dennis V. Whitehead

Kalamazoo – Trent J. Anderson
Kalamazoo – Michael T. Aumack
Kalamazoo – Carol Willson

Lake Worth – Russell D. Johnson
Livonia – David J. Askew
Livonia – James M. Gibbons

Mason – Mark R. Sefcik
Monroe – Michael T. Knabusch

Newport – George S. Harvey

Oak Park – Robert L. Czech
Owosso – Michael Selleck
Oxford – Michael L. Dunn

Paw Paw – Horace M. Turner
Plainwell – John R. Martin
Portage – Gary A. Therrian
Posen – Mary E. Wozniak

Quinnesec – David R. Soderbloom

Saginaw – Rudy T. Kocsis
Saginaw – Ray Powers
Shelby Township – Helmut Egger
St. Clair Shores – Ross Klein
St. Ignace – Martin J. Spencer

Troy – Ramiro J. Bucheli

Weidman – Eric E. Gronda
West Bloomfield – Brian W. McKenna
Wolverine – Stephen M. Johnson

45-YEAR AWARDS

Adrian – Don C. Fry
Alma – Bruce M. Moss

Bristol – David J. Blough
Brooklyn – Thomas W. Crampton
Brown City – Richard Lee

Climax – Wayne C. Patterson
Crystal – Robert A. Youngs

Davison – Douglas C. Dillon
Davison – Randy Hutton
Detroit – Patricia E. Jones
Detroit – Bertha M. Smiley
DeWitt – John C. Hoekje

Farmington Hills – John D. Scott
Fenton – Richard D. Massa
Frankenmuth – Dennis Krafft

Gladstone – David P. Gagnon

Hazel Park – Ronald R. Nagy
Highland – Deborah S. Heck

Imlay City – Jeff M. Weingartz
Ionia – Paul D. Carmichael
Iron Mountain – John J. Sacchetti
Iron Mountain – Doug A. Schupp
Ironwood – Jeff D. Haapoja

Kalamazoo – Kirk G. Hart

Lansing – Bryan L. Smith
Linden – Reed W. Johnson

Manistee – Tom L. Guenthardt
Muskegon – Jeffery A. Burr

Negaunee – Philip M. DeGabriele
Norton Shores – Richard L. Anderegg
Norton Shores – Jim Tate

Plymouth – Thomas J. Poma
Posen – Frank Wozniak

Rapid River – Jeffrey A. Schram

Saginaw – Charles S. Sherman
Saginaw – Suzanne R. Swanton

Shelby Township – Michael L. Hessen
St. Clair – Garth E. Jones
Sturgis – David R. Cherry

Trenton – Max Monas
Troy – Joseph E. Thilman

Warren – Larry R. Leeper
Warren – Stephen Stuckey
Williamston – Michael A. Nestell

50-YEAR AWARDS

Battle Creek – Charles M. Hobbs
Brighton – Bruce D. Ritter

Davison – Patrick J. McKenna

Farmington – Raymond A. Cranston

Grand Rapids – Tom J. Essenburg

Howell – James L. Downs

Iron Mountain – Kenneth E. Marchetti

Ludington – Ronald E. Mousel

Plymouth – Brian F. Foust

Saginaw – John B. Musulin
Spruce – Leslie L. Miller
St. Clair Shores – George Mihalic
St. Joseph – Frederick A. Fenrick
Sunrise – Thomas J. Lieckfelt

Taylor – Alphonse P. Ruffner
Tekonsha – Brian C. Briegel

Westland – James J. McPartlin
Wyoming – Robert L. Stewart

55-YEAR AWARDS

Clarkston – Tony Malinowski
Comstock Park – Paul L. VanOveren

Grand Rapids – Kenneth H. Terpstra

Haslett – Rodney H. Horton

Negaunee – Roland K. Koski

Owosso – Jim G. Niemiec

Rochester Hills – Walter E. Popyk

West Bloomfield – Alan K. Kaczander

60-YEAR AWARDS

Mount Pleasant – Norman R. Sorenson

St. Clair Shores – Diane M. Johnson

PHOTO Official Pat Hayes sets up the opening faceoff for the 2009 Division 2 Final. (MHSAA file photo.)