| IBCA officiating award winners IBCA/ROY GARDNER AWARD Roy Gardner was a basketball official who was a math teacher for 34 years at Batesville High School. He coached basketball at Westland, Rising Sun and Batesville as well as track, baseball and golf at Batesville, with his teams capturing numerous championships. As an official, Gardner worked the 1955, 1956 and 1959 State Finals. He also officiated in the Big Ten from 1959 through 1969, and he called the East-West College All-Star Games in Hinkle Fieldhouse in 1968 and 1969. Gardner was born in 1919 in Lawrenceburg, lettered in basketball and track at Ball State University and passed away in 1977. He was inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. The IBCA has presented an award to an outstanding basketball official in Roy Gardner’s name since 1978. 2020 IBCA Roy Gardner Award Congratulations to the Roy Gardner Award Winner: Jay Slater Jay Slater of Sullivan is the winner of the 2020 Roy Gardner Award. Slater is a 1976 graduate of Shakamak High School, where he played basketball and baseball. He later attended Heritage Environmental Institute. Slater started his officiating career during the 1986-87 basketball season. Over 34 seasons, he has had the opportunity to work four boys’ basketball State Finals (2008, 2011, 2014 and 2017) and four girls’ basketball State Finals (2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016). He also worked two Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Classic tournaments – the girls in 2003 and the boys in 2004. Slater also is a football and baseball official. In football, he has officiated in two IHSAA championship games (Class 5A in 2014 and Class 6A in 2018) as well as the 2019 Indiana North-South All-Star Classic. In baseball, he has been voted the top district umpire five times by high school regional baseball coaches and has officiated in seven State Finals games (2007, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019). Slater also has officiated at all levels of college baseball for the past 18 years and in the American Legion program. His previous American Legion tournament assignments include 24 years of state sectionals, 18 years of state regionals and six years of American Legion State Finals. He umpired in the Great Lakes National American Legion Regional seven times (2008 in Chillicothe, Ohio; 2010 in Mattoon, Ill.; 2011 and 2012 in Midland, Mich.; 2013 and 2014 in Terre Haute; and 2015 in Alton, Ill.). Slater is a member of the Wabash Valley Officials Association. He previously served as a board member and president of the association. Slater has served as the baseball chair for the past 15 years and lead clinician for the past 12 baseball clinics. He credits his success to the great group of officials he has worked with and learned from over the years. Professionally, Slater has worked for Sony in Terre Haute for more than 29 years. He currently is the Safety and Environmental Specialist at Sony. His hobbies include playing drums for his worship team at Abundant Grace House of Prayer in Sullivan and supporting his favorite sports teams – the Indiana Hoosiers, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Bears. Slater notes that he would not have been able to accomplish what he has in officiating without the love and support of his wife, Cindy. The couple has two adult children – Heather and Ashlee. They also have seven grandchildren – Kate, Addie, Ridge, Sadie, Charlee, Lexi and Quinn. Historical Listings 1978:Lowell Smith, Palmyra 1979:Wayne Van Sickle, Richmond 1980:Troy Ingram, Richmond 1981:Jerry Larrison, Indianapolis 1982:John Lozier, Logansport 1983:Rich Boer, Gary 1984:Jim Wehsollek, Alexandria 1985:Jerry Petro, Franklin 1986:Roger DeYoung, Hebron 1987:Jesse Lynch, Indianapolis 1988:Bob Marcinek, East Chicago 1989:Melvin Redmond, Mt. Vernon 1990:Steve Cherry, Pendleton 1991:no award given 1992:Richard Cook, Michigan City 1993:Jim Cox, Jonesboro 1994:Mike Bohan, Brownsburg 1995:Bill Wulner, Lawrenceburg 1996:Bob Beeson, Elkhart 1997:Jerry Cook, Elkhart 1998:Norm Hathcoat, Pendleton 1999:Steve Fisher, Poseyville 2000:Rick Owens, Lynn 2001:Larry Maxwell, Martinsville 2002:Larry Jones, Logansport 2003:Bill Nimnicht, Evansville 2004:Jimmy Dimitroff, Indianapolis 2005:Garry Leistner, Dubois 2006:Ken Gorrell, Franklin 2007:Jerry Taylor, Lafayette 2008:James Dunlap, Newburgh 2009:Don Nester, Indianapolis 2010:Larry Nixon, Veedersburg 2011:Mark Baltz, Zionsville 2012:Bob Anderson, Indianapolis, and Ray Tebbe, New Palestine 2013:Mike Waisnora, Crown Point 2014:Terry Magnuson, Greenwood 2015:Rex Nichols, Mooresville 2016:Jason Ferguson, Whiteland 2017:Tom Rohr, Montezuma 2018:Tom Walters, Indianapolis 2019:Mike Eason, Cumberland 2020:Jay Slater, Sullivan 2021:Jay Slater, Sullivan (Being honored in 2021, postponed in 2020) |
