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)