IBCA Gardner and Ball Awards 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Pat McKee, 317-403-1665 March 23, 2022 IBCA Director of Special Projects

Officials to receive 2022 Gardner and Ball awards

Wise, Stoffers to be honored by Indiana Basketball Coaches Association

Game officials Mark Wise and Michael Stoffers will be recognized with special awards in 2022 by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Wise and Stoffers will be honored as respective winners of the Roy Gardner and Mildred Ball awards as outstanding officials throughout long careers on the hardwood. The two officials are being cited for their work impacting the game floor, Wise from 1983 to 2015 and Stoffers from 1989 to the present.

Wise officiated for 32 seasons, including four times in the boys' basketball State Finals and two times in the girls' basketball State Finals while a member of the Lake County Athletic Officials Association. The Crown Point resident received the IHSAA Award as Official of the Year in boys' basketball in 2012. He also was recognized with the Stan Dubis Award from the Calumet Sportsmanship Committee for outstanding contribution, goodwill and

achievement in amateur athletics in 2013 and the Harry Werkowski Award as the LCAOA Official of the Year in 2013-14. While in the LCAOA, Wise conducted rules meetings as well as serving as a lead clinician, basketball program director and as a mentor to younger officials.

Stoffers, a Terre Haute resident, just completed his 33rd season as an official. He has worked the boys' basketball State Finals four times and the girls' basketball State Finals five times. Stoffers is a member of the Wabash Valley Officials Association. He served as WVOA president from 1996-2000, and he currently is the association’s treasurer. In addition to basketball, he has officiated volleyball and football, working three State Finals in volleyball and two State Finals in football. He was named IHSAA volleyball Official of the Year in 2011.

The Gardner Award is named after the late Roy Gardner, a Lawrenceburg native, Ball State graduate and former Batesville High School math teacher who worked three boys' basketball State Finals and officiated

in the Big Ten from 1959-69. He passed away in 1977, and the IBCA has presented an award in his name since 1978. Gardner was inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

The Ball Award is named after Mildred Morgan Ball, a graduate of Gary Roosevelt High School and Indiana University who served as an IHSAA assistant commissioner from 1977-97. During her time at the IHSAA, Ball was responsible for licensing and training of contest officials and also worked with the National Federation of High School Associations rules committee. The IBCA has presented an award in her name since 1997. Ball was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998, and she is the 2022 recipient of the Richard G. Lugar Award for Distinguished Service.

Wise and Stoffers each will receive his award during the IBCA's annual clinic on Friday, April 22 at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. For more information about the IBCA, go to in.nhsbca.org.

More information about each award winner follows. In addition, a list of previous winners for these awards follows the biography information.

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2022 IBCA Roy Gardner Award Congratulations to the Roy Gardner Award Winner: Mark Wise

Mark Wise of Crown Point is the winner of the 2022 Roy Gardner Award.

Over 32 seasons as a boys’ basketball official, Wise worked 22 sectionals, 15 regionals, eight semi-states and the State Finals in 1999, 2003, 2006 and 2010. He also called the boys’ Hall of Fame Classic in 1998, and he worked the girls’ basketball State Finals in 1995 and 1998.

Wise is a 1978 graduate of Crown Point High School, where he played basketball and tennis. He went on to Indiana University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 1982.

Wise began officiating in 1983 as a member of the Lake County Athletic Officials Association. While in the association, he was a lead clinician, basketball program director, conducted rules meetings and served as a mentor to younger officials.

As an official, Wise received an IHSAA Award as Official of the Year in Boys Basketball in 2012, the Stan Dubis Award from the Calumet Sportsmanship Committee for outstanding contribution, goodwill and achievement in amateur athletics in 2013, and the Harry Werkowski Award as the LCAOA Official of the Year in 2013-14.

Wise often worked with Steve Kvachkoff as an officiating partner and mentioned how Kvachkoff always helped make basketball fun. Other career highlights include working in venues such as Hinkle Fieldhouse, the RCA Dome, Lucas Oil Stadium, Market Square Arena, Conseco/Bankers Life/Gainbridge Fieldhouse and serving as lead official for the Class 4A state title game that included Greg Oden and Mike Conley as Lawrence North seniors.

Professionally, Wise worked in the grocery industry for 43 years, retiring in December 2021. His hobbies included golfing, working out at his local YMCA and spending time with his grandsons.

Wise noted he would not have done any of the above without the support of his wife, Cindy, an elementary school principal in Crown Point and his “No. 1 officiating observer.” The couple has been married for 38 years, and they have two adult sons – Matt and Tommy – as well as four grandsons.

2022 IBCA Mildred Ball Award
Congratulations to the Mildred Ball Award Winner: Michael Stoffers

Michael Stoffers of Terre Haute is the winner of the 2022 Mildred Ball Award.

In 33 years as an official, Stoffers has worked 22 sectionals, 14 regionals, seven semi-states and four State Finals in boys’ basketball as well as 26 sectionals, 17 regionals, seven semi-states and five State Finals in girls’ basketball. The boys’ finals were in 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2019. The girls’ finals were in 2008, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019.

Stoffers is a 1977 graduate of Terre Haute South High School, where he played on the Braves’ basketball team that reached the State Finals and posted a 25-3 record for coach Gordon Neff. He then attended Vincennes University, earning an associate’s degree in horticulture in 1980.

Stoffers began his officiating career in 1989 and is a member of the Wabash Valley Officials Association. He has twice served as WVOA president, from 1996-2000, and he currently is the association’s treasurer.

In addition to basketball, he has officiated volleyball and football, working three State Finals in volleyball (2002, 2007 and 2011) and two State Finals in football (2014 and 2018). He was named IHSAA volleyball Official of the Year in 2011.

Stoffers lists working a Class 2A girls’ State Finals in 2013 in the Hulman Center in Terre Haute as a career highlight because his family was able to attend. He also noted that he enjoyed his most recent boys’ State Finals because he worked that Class A title contest with good friends Steve Morris and Greg Hayes.

Professionally, Stoffers has worked the past nine years for Precision Lawn Care and Vigo Turf, a Terre Haute-based landscaping company. He is the firm’s horticulturalist, who “can tell you exactly how to correct problems with any plant life.”

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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.

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: no winner named (winner from 2020 honored in 2021 because of COVID-19 pandemic) 2022: Mark Wise, Crown Point

IBCA/MILDRED BALL AWARD

Mildred Morgan Ball served as an IHSAA assistant commissioner from 1977 through 1997, responsible for the licensing and training of contest officials. In addition, she worked with the National Federation of State High School Associations' rules committee. Ball is a 1953 graduate of Gary Roosevelt High School and a 1960 graduate of Indiana University. She was a teacher at East Chicago Washington High School for 17 years before joining the IHSAA staff. Ball was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998, and she is the 2022 recipient of the Richard G. Lugar Award for Distinguished Service. She also is a recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, the Benjamin Hooks Award from the NAACP, the John

Endwright Distinguished Alumni Service Award from IU's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1996, a Distinguished Alumni Service Award from IU in 2005 as well as other awards from the National Federation of State High School Associations, the Indiana Association of Athletic Officials and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. The IBCA has presented an award to an outstanding basketball official in Mildred Ball's name since 1997.

1997: Theresia Wynns, Indianapolis 1998: Sue Ross, Fort Wayne
1999: Judy Schneider, Indianapolis 2000: Mike Crouch, Marion

2001: Tim Smith, Mentone
2002: Rhonda McGee, Floyds Knobs
2003: Rosie Leedy, Thorntown
2004: Barbara Guhl, Indianapolis
2005: Greta Hawvermale, Indianapolis
2006: Patty Broderick, Indianapolis
2007: John Patterson, Indianapolis
2008: Gene Butts, Warsaw
2009: Kim Yelich, Schererville
2010: Judy Phillips, Indianapolis
2011: Kelly Dennis, Whiteland
2012: Roger Holder, Greenfield
2013: Mike Smith, New Palestine
2014: Phil Vidito, Indianapolis
2015: Jay Smith, Syracuse
2016: Bob Frye, Indianapolis
2017: Larry Sintz, Brookville
2018: Michael Zehr, Dubois
2019: Andy Simpson, Crown Point
2020: Gary Wier, Plainville
2021: no winner named (winner from 2020 honored in 2021 because of COVID-19 pandemic) 2022: Michael Stoffers, Terre Haute