IBCA Gardner/Ball Award Winners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Pat McKee, 317-403-1665
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Pat McKee, 317-403-1665
March 16, 2026 IBCA Director of Special Projects
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Pat McKee, 317-403-1665
March 16, 2026 IBCA Director of Special Projects
Officials to receive 2026 Gardner and Ball awards
McGriff, Pillar to be honored by Indiana Basketball Coaches Association
Game officials Ron McGriff of Whiteland and David Pillar of Danville will be recognized with special awards in 2026 by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.
McGriff and Pillar are 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, McGriff from 1978 to 2018 and Pillar from 1999 to the present.
McGriff called boys' basketball games for 40 seasons, including four State Finals assignments. He also called girls' basketball games for 30 seasons, with three State Finals assignments. A longtime member of the Mid-Hoosier Officials Association and the Indiana Officials Association, McGriff worked 10 years as a clinician and assisted in the mentoring program for both associations.
He is a 1978 graduate of Southwestern High School in Shelby County, where he competed in basketball, baseball, track and cross country. He went on to Franklin College, earning a bachelor's degree in sociology in 1984. He had long career with Duke Energy, retiring on Dec. 31, 2025, after 38½ years with the company.
McGriff received a Circle Center Officials Award from the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2022. He also was presented with a Hardworking Hoosier Award from Indiana state representative Michelle Davis in October 2024.
Pillar is in his 27th year as a licensed official but he started earlier while an Indiana University men’s basketball student manager by calling IU scrimmages for coach Bob Knight and intramural games in the HPER Building. Since becoming a high school official in 2000, Pillar has called four State Finals for girls and four State Finals for boys.
A current member of the Fall Creek Officials Association and a 22-year past member of the Mid State Officials Association, Pillar served the MSOA as its basketball chairman from 2003-13 and as an at-large member of its board. He also has served the IHSAA as a basketball clinician for more than 20 years.
Pillar was named the IHSAA Girls’ Basketball Official of the Year in 2015, and he has served as the official scorekeeper for IU men’s basketball games for 27 seasons.
A 1997 graduate of Toronto High School in Toronto, Ohio, Pillar competed in basketball, golf and track & field. He went on to IU and was a four-year men's basketball manager. He later earned a master’s degree in education from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2005 and a doctorate in educational leadership in 2016 from Ball State.
After working from 2001-24 as a teacher, coach and administrator for Monroe County Schools, including three seasons as a boys’ basketball assistant coach for Tom McKinney at Bloomington North, Pillar currently is in his second year as Director of Education Integration and Advancement for RefReps, a Zionsville-based company that partners with high schools and looks to train students as officials in 15 sports in the schools’ physical education classes. He also works as an education consultant and coach with Solution Tree, a Bloomington-based international education publishing and professional development company.
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 was the 2022 recipient of the Richard G. Lugar Award for Distinguished Service.
McGriff and Pillar each will receive his award during the 2026 IBCA Clinic on April 23-24 at Mt. Vernon High School in Fortville. 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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2026 IBCA Roy Gardner Award
Congratulations to the Roy Gardner Award Winner: Ron McGriff
Ron McGriff of Whiteland is the winner of the 2026 IBCA Roy Gardner Award.
McGriff started officiating in 1978, shortly after he graduated from Southwestern High School in Shelby County. In the ensuing years, he called 33 sectionals, 24 regionals, nine semi-states and four State Finals in boys’ basketball in an officiating career that covered 40 years. His boys’ title games were in 2001 (4A), 2009 (1A), 2014 (2A) and 2018 (3A). He also worked 25 sectionals, 19 regionals, nine semi-states and three State Finals in 30 seasons of girls’ basketball. His girls’ title games came in 1998 (1A), 2001 (2A) and 2008 (1A).
From an officiating family, McGriff noted a career highlight was working the consolation game of the 2008 girls’ Hall of Fame Classic with his father, Roger, and brother, Mike.
McGriff received a Circle Center Officials Award from the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2022. He also was presented with a Hardworking Hoosier Award from Indiana state representative Michelle Davis in October 2024.
A member of the Mid-Hoosier Officials Association and the Indiana Officials Association, McGriff worked 10 years as a clinician and assisted in the mentoring programs for both associations. He also served as an official in baseball, softball and football over the years.
McGriff competed in basketball, baseball, track and cross country in high school, leading the Southwestern basketball team in field goal percentage, free throw percentage and rebounds as well as earning all-conference and all-county accolades in baseball. He matriculated to Franklin College, earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1984. He went on to a long career with Duke Energy, retiring on Dec. 31, 2025, after 38½ years with the company.
These days, he enjoys time with family, vacationing, walking his dog, gardening and cutting wood.
McGriff and his wife, Diana, have three adult children – Danielle, Jamie Jo and Daniel.
2026 IBCA Mildred Ball Award
Congratulations to the Mildred Ball Award Winner: David Pillar
David Pillar of Danville is the winner of the 2026 IBCA Mildred Ball Award.
Pillar is in his 27th year as a licensed official but he started earlier while an Indiana University men’s basketball student manager by calling IU scrimmages for coach Bob Knight and intramural games in the HPER Building.
Since becoming a high school official in 2000, Pillar has called 20 sectionals, 14 regionals, eight semi-states and four State Finals in girls’ basketball. His girls’ title games were 2012 (4A), 2015 (3A), 2018 (3A) and 2023 (4A). In boys’ basketball, he has worked 21 sectionals, 15 regionals, eight semi-states (with a ninth scheduled this weekend) and four State Finals. His boys’ title games were 2012 (2A), 2015 (1A), 2019 (3A) and 2023 (1A).
In addition, Pillar has called games six times in the annual Hall of Fame Classic – 2009 boys’ first round 2010 girls’ final, 2011 girls’ first round, 2012 boys’ final, 2017 boys’ first round and 2024 boys’ first round. He also has worked softball for several seasons, including a few softball sectionals.
A current member of the Fall Creek Officials Association and a 22-year past member of the Mid State Officials Association, Pillar served the MSOA as its basketball chairman from 2003-13 and as an at-large member of its board. He also has served the IHSAA as a basketball clinician for more than 20 years.
Pillar was named the IHSAA Girls’ Basketball Official of the Year in 2015, and he has served as the official scorekeeper for IU men’s basketball games for 27 seasons.
A 1997 graduate of Toronto High School in Toronto, Ohio, Pillar competed in basketball, golf and track & field, winning a conference championship in the high jump as a junior. He matriculated to IU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in 2001, serving as a student manager for Knight for three seasons and coach Mike Davis for one season.
Pillar later earned a master’s degree in education from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2005 and a doctorate in educational leadership in 2016 from Ball State.
After working from 2001-24 as a teacher, coach and administrator for Monroe County Schools, including three seasons as a boys’ basketball assistant coach for Tom McKinney at Bloomington North, Pillar currently is in his second year as Director of Education Integration and Advancement for RefReps, a Zionsville-based company that partners with high schools and looks to train students as officials in 15 sports in the schools’ physical education classes.
Pillar also works as an education consultant and coach with Solution Tree, a Bloomington-based international education publishing and professional development company.
A resident of Danville, Pillar is a Chicago Cubs’ fan who enjoys traveling to see them play. He is the father of three children – Layla, 7, and twins Michael and Carson, 5 – and enjoys coaching them in baseball and basketball.
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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, Connersville
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
2023: Eric Coburn, Leesburg
2024: Scott Arthur, Loogootee
2025: Bill Brinkman, Lawrenceburg
2026: Ron McGriff, Whiteland
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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
2023: Ron Day, Plymouth
2024: P.J. Pitts, Bridgeton
2025: Nick Wininger, Montgomery
2026: David Pillar, Danville
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