NFHS Officials Association honors 8 High School officials

John Dehan of Olathe, Kansas, is the recipient of the National Contributor Award, and Mike Stanley of Harlan, Iowa, is the 2022 recipient of the National Active Official Award.

Sectional awards are being presented to Teri Connor, Allenwood, New Jersey, Section 1; Margaret Kondracki, Fairfax, Virginia, Section 2; Joseph Erwin, Lake Worth, Florida, Section 3; Mark Hopper, Terre Haute, Indiana, Section 4; John Wondra, Manhattan, Kansas; Section 5; and Gene Monterastelli, Casper, Wyoming, Section 8. 

Following are biographical sketches of the eight NFHS Officials Association award recipients for 2022:  

NATIONAL CONTRIBUTOR

John Dehan – Olathe, Kansas

John Dehan began his officiating career in 1983 when he first officiated youth basketball and intramurals before registering with the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) in 1992.

Perhaps his greatest contribution to interscholastic officiating is the “Call The Game” initiative, which also led to the founding of the Kansas Sports Officials Association (KSOA). “Call The Game” focuses on recruiting new sports officials through unique efforts including the use of social media, television and radio interviews, advertising and networking. This includes fostering the development of new officials through matching recruits with experienced officials in appropriate games and training while providing continuous feedback through the use of video and discussion forums to review game scenarios.

Dehan has officiated four sports at the high school level. In his football officiating, he has been assigned to 12 KSHSAA regional contests, five sectional contests, six sub-state contests and two state championships at the Class 5A level. In basketball, he has officiated 17 sub-state tournaments and 12 state tournaments in Classes 4A, 5A and 6A.

NATIONAL ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Mike Stanley – Harlan, Iowa 

Mike Stanley has been an interscholastic sports official registered with the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) since 1970. He first dabbling into officiating during the summers of 1967 and 1968 as a baseball umpire, which blossomed into 200 combined years of high school officiating experience across five sports.

Stanley has been a staple at the IHSAA and IGHSAU state track meets, serving as a starter (referee) for the respective boys and girls state meets for seven years while also serving as the starter for the co-ed state track and cross country meets for 18 and 10 years, respectively. In addition, he has also served as the starter for more than 60 district/regional/state qualifying track meets.

A 2013 member of the IHSAA Officials Hall of Fame, Stanley has served two terms as president of the Iowa Association of Track Officials. There, he has served as co-editor of the state’s Track and Field Procedure Manual, which is endorsed by the IHSAA and IGHSAU. Stanley was recognized by the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association as a member of its 2005 Hall of Fame class.

SECTION ACTIVE OFFICIALS OF THE YEAR

Section 1: Teri Connor – Allenwood, New Jersey

Teri Connor, who has been officiating high school soccer in New Jersey since 1997, is regarded as a pioneer in the state for female soccer officials. Through her hard work and effort, Connor has been assigned top boys soccer games as well as girls, which has opened the door for other female officials. She has become one of the top officials in the Shore Conference and has gained the respect of coaches throughout the state.

Connor has been in charge of the Cadet Training Program for the Shore Soccer Officials Association (SSOA) for the past 10 years, leading on-field instruction for new officials each year. Through her efforts, membership increased to more than 200 members before the pandemic. Connor has been president of the SSOA since 2016, having been re-elected three times to successive two-year terms. In 2015, Connor was elected to the SSOA Hall of Fame.

At the state level, Connor has officiated numerous New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) state tournament soccer games. She has become the soccer “go-to” person with the NJSIAA as well as the New Jersey Soccer Officials Association (NJSOA). She also is active with the U.S. Soccer Federation and the NCAA, serving as assistant referee at the 2009 NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championships.   

Section 2: Margaret Kondracki – Fairfax, Virginia

Margaret Kondracki began her involvement with lacrosse in 1997 as an official for girls lacrosse at the youth, middle school, high school and collegiate levels. She has served as a teacher, trainer, clinician, rater, presenter, mentor and leader in the sport for the Washington Lacrosse Umpires Association (WLUA), USA Lacrosse and the Collegiate Women’s Lacrosse Officials Association.  She has been a member of the WLUA since 1997, including seven years as game assigner and eight years as local Board chair.

Kondracki has officiated the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Girls Lacrosse State Championships seven times, and she has been assigned the VHSL state final game on three occasions. She was honored by the WLUA in 2008 with the Madeline B. Kirlin Award, which recognizes a girls lacrosse official who has gone above and beyond in dedicating time to the sport of girls lacrosse. In 2017, Kondracki was inducted into the U.S. Lacrosse Potomac Chapter Hall of Fame.

In addition to lacrosse, Kondracki has officiated girls field hockey at the middle school and high school levels – first with Metro Field Hockey (2014-19) and currently with the Washington Field Hockey Umpires Association (WFHUA).

Section 3: Joseph Erwin – Lake Worth, Florida

Joe Erwin has been a high school basketball official in Florida for 34 years. He currently serves as president of the East Coast Basketball Officials Association (ECBOA), which is the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)-sanctioned basketball officials association for Palm Beach County, Florida. 

Erwin has been an ECBOA Board member for 29 years, including 23 years as treasurer and six years as president. He has been FHSAA state evaluator since 2013 and has been the FHSAA’s representative for high school officiating before the Florida state legislature. Erwin has officiated three FHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals championship games and two FHSAA Girls Basketball Finals championship games. He has worked 27 FHSAA regional championship games and has achieved a “1” ranking for 21 consecutive years.

Among his honors, Erwin was selected Boys Basketball Official of the Year for the state of Florida by the NFHS Officials Association in 2007 and Girls Basketball Official of the Year for Florida in 2009.

In addition to his on-court accomplishments, Erwin has had numerous articles published by Referee Magazine and its Advisor publication, as well as the NFHS Officials’ Quarterly.   

Section 4: Mark Hopper – Terre Haute, Indiana

Mark Hopper’s 27 years of officiating has led him to five girls basketball state finals, four boys basketball state finals and two football state finals. He was honored as the 2017-18 Girls Basketball Official of the Year and the 2021-22 Boys Basketball Official of the Year. He’s dedicated a significant amount of time to mentoring younger officials.

Hopper is known for his contribution to officiating associations and local professional organizations. He has dedicated a decade of his life as the football and basketball chair for the Wabash Valley Officials Association (WVOA) and served as the president from 2012 until 2014. He is also an Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) clinician for basketball and football. Hopper combines his love for family with his passion for athletics by coaching his grandkids’ baseball and softball teams.

“Mark Hopper possesses every quality we could ask for from an IHSAA official, person and representative of our association,” said Brian Lewis IHSAA assistant commissioner.  “Mark exhibits professionalism, hard work, dedication and love for education-based athletics every time he steps foot on the court or field.”

Section 5: John Wondra – Manhattan, Kansas

John Wondra was recruited as a basketball official during his first year at Dodge City Community College and has been hooked ever since. “The avocation has changed the career path that I had originally thought that I would pursue when I started college. It has brought me into contact with some of the best and dearest friends that I have in my life,” Wondra said. He has created a legacy by officiating high school basketball for 28 years, football for 25 years, volleyball for 24 years and baseball for 21 years.

Wondra was selected to be a basketball area supervisor for the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) 15 years ago due to his rules knowledge, presentation skills and understanding of officiating mechanics. In this role, he led meetings, mentored new officials and worked almost 60 tournaments for football, baseball and basketball.

Among an impressive resume of professional affiliations and achievements, Wondra has been heavily involved in the KSHSAA since 2000. He served as the KSHSAA basketball chairperson from 2002 through 2008, the football chairperson (2004-2014), member of the baseball umpire committee (2008-2014) and is the current vice president for the association.

Section 8: Gene Monterastelli – Casper, Wyoming

Gene Monterastelli has been an asset to the Wyoming High School Activities Association (WHSAA) for more than 50 years through his dedication to high school sports and officiating. Monterastelli began his officiating career as a basketball referee, and he also officiated soccer for 40 years and football for more than 20 years. On the activities side, Monterastelli has been a band judge for almost 50 years as well as a forensics judge. He’s well-known locally as the go-to professional in high school athletic activities.

Monterastelli has received numerous special honors and achievements for his work in interscholastic officiating. He was named the WHSAA Boys and Girls Soccer Official of the Year in 1991, and he received the Wyoming Coaches Association Distinguished Service Award in 2009, and the NFHS Outstanding Service Award in 2013. Also in 2013, Monterastelli was inducted into the Wyoming Sports Officials Association Hall of Fame.

Monterastelli has a reputation as a community leader, largely due to his initiative and involvement in professional organizations. He joined the Central States Judging Association 40 years ago. Since then, he has served many years as an assigner on the Casper Basketball and Soccer Officials Board and spent two years as president of the Wyoming Sports Officials Board.