In The News -- September

Texas Governor Signs Steroids-testing Bill

In an attempt to address a growing concern of steroid use in high school athletics, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has signed a bill allowing mandatory random steroid testing for the state's public high school athletes effective for the 2007-08 academic year.

The University Interscholastic League (UIL), Texas' state athletic and activity association, will implement the program in at least 30 percent of schools (approximately 400 schools).

"I believe anything that provides a tool against dangerous substances for students is beneficial," said Mark Cousins, UIL athletic coordinator. "We already have 130 schools steroid testing, and 430 schools are currently testing for other drugs. This is not a new issue, and before this bill was signed, our biggest concern was in the area of funding and not in the testing itself."

The law now requires the state to pay for testing and will no longer force schools to raise ticket prices or fees to cover the cost. Budget planners in Texas set aside $3 million per year to test a sample of students.

The law also requires coaches to complete a training program on the dangers of using steroids, which can lead to dramatic mood swings, heart disease and cancer.

Texas now has the largest steroid-testing program in the country. New Jersey became the first state to implement a statewide testing policy for high school athletes, which began last year with 150 random samples. According to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), the tests didn't produce a single positive result. Florida also passed a one-year pilot program to test one percent of high school athletes participating in football, baseball and weightlifting.

A study conducted by Texas A&M University discovered that steroid use declined from two percent in 2004 to 1.5 percent in 2006 among the 141,000 students tested in grades 7 to 12.

New Jersey scholarship program

As the scholar-athletes walk into the annual New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) luncheon each May, they are hoping for one thing.

Luck.

This year, $75,000 was given away in approximately 75 scholarships to high school students who were chosen to attend the luncheon. Not everyone in attendance received a scholarship, and the ones who did were chosen out of a hat.

Each high school associated with the NJSIAA is allowed to select one student as its scholar-athlete. This year, 380 high schools were represented at the luncheon out of the 430 NJSIAA member schools. Presently, there isn't enough funding for all of the students to be so lucky.

"Our goal in the future is to have everyone walk out of here with a scholarship," said Jack DuBois, NJSIAA assistant director. "Last year, we gave away $67,000, this year, $75,000; and next year, we hope to expand by another $10,000."

The money is funded by corporate sponsors associated with the NJSIAA.

According to DuBois, all of the students are acknowledged in some way, even if they are not chosen.

"It's like a graduation ceremony," he said. "They walk across the stage, are introduced, receive a certificate and gift, and have their photo taken. No matter what, they are recognized. This is a growing program, and it recognizes some of the best students in our high schools for all they have accomplished."

NFHS receives award for increasing compulsive gambling awareness

The concern of high school students being involved in compulsive gambling is increasing, and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) received an award for reaching out to support awareness and education on this topic throughout the nation.

In May, the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling (FCCG) presented the NFHS with the Monsignor Joseph Dunne Education Award at its 13th Annual Conference, Problem Gambling: Everyone's Issue, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

"We had worked on a curriculum for high schools to use in connection with this topic because it is becoming evident that compulsive gambling is beginning at the high school level," said Bob Gardner, chief operating officer of the NFHS. "The NFHS along with the FCCG and the NCAA are combining efforts to educate athletes, coaches and administrators on the problem of gambling."

Monsignor Dunne, for whom the award is named, is considered to be the prime driving force that made problem gambling nationally known. Early in his career, he worked as a chaplain for the New York City Police Department, where he first became aware of gambling issues. In 1972, he founded the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), which today has 35 affiliates and works to spread the word about gambling addiction and educate people on its consequences.

Along with accepting the award, Gardner was a presenter during a panel discussion, revealing the NFHS's relationship with the FCCG and how it targets the gambling problem at the high school level.

"Throughout the conference, former addicts talked about how they got started in gambling," Gardner said. "For most, it went from being harmless to problematic. There are many concerns with how high school students are being exposed to gambling, including wagering on the NCAA basketball tournament. This simple step into sports wagering leads a few to the next step in seeking a larger thrill from risking money."

Also included in the concerns is the growing presence of online gambling, poker players on cable television seen as role models to the youth, school-sponsored Monte Carlo nights at events such as post-prom, family involvement and peer pressure.

"You don't realize these things really make an impact on high school students, but they are sending confusing signals to the youth," Gardner said. "We felt it was important to be involved in promoting positive outcomes through educating individuals on the consequences of gambling."

eKnowledge SAT/ACT Power Prep Packs

Several NFL, AFL, CFL and NFL Europe football players represented by Victory Sports Group have joined with eKnowledge to contribute 300,000 SAT/ACT Power Prep Packs to high school students throughout the country.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) was chosen to promote the program within its member schools.

"Victory Sports Group and eKnowledge contacted us to participate after recognizing our status in the industry and that we are a driving force behind interscholastic activity programs," said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of educational services.

This is the third consecutive year Victory Sports Group has donated the preparatory programs for the SAT and ACT examinations. Each program normally sells for $200. With the donation, NFHS members are able to receive the SAT/ACT Power Prep Packs for only the cost of shipping and handling, $9.99.

"We have to acknowledge the generosity of Victory Sports Group," Hopkins said. "The athletes donated almost $10 million worth of the Prep Packs. We also want to recognize eKnowledge for developing a great program that is viable and produces successful results."

The SAT/ACT Power Prep Pack is an interactive video preparatory course for students studying for the college entrance exams. It contains more than nine hours of video training and 25 to 30 hours of student participation divided into 120 lecture movies and 122 explanatory answer movies.

In order to receive a program through the NFHS, visit www.sat.eknowledge.com, click on "order" and enter the NFHS membership number, 31b8607802.

Kallok receives NFL coaching award

The National Football League (NFL) named former head football coach Rich Kallok of St. Paul (Minnesota) Cretin-Derham Hall High School the 2006 NFL High School Football Coach of the Year.

After coaching for 39 years overall and 16 seasons as head coach at Cretin-Derham Hall, Kallok accumulated a record of 200-65. Two of his former players, Minnesota Vikings center Matt Birk and Carolina Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke, nominated him for the award.

Kallok has also served as a teacher, track and basketball coach, athletic director, assistant principal and principal throughout his career. He is highly respected and considered a great role model by his former athletes.

Kallok and his wife Sue attended Super Bowl XLI in February to accept his award for being named the 2006 NFL High School Football Coach of the Year. He received a $5,000 check, and a $10,000 grant was awarded to the Cretin-Derham Hall football program.

Aside from this honor, Kallok was previously inducted into the Merrillville (Indiana) Andrean High School Hall of Fame in 2002, the Minnesota High School Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Minnesota Football Old Timers' Hall of Fame in 2006.

The NFL created the High School Football Coach of the Year Award in 1995 to honor coaches who have impacted the athletic and personal development of NFL players. A committee of sports leaders appointed by the NFL chooses the finalists and winner. The award is funded by the NFL Youth Football Fund, a non-profit organization established the NFL and NFL Players Association to support the game at the youth level and promote positive youth development.

MSHSL inducts 2007 class

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) inducted 10 individuals into its Hall of Fame in May as part of the 17th class.

Included in the members is the 2007 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) High School Hall of Fame inductee Terry Steinbach. He was the top high school baseball player at New Ulm (Minnesota) High School in 1980 and went on to a successful 14-year professional career with the Oakland A's and Minnesota Twins.

The other individuals include the late Bronko Nagurski, an athlete from International Falls; former League Associate Director Skip Peltier (Woodbury); Gary Addington, former athletic administrator for Rochester Public Schools; debate and speech coaches Del Holz (Bloomington) and Gail Sarff (Wayzata); and coaches Myron Glass (Rochester), Gail Nucech (Hibbing), Jack Evens (Bloomington) and Walt Weaver (Apple Valley).

The inductees were selected through a multi-level process, involving the MSHSL member schools and a committee of athletic, fine arts and education leaders. The MSHSL Hall of Fame began in 1991 and now includes 163 members. It honors high school athletes, coaches, fine arts directors, officials and administrators for their contributions and involvement in developing quality high school activity programs.

Students receive IHSAA Centennial Scholarships

The Indiana High School Athletic Association awarded 10 high school student-athletes a $2,500 Centennial Scholarship for their outstanding scholastic and athletic achievements, community and school involvement, character, sportsmanship and citizenship.

The students were selected from a pool of more than 150 applicants by a panel consisting of Mark De Carlo, vice president of clinical services with Methodist Sports Medicine; Stephen Heck, executive director of Indiana Association of School Principals; Bob Kanaby, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations; Teresa Koopman, director of advertising and promotions of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance; and Suellen Reed, superintendent of the Indiana Department of Education.

In order to qualify, the students submitted applications and met certain criteria. These included being enrolled and participating in interscholastic athletics at an IHSAA-member school, being a 2007 graduating senior, winning at least one varsity letter, carrying a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and being nominated by the principal, among others.

This year's recipients were Gant Elmore of Bloomington North High School, Monika Freiser of West Lafayette High School, Ashley Hallford of Blackford High School, Kaylyn Herrold of Caston High School, Heidi Keiser of Plymouth High School, Heather Reeves of Hamilton Heights High School, Scott Schinderle of Indianapolis Covenant Christian High School, Brittany Simmerman of Bedford North Lawrence High School, Erica Watson of Noblesville High School and Jenna Witte of Indianapolis Pike High School.

The Centennial Scholarship program began in 2004 as part of the IHSAA's 100th year of service to its member schools. Along with the IHSAA, Methodist Sports Medicine and Jostens also support the program.

NFHS names new officers, board members

At the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Summer Meeting June 30-July 4 in Palm Desert, California, two officers and two new NFHS Board of Directors members began their terms.

Ron Laird, commissioner of the Wyoming High School Activities Association (WHSAA), is the new president of the NFHS for 2007-08. Jim Tenopir, executive director of the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA), will serve as the president-elect for the upcoming year.

Nina VanErk, executive director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), Section 1; Bill Farney, director of the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL), Section 6; and Charles H. Harris III, superintendent of the Sussex County Public Schools in Sussex, Virginia, will join the Board of Directors during 2007-08. They will all serve four-year terms.

Laird became commissioner of the WHSAA in July 2004 after serving many years as an instructor, assistant principal and athletic director at Powell (Wyoming) High School. He also was head basketball coach at Powell from 1980 to 2000 and assistant football coach for 15 years.

Tenopir began his career teaching and coaching football. He then became athletic director at McCook (Nebraska) High School and later at Scottsbluff (Nebraska) High School. In 1983, he was named superintendent of Cambridge (Nebraska) High School, where he remained until being named NSAA executive director in 2001.

VanErk was named NYSPHSAA executive director in 2000 after working as the director of health, physical education and athletics in the Katonah (New York) Lewisboro School District for five years. Previously, she served as a teacher and athletic director of Rhinebeck (New York) Central Schools.

Farney was chosen as the director of the UIL in 1995 after serving as assistant director and athletic director in the organization since 1977. Farney began his teaching career in 1962 and later served as the principal of Lorena (Texas) High School and Waco (Texas) Robinson High School. In 1970, he became the superintendent of schools in Crawford, Texas.

Harris has spent the past 30 years as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, education director and superintendent. He has been superintendent in Sussex, Virginia, since 2003.

For additional information on new board members, click here.

Teams named for T-Mobile Invitational

Eight highly acclaimed boys and girls teams will showcase their talent and compete for the title at the second annual T-Mobile Invitational national high school basketball tournament December 28-29, 2007, at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

The tournament, sponsored by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) along with T-Mobile USA, Inc., will highlight boys basketball powerhouse Jersey City (New Jersey) St. Anthony High School and girls basketball standout Long Beach (California) Poly High School. St. Anthony is led by legendary coach Bob Hurley Sr. and stands among the most storied high school basketball programs in the nation. The Long Beach Poly girls were within one win of posting an undefeated record during the 2006-07 season.

Other boys teams participating in the event will be Roswell (Georgia) Centennial High School, Highland (Utah) Lone Peak High School and Albuquerque (New Mexico) La Cueva High School.

On the girls side, Dayton (Ohio) Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School, Hampton (Virginia) High School and Gallup (New Mexico) High School will join Long Beach Poly to compete for the title.

The T-Mobile Invitational is the only basketball tournament sponsored by the NFHS, and the field is composed only of schools from NFHS-member associations.

"We are looking forward to this year's tournament," said Robert Kanaby, NFHS executive director. "Not only does this event showcase some of the best teams and individuals in the country, but it also showcases the important role that activity programs play in high school education."

Duty to Warn, Risk Management DVDs

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has produced a series of DVDs discussing the importance of risk management and the duty to warn, targeted toward specific audiences such as athletic directors, administrators, parents and students.

In collaboration with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), the NFHS created a two-DVD series on risk management available for the general public to order in the NFHS products catalog or online.

One DVD, 15 minutes in length, will reach athletic directors and administrators while the other, six minutes long, will appeal to parents and students.

According to John Gillis, NFHS assistant director, the DVDs, produced by Allegro Media in Kansas City, Missouri, are an update of a video series produced in 1998.

Both DVDs stress the importance of minimizing risk in high school sports. The DVD geared toward parents and students discusses the importance of taking responsibility for one's own safety by communicating with coaches and administrators. The DVD for athletic directors and administrators focuses on the 14 duties, or general areas of concern, they must consider when working with high school sports.

One such duty outlined in the risk management DVD is the duty to warn, and using this concept the NFHS worked with Creative Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, to produce a third DVD entitled "Minimizing Risk -- A Shared Responsibility."

"This DVD is one of the key projects of Bill Reader's term as NFHS president," Gillis said. "We taped it at Indianapolis (Indiana) Lawrence North High School using nine athletes and a fine arts student, and the DVD recaps the importance of taking responsibility and working with others to minimize risk."

The 3:58 DVD, was shown twice at the 2007 NFHS Summer Meeting in Palm Desert, California, once at the Board of Directors Meeting and again at the Second General Session. Each state association will receive a free copy of the DVD, with both the state association and NFHS logos in the DVD. All state associations are asked to make copies of the DVD and distribute them to their high schools. The DVD will not be for sale to the general public.

"Every year, we work on a project dealing with a key issue at that particular time," Gillis said. "This is a great piece, and we hope the state associations form a strong distribution network that will enable the DVD to be shared."

'Heads Up' DVD mailed to schools

In an attempt to increase awareness about reducing the risk of concussions, neck sprains and catastrophic injuries in football, the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) have teamed up to present Heads Up -- Reducing the Risk of Head and Neck Injuries in Football, a 14-minute DVD, to nearly 16,000 high schools. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and The Andrews Institute have made this distribution possible.

The DVD's purpose is to educate college and high school football players about the updated rules on spearing and head-down contact from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the NFHS. It contains collegiate footage and comments from multiple football personnel and doctors, including Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Colts head football coach; Jerry Punch, ABC Sports and ESPN commentator and M.D.; and Grant Teaff, American Football Coaches Association executive director. The DVD stresses the importance of keeping shoulders down and head up when making contact.

"With recent rules changes, football has become safer, but athletes are still at risk when playing the game," said Bob Colgate, NFHS assistant director. "The NFHS has sent the DVDs to the state associations, and now it's in their hands to distribute them to the coaches. We hope that coaches take advantage of this information and show it to their athletes before football season begins."

NFHS rules changes made in five fall sports

One of the chief functions of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is the writing of playing rules in the sports for boys and girls competition at the high school level.
Earlier this year, NFHS rules committees in soccer, football, field hockey, volleyball and spirit met to discuss rules changes for the 2007-08 school year. Following are the highlights of rules changes in these sports.

In soccer, if a player enters the game improperly equipped, and it is discovered by an official, the coach will be cautioned (yellow card).

As a result of this addition to Rule 4-3, a portion of Rule 5-2-2-d-3 was taken away that required the official to examine the uniform and equipment of each player to ensure compliance with the rules. While the legality of player equipment is determined by the referee, the head coach has the responsibility to ensure that players are properly equipped.

With continuing emphasis on illegal helmet contact in high school football, the NFHS Football Rules Committee reorganized and clarified several rules with the intention of further reducing the risk of injury in the sport.

Rules revisions regarding illegal helmet contact were among 14 rules revisions made by the committee at its meeting.

In Rule 2, the committee placed butt blocking, face tackling and spearing under the heading "Helmet Contact -- Illegal" to place more emphasis on risk-minimization concerns. In Rule 9-4-3, the committee added a note that lists examples of some types of illegal helmet contact that could result in disqualification.

Revisions to 14 rules were approved by the NFHS Field Hockey Rules Committee at its meeting in Indianapolis earlier this year.

One of the most important changes dealt with the extension of the deadline for the new stick requirements. Rule 1-6-4, stating that players' bows cannot exceed 25 millimeters and weigh more than 23 ounces, will not be enforced until January 1, 2009. The revised rule also requires the stick to be visibly and permanently labeled.

In volleyball, the main rule adjustment has to do with the libero a back-row, defensive specialist -- who will now be able to serve in one position in the serving order.

Several other rules related to the libero were altered. The penalty for an illegal libero replacement found in the game will now be an alignment infraction rather than unnecessary delay. In Rule 8-1-5, a libero replacement shall not take place during a re-serve. In Rule10-4, the libero replacement shall be completed prior to the whistle and signal for serve, and the libero can be replaced once a time-out is completed and all players have returned to the court.

In its ongoing focus on minimizing risk of injury of high school spirit participants, the NFHS Spirit Rules Committee adopted six rules changes during the group's annual meeting.

Rule 2-1-7 was modified to clarify that spring-assisted floors, mini-trampolines and other height-increasing apparatuses are not permitted during performances or competitions.

For a full list of the rules changes in these sports for the 2007-08 season click here.

Mark Koski joins NFHS staff

Mark Koski, assistant director of the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) the past four years, has been named to a new assistant director position on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) staff, effective August 13. Koski's duties will involve meeting planning for NFHS conferences, assisting with NFHS marketing initiatives and administering the sport of soccer.

As the NMAA's director of corporate development the past four years, Koski helped the organization increase its annual corporate sponsorship revenue from $27,000 to $700,000. He also was instrumental in starting the NMAA Foundation, which raised more than $100,000 in its first year of existence. Koski also served as the NMAA's conference and meeting planner.

In addition to meeting planning and corporate development, Koski has served as administrator for the sports of swimming and diving, track and field, and cross country. In cross country, Koski introduced the chip timing system for scoring, and he created "sport-specific manuals" for all NMAA sports.

Koski graduated from Highland High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1995. He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from the University of New Mexico in 2000 and his master's degree in sport administration from UNM in 2003. As a member of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), Koski earned his Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA) status in 2005 and his Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA) in 2007.

Henderson named LHSAA commissioner

Kenny Henderson, who has been involved with secondary education as a teacher, coach and principal at high schools in Louisiana and Texas, will succeed Tommy Henry as commissioner of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) in October. Henry is retiring after 23 years in the position.

When Henderson accepted the position last fall, he left his job as principal of Ruston (Louisiana) High School to assist Henry as commissioner-elect. He had served at Ruston since 2003. Prior to that, Henderson had been principal at three others schools: Ruston (Louisiana) Cedar Creek School (1991-96), Fort Worth (Texas) Southwest Christian School (1996-99) and Haynesville (Louisiana) High School (1999-2003).

Henderson also was a teacher and coach of the baseball and boys and girls basketball teams at Ruston Cedar Creek from 1989 to 1990 before becoming principal. His first teaching and coaching job was at Summerfield (Louisiana) High School from 1986 to 1989.

After attending high school in Spearsville, Louisiana, Henderson went on to receive a bachelor's degree in physical education from Louisiana Tech University in 1981. He received his master's degree in administration and supervision from the University of Louisiana-Monroe in 1991.

Henderson looks forward to taking on a job that will affect the youth and athletics in his state.

"I believe that athletics should be an integral part of the total educational process, and that they are a vital part of the total high school experience," he said. "The mission of any athletic program should be to ensure and enhance the quality of life for youth by providing competitive activities."

Hammons named IHSAA assistant director

Julie Hammons has succeeded Diane Wolf as assistant director of the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA).

Wolf, the mother of Hammons, retired this summer after 33 years of service to Idaho schools. Nine of those years were spent as the IHSAA assistant director.

A native of Boise, Idaho, Hammons graduated from Boise State University in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in physical education with an exercise science emphasis. In 1996, she began teaching biology, anatomy and physical education at Boise Centennial High School.

Hammons remained at Centennial until accepting her new position. She also coached dance there from 1989 to 2004, when the team won 12 national division titles and numerous in-state competitions. She has also served as the District III dance and drill interpreter since 2001. Hammons has been a speaker and presenter at the Idaho State Coaches Clinic and has directed the Idaho Coaches of Dance and Cheer State Cheer and Dance Competition.

Hammons and her husband, Terry, have three children: Kylee (14), Casidy (12) and Brady (7).

Bilberry named KHSAA assistant commissioner

Darren Bilberry, who has worked the past 14 years in education and athletics, became an assistant commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) in February.

Bilberry's most recent position prior to joining the KHSAA was working in the Fayette County (Kentucky) Public School System, teaching secondary students while serving as assistant football coach at Lexington Henry Clay High School.

Previously, he worked with the University of Kentucky Advising Service and Transfer Center as an academic adviser, the University of Kentucky Athletics Department as an academic counselor, the Southern Illinois University Athletics Department as an academic coordinator for student-athletes, and at Auburn (Alabama) University as an academic counselor for student-athletes.

Bilberry was a three-year letterman on the University of Kentucky football team from 1987 to 1989. He also received Academic All-Southeastern Conference honors in 1989.

He and his wife Cathy have two daughters: Emma (7) and Jane (5).

"I am excited about joining the KHSAA staff, because I feel sports, more so than any other endeavor, are essential to instilling values such as discipline, leadership and teamwork into young people," Bilberry said. "I look forward to the opportunity to use my past experiences in athletics to help the association continue to move forward with its mission."

Boysen, Millsap join NSAA

Two individuals with secondary education and coaching experience have joined the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) as assistant directors.

They are Darin Boysen, who has 16 years of teaching experience in Arizona and Nebraska, and Tom Millsap, who most recently was activities director at North Platte (Nebraska) High School.

Boysen received his bachelor's degree from Midland Lutheran College (Nebraska) in 1990 and his master's degree from Doane College (Nebraska) in 1996. For one year, Boysen taught social science at Lake Havasu (Arizona) High School, and for the past 15 years, he has taught at North Bend (Nebraska) Central High School.

Boysen also has a rich coaching background, including coaching six top-five team finishes in wrestling, and 78 state placers in the sport. Along with wrestling, he has coaching experience in football and boys golf. Boysen also officiated wrestling for four years in Nebraska.

After starting as NSAA assistant director August 1, 2006, he has taken on responsibilities including computer setup, staff training and technology projects; NSAA Internet contact and content management; conducting rules meetings and administering the state tournament for wrestling; and organizing and maintaining incoming activity schedules.

Boysen and his wife, Kristina, have two daughters: Jordan (6) and Hailey (4).

Millsap began his teaching and coaching career in 1967 at Lexington High School. Afterward, accepted a position at Norfolk in 1972, where he taught mathematics, coached boys basketball and served as the activities director until 1975. He was at Omaha Bryan High School in 1976-77, before joining North Platte High School in 1977.

At North Platte High School, Millsap taught mathematics and coached boys basketball for 11 years. In 1988, Millsap began serving as the school's activities director and as an associate principal.

Millsap earned his bachelor's degree in 1967 from the University of Nebraska. He also received a master's degree in physical education from Wayne (Nebraska) State College in 1976 and a second master's degree in educational administration from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 1990.

At the NSAA, Millsap oversees track and field, and football, and assists with the administration of the state wrestling tournament. He succeeded Bob Colgate, who left the NSAA to become an assistant director at the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

Stulmaker named NYSPHSAA assistant director

Robert E. Stulmaker, CAA, began his new position as assistant director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) in March.

His responsibilities with the NYSPHSAA include being the liaison to several statewide organizations and internal committees, including the Officials Coordinating Federation, officiating services, each sport's state committee and the Life of an Athlete program. Stulmaker also works with the championship competition schedules, finances, awards, sites and site contracts. He is in charge of the Scholar/Athlete Team Award Program and the Championship Advisory Committee.

Stulmaker came to the NYSPHSAA after 30 years with the Saratoga Springs (New York) City School District, where he taught physical education and coached for the first 18 years, and was the director of physical education, athletics and health for the last 12 years. His coaching experience includes football, wrestling and baseball.

With an athletic administration background, Stulmaker was a past president of the New York State Athletic Administrators Association. He has also umpired baseball. Stulmaker graduated from Ithaca (New York) College and received his School District of Administrators Certification from SUNY-Albany.

"I have found the job to be very gratifying thus far," Stulmaker said. "It's a great learning experience, with the opportunity to meet people at the state level and nationwide."

Warner named MPSSAA assistant director

With a background in athletic communications, Andy Warner has joined the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) as an assistant director.

Warner arrived at the association after serving as assistant director of athletic communications-publications coordinator of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Department of Athletic Communications since 2003. There, he was the primary communications contact for women's basketball, volleyball, baseball, track and field, and cross country, among other duties.

In 2002-03, Warner served as assistant director of media relations of Mount St. Mary's College (Maryland) Athletic Media Relations.

Warner received his bachelor's degree in sports management from the University of Maryland in 2002. While in school, he worked for University of Maryland Athletic Media Relations, assisting in game-day operations and writing numerous press releases.

Warner has also had experience working with ESPN on the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Division I tournament, reporting for SportsTicker at Baltimore Orioles games, keeping statistics for the Baltimore Ravens and working numerous NCAA men's basketball tournaments.

Thompson named UHSAA associate director

The Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) has named Bart Thompson its new associate director, succeeding Jerry Bovee who left in April.

Thompson came to the UHSAA with an extensive background in coaching and teaching. He had been the Bountiful (Utah) Viewmont High School wrestling and track coach and assistant football coach for 22 years. He also coached at Clearfield (Utah) High School for two years.

Thompson, a Kaysville, Utah, native, has worked closely with the UHSAA state wrestling tournament for the past 15 years, helping with bracketing, scoring and entries.

"This is the kind of thing I have always wanted to do," Thompson said. "I had intentions of applying for the job when my predecessor got it 12 years ago, but I decided I didn't want to give up coaching yet."

Bovee, the previous associate director, has taken a job with Weber State (Utah) University in administrative support services. He has continued to help the UHSAA during the transition period.

High School Hall of Fame official passes away

Dick Ault, a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame, passed away July 16 in Jefferson City, Missouri. He was 81 years old.

A St. Louis native, Ault was inducted in 1999 as a track and field official, after officiating for 49 years. He worked for 25 years at the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) state championship meets either as a meet director, head starter or an assistant meet director. He also served as a starter and referee for every state cross country championship from 1970 to 1997.

Ault is recognized as having organized the Missouri association's efforts to begin statewide track and field rules interpretation meetings in 1972. He then served as the state's chief track rules interpreter from 1972 to 1998.

Ault is also known for his athletic abilities, having competed on the 1948 United States Olympic Team. He took fourth place in the 400-meter hurdles in London during his junior year at the University of Missouri, and once held the world record in the 440-yard hurdles, with a 52.2-second finish in Oslo, Norway, in 1949. While in school, he won Big Six Conference outdoor titles in the 220-yard hurdles in 1946 and 1947, and Big Seven Conference outdoor championships in the same event in 1948 and 1949.

Before retiring in 1997, Ault made a significant impact on Westminster (Missouri) College, teaching physical education and coaching track and field and cross country for 29 years. In addition, he coached swimming and golf, leading his men's golf team to the NAIA national tournament in 1990 and 1991, and the 1996 team to a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.

Along with the National High School Hall of Fame, Ault is also a member of the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame, Westminster College Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the Missouri Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Before his death, Ault had been fighting diabetes, a disease that caused the amputation of his right leg in January. He will be greatly missed for all he contributed to the development of athletics at the high school and college levels.