Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc.

     9150 North Meridian Street, Box 40650, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240-0650

Phone: 317-846-6601    Fax: 317-575-4244    Website: www.ihsaa.org

Blake Ress, Commissioner

____________________________________________________________________

MEDIA INFORMATION                                                              December 8, 2006

Contact: Blake Ress, Commissioner                                                        

 

DICK STIMPSON TO BE HONORED WITH MEDIA SERVICE AWARD

Dick Stimpson, of WNUY AM & FM in Bluffton, has been selected as the 2006-07 recipient of the IHSAA Distinguished Media Service Award for District II.

 

Stimpson will be honored Friday, Dec. 15, in a special ceremony during the Southern Wells-Bluffton boys basketball game at Bluffton High School. IHSAA Commissioner Blake Ress and Herb Resler, a member of the IHSAA Board of Directors, will be on hand to make the presentation.

 

Stimpson began his broadcasting career 42 years ago after a successful tryout calling a local high school game for WADM in Decatur. Since then, he’s been a fixture at Wells and Adams county games calling the action to listeners at home. After WADM was sold, Stimpson began broadcasting for WNUY in 1992 and a year later was named Sports Director.

 

He’s called state championship games for several area teams during that time but fresh in his mind is this year’s Norwell football team which he considers among his favorites. The Knights won a school record 14 games and finished as the 3A state runner-up over Thanksgiving weekend in Indianapolis.

 

“The comraderie of that team and their dedication was a pleasure to watch,” says Stimpson. “The cooperation we received from the coaches and players was great as were their service activities within the community. That’s also a credit to the parents of those young men.”

 

In 1998, Stimpson was the recipient of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association’s Virgil Sweet Service Award which honors individuals who have provided meritorious service in the promotion of basketball in the state of Indiana. He also was a recipient of a similar award from the Indiana Football Coaches Association in 1994.

 

Stimpson grew up on Abington, Mass. graduating from the local high school in 1957 before serving three years in the United States Air Force. While based in California, he met his future wife, Norma, a Decatur native. They returned to Indiana and have resided in Decatur since 1960 and are the proud parents of four children, including a set of triplets, and 10 grandchildren.

 

This is the 23rd year the IHSAA has recognized an outstanding member of the Indiana news media from each of the three IHSAA legislative districts for their excellence in the coverage of high school sports. District II covers 28 counties across central Indiana. Stimpson is the second honoree of this school year joining Tom Collins of the Evansville Courier & Press in District III.

 

On behalf of its 406 member schools, the Indiana High School Athletic Association is pleased to salute Dick Stimpson for his dedicated service to high school athletics in the state of Indiana.

 

Previous award winners from northeastern Indiana include:

 

Hilliard Gates, WKJG-TV, Fort Wayne, 1984-85

Jim Costin, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 1987-88

Ken Hill, Sports Hotline, Marion, 1989-90

Dick DeFay, WKJG-TV, Fort Wayne, 1990-91

George Frye, Huntington Herald-Press, 1992-93

Len Davis, WGL Radio, Fort Wayne, 1994-95

Jim Brunner, WBAT, Marion, 1998-99

Dean Pantazi, WPTA-TV, Fort Wayne, 1999-00

Paul Beitler, Bluffton News-Banner, 2000-01

Rob Weaver, WPGW AM FM, Portland, 2005-06

 

 

 

NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE STATE

 

Have an interesting note? Please e-mail IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille at jwille@ihsaa.org for consideration.

 

  • With the Giants' 59-43 win over Noblesville on Nov. 28, Ben Davis girls basketball coach Stan Benge reached the 400-win milestone. Benge is in his 22nd season at Ben Davis with a record of 400-119 (through Nov. 28).

 

  • Megan King of Fort Wayne Canterbury moved past Jodie Whitaker on the girls basketball all-time career scoring list against Eastside on Nov. 21. In the process, she registered the first triple-double in Canterbury history, scoring 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 10 steals. Her career scoring total to that point stood at 2,215.

 

  • With its victory over Indianapolis Arsenal Technical on Saturday, Nov. 11, coach Andy Rang now has more victories in the history of Fort Wayne South Side girls basketball than any other coach. Rang has a record of 35-11 (.760 winning percentage) in his third season with the school.

 

  • At halftime of tonight’s South Bend Adams-South Bend Clay boys basketball game, the South Bend Community School Corporation will honor the 1957 South Bend Central boys basketball state championship team. Four or five of the players are expected to return to South Bend for the event as will Marjorie McCall, the widow of coach Elmer McCall. The team also will assemble in Indianapolis on March 21 for its induction into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as an undefeated state champion. The school, which also captured the 1953 state title, closed its doors in 1970.

 

  • As a result of her team’s 54-38 victory over Roncalli on Dec. 5, Franklin Central girls basketball coach Pam Taylor collected her 300th career victory. Previously, Taylor had been the coach at Tipton and Homestead.

 

 

IHSAA 06-07/21