Officials Hall of Fame

Contest officials play an essential role in our interscholastic athletic programs, leading the IHSAA to establish an Officials Hall of Fame in 1971. Inductees will be honored at halftime of the 3A championship. Presentations are for the class of 2020, whose induction ceremonies were canceled due to COVID-19 related spectator restrictions on March 13, 2020.

OFFICIALS

IHSAA Officials Hall of Fame Inductees

JAY FLORA: An all-conference athlete at West Marshall and football player at Simpson College, Flora joined the officiating ranks in 1980 as he immediately missed being on the field. An excellent three-sport official, Flora has worked baseball, basketball, and football at the varsity and collegiate levels, including 10 baseball championship games and four football championships for the IHSAA. In addition to working central Iowa conferences like the CIML, Raccoon River, Heart of Iowa, and Little Hawkeye, he has received five NCAA Tournament assignments in basketball. He and his wife Tammy live in Marshalltown and have two daughters, Tara and Jenny.

JEFF FRESE: A native of Norway and member of five state baseball championships with coach Jim Van Scoyoc's legendary program, Frese graduated in 1984 and became a registered official while in college in 1986. His 34 years as a baseball umpire have included 23 state tournaments and 12 state title games, plus numerous NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA postseason events. Frese also works as the baseball umpire assignor for the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference. He has made seven state tournament appearances in boys' basketball and worked seven postseason games in football. The son of Dan and Shona, Frese works for Farm Bureau Insurance and lives in Norway.

ROYCE RANNIGER: A native of Manning, Ranniger began officiating while he was a student at Briar Cliff and jumped in fully a few years later. Registered with the IHSAA for 39 years, he has worked football (16 postseasons, five championships) and basketball (16 state tournaments) while also excelling for the IGHSAU. Ranniger was named boys' basketball official of the year in 2008, girls' basketball official of the year in 2014, and named NFHS Section 4 Distinguished Active Official in 2015. He has also worked NAIA basketball postseasons. Ranniger and his wife Kathy have two sons, grandchildren, and live in Sioux City.

KURT WALDERBACH: Attending high school at Cedar Rapids, Jefferson then North Central, Manly, Walderbach was a multi-sport standout and Drake Relays competitor and graduated in 1979. He played baseball at North Iowa Area Community College, then attended the University of Iowa. He officiated intramurals while studying and trying to stay physically active in Iowa City, and has kept at it for 40 years for the IHSAA and IGHSAU. He has worked 18 postseasons and eight title games in football, 24 state tournaments and three titles games in boys' basketball, 20 tournaments and five championships in girls' hoops, and three championships in softball. He and his wife Angie live in Mason City and have four children: Amanda, Andrea, Blake, and Reid.