Virgil Sweet Distinguished Service Award Recipients
Each year the IBCA Board of Directors selects individuals from each of the three IBCA Districts to receive the Virgil Sweet Distinguished Service Award. The award, named in honor of longtime Executive Director of the IBCA, are given to individuals who have provided meritorious service in the promotion of basketball in the state of Indiana.
The seven recipients featured below will receive their awards during the IBCA clinic Friday, April 27, 2007.
District I - Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson is a 1985 graduate of the Indiana University School of Journalism. He began his career with the Goshen News. In 1987 Anthony joined the Elkhart Truth Sports staff. He became the head basketball writer for the Truth in 1990. He has been instrumental in expanding high school coverage, statistical packaging and promoting the all-area team in the Elkhart area, as well as, providing outstanding coverage of Elkhart County's area state finalists - 1990 Concord, 1995 Elkhart Central, 1999 Elkhart Central, 1998-99 Westview and 2002 Jimtown.
Anthony has won writing awards from the Indiana Associated Press Managing Editors and Indiana Society of Professional Journalists. Anthony, the IBCA thanks you for all you do to promote Indiana High School Basketball.
District I - Tom Rehm
Tom has been a volunteer coach for a number of years for the CYO, YMCA and the Bishop Luers Girls' Basketball program where he started a very successful feeder program. His daughter Nancy is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. He worked with her for many hours during her high school career. Tragically, her college career was cut short in 1982 when she was murdered. In her honor, the Nancy Rehm Border Wars Basketball Tournament was started. This tournament has helped generate millions of dollars for basketball scholarships in Northeast Indiana. The Nancy Rehm Memorial award is given to a pioneer of Girls Basketball. Pat Summit, Muffit McGraw, Christi Curry, and Pat Roy have been recipients of this award through the years.
In 2002, the Governor of Indiana presented Tom with the Sagamore of the Wabash award for his dedication and efforts in helping student athletes through the Nancy Rehm Border Wars Tournament. Tom, thanks for all your contributions to high school basketball.
District I - Dan Willett
From 1978-1981 Don Willett coached boys' basketball at St. Patricks' elementary school in Chesterton. He also coached the girls from 1981-85 at the same school and was the athletic director from 1978-1985.
In 1985 Dan started the AAU Basketball league in Chesterton with two teams. Over the years this league has grown to nearly ten teams. He started a summer high school league with eight teams for girls in 1989. This has been expanded to included junior high girls and through the years, the number of teams has increased to 48 with over 400 girls participating.
During this time from 1985 to present, Dan has coached the frosh high school and middle school girls in the Chesterton school system and since 1989 has been the AAU District Director. Dan, the IBCA salutes you for the positive impact you have had on the youth of our great state.
District II - Judi Warren
In the history of Indiana High School Basketball Judi has had a career of firsts. She played on the first Girls' State Championship team at Warsaw in 1976. She was also the first Girls Miss Basketball and Mental Attitude winner. After high school she led Franklin to three small college state championships and has been inducted into the Franklin College Hall of Fame.
During her coaching career at South Dearborn, Maconaguah, and Carmel High School her teams won 14 Sectionals, two Regionals, and were state runner up in 1995. Judi has received numerous honors. She was an assistant Indiana All-Star Coach and the Head Indiana All-Star Coach in 1993. She has been an IBCA District Coach of the Year. In 2002 she was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Currently Judi is an elementary teacher at Mohawk Trails Elementary in Carmel and serves on the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Board. Judi, congratulations on your contributions to the tradition of Indiana High School Basketball.
District II - Dave Calabro
Dave joined Eyewitness News in May of 1992. He is one of the busiest sportscasters around. He currently appears virtually seven days a week on Channel 13. Dave anchors sports weeknights on Eyewitness News and hosts the popular "13 Sports Jam" Sunday nights at 11:20 PM. During his broadcasting career he has covered numerous high school basketball events.
Dave's golden voice can be heard at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he has been a track announcer since 1985. His hard work the past several years has paid off with four regional Emmy Awards, as well as being named "Best Sportscaster" by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine readers. Dave, congratulations and thanks for all you do for high school basketball.
District III - Cliff Guilliams
Cliff graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with degrees in radio-television and speech. He began writing sports for the Evansville Courier & Press in 1978.
His sports writing beat carries him from the big gyms of Evansville, Vincennes and Washington to the smaller venues at Barr-Reeve and Loogootee where the enthusiasm is no less. He previously has covered the state championship runs of Vincenes Lincoln and Evansville Bosse and more recently Forest Park.
During the spring and summer, Guilliams covers horse racing for the paper and on the first Saturday of each May, Cliff will be found in the press box at the Kentucky Derby.
In 2001, Guilliams authored "Final Calls to Absent Friends", a compilation of his columns bidding farewell to athletes and horses who had passed on. He considers the boys' Indiana High School Basketball Tournament unmatched in sports for pureness and excellence, rating it a dead heat with the Kentucky Derby, which he has called 22 times, for excitement and spectacle. Cliff, the IBCA thanks you for all you do for Indiana High School Basketball.
District III - Kurt Gutgsell
Kurt is the Sports Director at WBDC Radio and WJTS 27 Television in Japser. He is a native of Jasper where he played football and baseball at Jasper High School. In 1990 he graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in communications.
Kurt began his broadcasting career at WBDC Radio in 1990 and joined WJTS in 1993. During the past 16 years at WBDC he has called over 1600 Dubois County High School football, basketball, and baseball games. In addition to the play-by-play of area sports, he also hosts a morning sports show on WBDC and various television programs on WJTS.
One of Kurt's biggest broadcasting highlights was doing play-by-play for both of Forest Park's 3A Class Championships.
Kurt, the IBCA thanks you for your contributions to Indiana High School Basketball
