2016-17 ND Officials Association Hall of Fame Inductees

VALLEY CITY, N.D. –The North Dakota Officials Association (NDOA) announces the 47^th induction class to the 2016-17 Hall of Fame as determined at its recent Board of Directors meeting.  The inductees will be recognized and receive awards at various North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA) events during the 2016-17 school year.

Jeff Risk – Minot

Jeff Risk has officiated high school basketball for forty-two years, and high school football for forty years in North Dakota.  During that time, Jeff officiated in 38 State A and B Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments and in 5 State Football Championship games. Besides high school and college basketball and football, Risk was a minor league baseball umpire, working up to as high as AA.  Along with the thousands of high school games Jeff has worked, he also has served many roles promoting officiating and instructing officials, including but not limited to:  Serving on the NDOA Board, MonDak Conference Commissioner, Dak and North Star Conference Assignor, NDHSAA Workshop Supervisor, Basketball and Football Clinician.  Jeff is the Athletic Director at Nedrose High School, he and his wife Tammy reside in Minot.

Russ Schmeichel – Jamestown

Russ Schmeichel’s officiating career started in 1965 and for almost the next 50 years he worked approximately 5,000 North Dakota high school basketball games.  Over his career, he officiated many State A and B Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments and many more Region Tournaments.  Russ was also a football official for seventeen years and is now a certified track official in Minnesota and has worked many State Track and State Cross Country Meets.  Russ will be the starter for this year’s North Dakota State Cross Country Meet.  Russ was the head of the Jamestown Officials Association for many years and led many workshops and clinics.  He and his wife Carol have three childred, Don (44), Jen (42), Dave (36), and five grandchildren.  They are retired and live in Andover, MN.

Randy Wolden – West Fargo

Randy Wolden served as a basketball official for 32 years and football official for 12 years in North Dakota.  Besides the over 30 regional tournaments, Randy officiated in 5 State A or B Basketball Tournaments and one Football Championship over his career. Randy was a very accomplished college basketball official, working in the Dak 10, NSIC, NCC, MIAC and Summit League for 27 years.  Randy served on the NDOA Board, and was the President of the Red River Valley Officials Association.  Randy and his wife Vickie have three children, Mitchell (Jennifer), Benjamin (Kaitlyn), and Kory, and two grandchildren, Emily and Logan.  They reside in West Fargo.

The NDOA has inducted 135 officials into its Hall of Fame since the inaugural class in 1965.  Plaques commemorating all Hall of Fame members are housed in the North Dakota Athletic Hall of Fame, located inside the Jamestown Civic Center.