Three KIAC Basketball Officials Selected to Work National Tournaments
Three KIAC basketball officials have been selected to work in the men's and women's National Tournaments in March. Conference tournament winners throughout the country, along with "at large" selections, will meet at one of four separate sites in March to determine the National Champion in their divisions. The KIAC plays Division II of both the men's and women's programs.
The men's tournament is in its 21st year and will be played at the College of the Ozarks, in Point Lookout, MO, March 7-13, 2012. It is a 32-team single elimination tournament. The KIAC Conference Men's Champion will earn an automatic berth to this tournament.
Tony Gray of Danville, KY, will be officiating the Division II National Men's Tournament in Point Lookout. Tony officiates many KIAC games, and also works in the Mid-South, AAC, and SCAC Conferences. He is a highly respected official who has honed his skills over a 26-year period. Tony is the Interim Chief of Police in Danville, KY. He is married and has two children.
The 21st annual Division II Women's National Tournament will be held in Sioux City, IA, March 7-13. It is also a 32-team single elimination tournament and will include the KIAC Conference Champion. KIAC official, David Hopkins, has been invited to work the Division II Tournament in Sioux City. David lives in Portsmouth, OH, and is a high school educator. He is married and has one daughter. He has officiated basketball for 26 years, working in the Mid-South Conference, Mid East Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, and the Mid-Central Conference, as well as the KIAC.
In addition to having two officials from the KIAC officiating staff selected to work the Division II Tournaments, KIAC official, Natosha Harris, of Lexington, KY, has been selected to officiate in the Women's Division I National Tournament in Frankfort, KY, March 14-20. Natosha works for the University of Kentucky as Intramural Director. She has been officiating basketball for more than 20 years and works several NCAA Division I Conferences along with working in the KIAC and the Mid-South Conferences. The Division I Women's Tournament is in its 32nd year and is a 21-team single elimination tournament played over 7 days.
"Having three KIAC officials selected to work in the NAIA National Tournaments speaks well for our Conference. It especially speaks well for the officials who have been selected and is an indication of the high quality of work and effort put in by these officials and our very capable assignor, Ron Dixon," said Bill Melton, KIAC Commissioner. "It is indeed an honor to know that night in and night out our student athletes are receiving some of the best officiated games in the country. I am very pleased for Ron and our officials," concluded Melton.