In 2004 the ITCCOA began the process to create a Hall of Fame for Track and Field Officials. After a period of open nominations to the ITCCOA membership the first honorees were selected and installed in 2005. |
Class of 2005
Roy Gummerson
Mr. Gummerson was a Track and Cross Country official for 40 years. He began coaching Track and Cross Country in 1940 at
Woodruff High School and in 1952, his Woodruff team won the State Cross Country championship. He then moved to Oak
Park-River Forest in 1955 and coached there until 1976.
Mr. Gummerson officiated at all levels and in the late 1940's he and others were instrumental in founding the State Cross
Country meet and was a State Meet official until the early 1980's.
Roy served these sports in numerous capacities. He has served as Chair of the State Track and Field Advisory Committee, a
member of the National Federation Board of Track and Field, and served as its Chair.
Mr. Gummerson has received many honors for his work, among those being, Honorary Referee of the State Track and Field
meet, Grand Marshall of the 100 year Celebration of Track in Illinois. He is also a Member of the following Halls of Fame:
Peoria County, Bradley University, ITCCA, Oak Park High School Coaches, Village of Oak Park and Woodruff High School.
Gail Borton
Mr. Borton began his career in Track during high school and was a member of the Eastern Illinois University Track team from
1951 to 1954, serving as Captain in 1954. From 1954 to 1956, he served in the U.S. Army. While in Okinawa, he was selected
to be on the Special Services Track Team and competed against the Japanese Olympic team as they prepared for the 1956
Olympics.
Gail first registered as an official in 1953 and has been registered for 53 years. He has worked as an Official at the State meet
since 1958, the first 15 years as a Pole Vault judge. In his 49 years at the State meet, Gail has been a Starter, Assistant Meet
Referee and Meet Referee for both Boys and Girls, Class A and AA.
Ron Helberg
After a very successful coaching career, at Palatine, Maine East and Evanston, where his Boys teams won 4 State
Championships, Ron became a track official.
In his thirty years as an official he served as Starter and Referee for the Boys State meet. Mr. Helberg has also been honored
by the IHSA as an Honorary Referee. He also served as Head of the Games Committee. Mr. Helberg was a Starter for the Big
Ten meet as well as the NCAA Division I Outdoor meet.
Starting as a volunteer, while still coaching, Ron celebrated 45 years working at the State Boys Track Meet in 2005.
Shelby Himes
As a co-owner of nationally recognized sports store Shelby began his officiating career in the 1920's. In 1931 he was asked to
help organize and startthe Urbana Relays would be their only starter for the next 27 years. His reputation would keep him
busy at both the high school and collegiate levels until his retirement.
In 1938 Mr. Himes was asked to start the State Track meet and would continue in that position for the next 19 years. In 1954
his role was expanded to include the role of Referee. In 1959, citing health reasons he ended his State officiating career after
21 consecutive years as State Starter and a total of 8 years starting the State Cross Country meet.
Class of 2006
John R. Davis
Mr Davis was a teacher and coach at Glenbrook South for thirty-six years. He served as head coach for boys and girls track.
John has served the IHSA track working at the finish line at the Boys State Meet for thirty plus years. He has also served as a
clinician and as an Advisory Board member.
John also has been the Chairman of the USATF Officials Committee, Olympic Official in 1996, and President of USATF
Illinois. Twice manager for USA teams competing in Europe, he has also umpired six Olympic trials and ten Junior Olympic
meets. He has also officiated four World Special Olympic meets, the Keebler International meet, the Melrose Games, The
Chicago Marathon, head timer for eighteen years and the Prairie State Games.
Mr. Davis has also been honored by ITCCCA (Illinois track coaches) installing him their Hall of Fame.
Madelynn Martino
Madelynn has been a pioneer in girls sports in the Chicago Public Schools and was the first girls track coach at Lane Tech.
She has been officiating track and cross country for thirty years. During that time she has worked girls sectional and state
meets every year. Fifteen years ago she began working the boys state meet. Ms. Martino has served as the Head Umpire at
the Girls State meet, a Starter at both Boys and girls State AA meets, a Referee at both, a Starter at the State Cross Country
meet and been a Honorary Referee at the Girls State meet.
Madelynn has also active in track at other levels. She was a Starter at the Goodwill Games at the Rosemont Horizon. At the
NCAA Division III Indoor Meet held at Illinois Wesleyan University. Madelynn served as the track appointee to the Official's
Committee for nine years.
Alex Rexroat
Mr. Rexroat began his track and cross country career under the coaching of Hall of Fame member Roy Gummerson at Oak
Park - River Forest High School. After graduating in 1963 he attended Bradley University. Alex began officiating track meets
at OPRF as a finish line judge and clerking in 1977. At the suggestion of Jerry Slack he began starting meets at OPRF and
soon began working for other high schools. In 1977 he started working a the State meet, and served as a timer, clerk of the
course,assistant starter and starter over the years.
Alex is married and father of three daughters and resides in Harvard, IL. According to Mr. Rexroat "...I love the sport and
wanted to give something back to the kids. My whole life has been impacted by track and cross country and mentors like Roy
Gummerson and Jerry Slack."
Class of 2007
John Polka
John Polka has taught and coached at Fenwick high school for the past 42 years. He started his officiating career in 1974 by
registering with the IHSA in both basketball and track. He earned his certified rating in 1980. He is also holds a masters
ratting with USTF and has worked state, national and international meets.
In 1996 he was elected to the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame and in 2001 the Illinois Track and Cross Country
Coaches Hall of Fame. Under Roy Gummerson, Mr. Polka worked just about every area in the boys state meet. When Accu-
Track was introduced at the meet as the first Official FAT system he became one of three officials whose job was learn to
operate the systems. In 1992, Mr. Gummerson selected him to work into the state rotation of final officials. From 1992 to 2001
he worked as assistant starter, head starter and referee for both the girls and boys meet. Ola Bundy assigned him to be head
double A starter for the 100th year anniversary of boys track in Illinois. In 2001 he was the NFHS officials association
outstanding Track and Field official in Illinois. In 2004 he was one of several who received the honor of honorary meet referee
at the boys meet. His present positions are Member of IHSA advisory committee for Officials and Track and Field. An IHSA
clinician and rules interpreter for Track and Field. He also serves a meet manager for both the Girls and Boys state meet.
Outside of track and field he holds a private pilots license and is instructs in the Martial Arts at Fenwick.
Harold “Tuffy” Bowen
Harold “Tuffy” Bowen from Farmington, Illinois, began his professional career in education at Terre Haute High School in
1947, moving to Media High School in 1953. From there he taught and coached at Farmington High School for thirty years,
retiring in 1988. Tuffy coached basketball, football and track and field for twenty-five years. He was also an athletic director for
twenty-six years, and was selected Class A Athletic Director of the Year in 1983-84. Tuffy served as an IHSA official in track
and field for thirty-five years. During those years he worked the Boy’s State Meet for twenty-five years, and was the Honorary
Referee for that meet in 1995. He also volunteereed at the Peoria Journal Star Honor Roll Meet and the Prairie State Games.
In 1977, Tuffy organized the Farmington Relays, which were renamed the Tuffy Bowen Relays in 2002.
Mr. Bowen served on several committees with the IHSA, including the Boys Basketball Advisory Committee, Boys Football
Advisory Committee, and Athletic Adminstration Advisory Committee. He also worked both Boy’s and Girl’s State Basketball
Tournaments as a bench official.
In Farmington, Tuffy served on the steering committee for the Farmington High School all-weather track and as a member of
the Famington Central Academic Foundation. He is still active in the Farmington Athletic Booster Club. For his efforts, the City
of Farmington proclaimed a Tuffy Bowen Day in 1998, was named Fan of the Year by the Farmington Athletic Boosters in
2003, and was inducted into the Farmington High School Hall of Fame in 2005. Mr. Bowen was also inducted into the Western
Illinois University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1998.
Tuffy is now retired, spending his time fishing, traveling, antiquing, and volunteering at school and church activities. He and
his wife, Pat, have three children, six grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren, with whom they spend much of their time.
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