2009 OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR AWARD
Iona Stookey – Huntley

Iona Stookey: In 1994, Mrs. Iona Stookey began an AAU volleyball program at Huntley Project schools. Her observation of the success of other AAU programs, primarily wrestling, led her to believe that similar success could be created in volleyball. Originally, volleyball was part of the Project Flyers, an athletic program on the Project. By 1999, Montana Aces was created tto compete outside of Montana. A very successful program had athletes traveling to competitions in Florida, California and Utah. The result of these efforts paid off in the Huntley Project High School program with two undefeated seasons and now four state championships.

Today, as the Project Spikers, the athletes compete across Montana with competitions from grades 3 to 12. There are approximately 100 members in the current club. She is currently preparing teams to compete in Florida and other out of state competitions. Mrs. Stookey continues to promote AAU Volleyball and help others create successful programs. She continues to teach physical education classes at Huntley Project and lives with her husband and family in Huntley.

2009 MT AAU District Outstanding Volunteer of the Year
Don Whitmus – Wolf Point

Jean Olson, MT AAU District Governor & Don Whitmus
Outstanding Service Award: An individual, group, or organization that supports and encourages the goals and purpose of the Montana AAU District.

The aforementioned individual has been selected because…(List the reason this person has been selected, highlighting his/her contributions to the local district and sport programs this year.) After this year’s wrestling season, Don retired from his position as Eastern Division Head Pairing Master for Wrestling, a position he has held for approximately 25 years. Don has trained numerous pairing masters, including the person who will take over his job. He has been a pairing master for nearly 30 years. During that time he has traveled to 4 Grand National Tournaments to help with pairing. In addition Don is Chairman of our Montana Life Member Committee, and is always willing to help wherever he is needed, from the pairing room to helping hang decorations at our yearly district awards banquet.

2009 AAU National Wrestling Committee’s International Wrestling Official of the Year
Blake Love - Missoula MT

AAU District Governor – Jean Olson & Blake

Blake has been involved with AAU wrestling since his competition days in Iowa where he was the AAU Wrestler of the Year in 1980. Blake moved to Montana in 1984 and has been officiating AAU Folkstyle, Freestyle and Greco since 1986. Blake has also been involved as a wrestling coach, mostly in Missoula, working and volunteering at various levels including middle schools, high schools, the University of Montana, and wrestling clubs. He assumed the duties of chairman of the Montana Officials Association about 14 years ago. This group provides officials for both AAU and USA Wrestling events. He’s worked hard to help Montana increase it’s number of officials, plus helped them learn to be better officials and to gain experience. Part of gaining that experience is traveling to out-of-state events. This past year Blake officiated in six different states. He has been the head official of the AAU Grand National Wrestling Tournament numerous times, including the tournaments held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Butte, MT and Denver, CO. Blake has also been a high school official for 20 years. High school coaches have selected him as an official for the State High School Championships for the past 15 years.

Blake and his wife Kathy live in Missoula where Blake has been a teacher with the Missoula County Public Schools for ten years. He continues to coach at the middle school where he teaches. Blake and Kathy have three children, Andy, Jake, and Brenna.

2009 National AAU VOLUNTEER HALL OF FAME
Dave Bennetts - Butte

Dave refereeing at the 2009 MT Open.

As an active member of the AAU for many years, Dave has touched the lives of many young athletes as both an official and a coach. Thanks to Dave’s mentoring, many of those young athletes have themselves become active officials and coaches in Montana AAU. On the administrative side, Dave also recruits people as chairmen and officers in our district. During district meetings, he is often the one we ask to provide us with background on an issue that helps us make a decision. His experience and knowledge have benefited us many times. At the national level, Dave has helped make the National Wrestling Committee’s Scholastic Duals, held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports, one of the premier youth wrestling events in the country by ensuring that the officials are some of the best in the nation. Some people join AAU and become active for a few years. Dave has made the AAU a part of his life.

Dave has been a National Wrestling Committee Executive Board At-Large Member (6 years); Head Folkstyle Official-only person to hold this position (also a position on the executive board-12 yrs) Montana AAU President (4 years); Vice President (2 years).

National Convention Delegate (20 yrs); Head Wrestling Official for the Montana Wrestling Committee (6 yrs-first one to hold this position); Head Official for the South-central Division of the Montana Wrestling Committee (3 yrs); Elections and Nominations Chairman (12 yrs); Little Sullivan Committee (6 yrs); Master of Ceremonies at Little Sullivan Banquet (6 yrs); Wrestling Committee Scheduling Chairman (6 yrs); Cultural Exchange Chairman –MT Wrestling Committee (16 yrs); Team Leader/Coach for Cultural Exchanges to Denmark (1984), Egypt (1990) and to Germany (5 yrs); Head or Assistant Wrestling Coach for various MT AAU clubs (wherever he moved to) (15 yrs); Assistant Swimming Coach-Butte Tarpons (4 yrs); Head Swimming Coach, Baker AAU (2 yrs).

Montana High School Wrestling Official for 33 years. Officiated at 30 state tournaments, 33 plus high school divisional tournaments and 5 NAIA National College Tournaments; Elks Club; Montana School of Technology Athletic Booster Club; Montana USAW Board Member, Montana Coalition of Comprehensive School and Community Treatment Board Member, Montana Children Initiative Board Member, Montana Peace Officer Association, Montana Mental Health Association past board member.

Selected to the inaugural National Wrestling Committee Hall of Fame (2000); Outstanding Wrestling Official for Montana (1989); Montana AAU Outstanding Contributor, (1992); AAU National Wrestling Committee’s Outstanding Official (1997); Montana High School Official of the Year, 1997; AAU President’s Leadership Award, 1996; AAU 25-Year Service Pin, 2003; Montana District Volunteer of the Year, 2005; National Wrestling Committee’s Willard Vandiver Award, 2003; Montana AAU Lifetime Member.