Four set to receive DiFrederico basketball awards

BANGOR – Four longtime contributors to the Eastern Maine basketball scene will be presented the Jim DiFrederico Award during a dinner and ceremony Saturday at the Bangor Motor Inn Convention Center.

David Ames, Al Halliday, Dwight Hunter and David Mansfield will be honored by the Eastern Maine Board of Basketball Officials. Ames, Halliday and Mansfield served as officials and executive of state officiating boards for decades, while Hunter is being honored for his work as a coach and athletic administrator.

The award is named after the late Jim DiFrederico, a Millinocket native and former three-sport standout at Stearns High School. He went on to star in basketball at Ricker College in Houlton, and after serving in the military, DiFrederico signed with the Boston Red Sox organization and spent several years in the team’s minor league system.

DiFrederico later embarked on a 25-year career as a high school and college baseball umpire and basketball official before he passed away at age 56.

Ames, a Camden native starred in baseball, basketball, cross country and track in high school, and later played baseball at the University of Maine. He has served as a high school and college basketball official for 40 years, officiating in more than 2,000 games including many regional and state championship games.

Ames also has been active in officiating leadership statewide. He has served as secretary of the Maine State Basketball Commission and as the Maine Principals’ Association tournament supervisor of officials, and has been a leadership participant in the officiating movement at the local, state and national levels.

Halliday was a star athlete in his native Waterville who went on to coach the 10th Army basketball team in Germany. He has been active in officiating for 50 years, working more than 2,000 games including many regional and state championship games.

Halliday has been a member of the Maine State Basketball Commission, served as secretary of that commission and as the Maine Principals’ Association tournament supervisor of officials, and has been a leadership participant in the officiating movement at the local, state and national levels.

Hunter, a Presque Isle native, starred in basketball and baseball at Presque Isle High School and at Aroostook State Teachers’ College (University of Maine at Presque Isle). The military veteran went on to serve as a coach and an athletic administrator for 41 years.

Hunter also has been a member of the MPA’s Basketball Committee and the Maine State Basketball Commission. He has served as president of the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and served on the MIAAA’s board of directors, and he has received a national citation award from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

Mansfield, a Bangor native, has been a member of the Eastern Maine Board of Basketball Officials for 38 years and served as board president for two terms. He has been a member of the Maine State Basketball Commission for 20 years, and also has served as secretary of the Maine State Basketball Officials Council for 20 years.

Mansfield has served as the assigner for the Eastern Maine Board of Basketball Officials, and has been a leadership participant in the officiating movement at the local, state and national levels.

Previous recipients of the DiFrederico Award are Tony Tammaro, Peter Webb, Frederick “Red” Barry, Delmont “Del” Merrill, Michael DiRenzo, Bernard “Bunny” Parady, Harry Dalton and George Wentworth.

The dinner and award ceremony are open to the public. For ticket information, contact Wayne Prescott at wpprescott@msad48.org or pawsports@aol.com.