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Coordinators of Officials
Steve Furniss: Football
Furniss began officiating high school
football in 1980. Furniss has officiated in several leagues in the
Columbus area and in several state playoff games. Furniss began
officiating intercollegiate football in 1990 as a line judge in the
North Coast and Ohio Athletic Conferences, as well as for several
independent schools. His officiating career ended in 1996 due
to knee injuries. In 1997 he began as an observer with the Ohio
Athletic Conference and at the state football tournament. The on
field experience has allowed Furniss to develop evaluating methods
to help officials improve.
Please feel
free to contact Steve Furniss at steve_furniss001@hotmail.com, (614)
863-2454 or (614) 419-8139
Diane Plas: Volleyball
Plas spent 25 years officiating high school and collegiate volleyball games and has been the Ohio Athletic Conference’s Coordinator of Volleyball Officials since 1982. Plas also assigns volleyball games for the Horizon League, North Coast, American Midwest, Mid-American, and Ohio Community College Athletic Conferences, as well various independents. Plas is also the state interpreter for high school volleyball. In addition to volleyball, Plas has served as the OAC's Coordinator of Women's Basketball Officials since 1982.
Plas has three children, Shelley, Christy and Jeff and eight grandchildren.
Please feel free to contact Diane Plas at jplas@prodigy.netor 216-533-7521
Bill Ek: Men's Basketball
Ek serves as the Ohio Athletic Conference
Coordinator of Men’s Basketball officials. In addition
to the OAC, Ek assigns for the American Mideast and the Ohio
Community College Athletic Conferences, as well as for the Ohio
Regional Campuses.
Ek spent 20 years officiating NCAA and NAIA basketball. Ek’s
career highlights include officiating numerous NCAA Division III
regional assignments and at the Final Four, along with multiple
championship games for the American Mideast and Ohio Athletic
Conferences. Ek also had the opportunity to officiate the
McDonald's All-American championship game which included Lebron
James of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ek has officiated five high school state championship games as a
25-year veteran of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Ek
has officiated at over 20 camps and has been an instructor at more
than 25 clinics throughout his career.
Please feel free to contact Bill Ek at (330) 354-1225 or ekbballref@yahoo.com
Diane Plas: Women's Basketball
Plas spent 25 years officiating high school and collegiate women’s basketball games and has been the Ohio Athletic Conference’s Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Officials since 1982. Plas also assigns games for North Coast, American Midwest, Presidents’ and Ohio Community College Athletic Conferences. In addition to her responsibilites as coordinator, Plas also serves as the NCAA Division I women’s basketball regional advisor. Plas has also been the Ohio Athletic Conference's Coordinator of Volleyball officials since 1982.
Plas has three children, Shelley, Christy and Jeff and eight grandchildren.
Please feel free to contact Diane Plas at jplas@prodigy.net or 216-533-7521
Steve Partington: Baseball
Partington has been umpiring college baseball since 1976 and
actively works in the Big Ten, Mid-American, Atlantic Coast,
Atlantic10, North Coast and Ohio Athletic Conferences.
Partington has umpired at the national level since 1981, working
numerous NCAA Regionals and five NCAA Division III World Series.
Partington has also umpired 11 Big Ten and seven Mid-American
Conference Tournaments, along with four NCAA Division I
Regionals.
In addition to the Ohio Athletic Conference, Partington assigns for 16 Division III schools and five Division I schools: Ohio State, Indiana, Miami, Ohio University, and Xavier. Partington’s Strikk3 Umpire Association currently maintains 85 active umpires.
Partington is also the tournament director of the Spring Baseball Classic known as Snowbird Baseball located on the Florida Suncoast in North Port, Florida.
Please feel free to contact Steve Partington at strikk3umpires@aol.com or 614-306-5155
Linda Cairney: Softball
Please feel free to contact Linda LindaUmp1@aol.com
