It was Friday, March 11, 2016.  The #1 Gallup High School Bengals were set to square off against the #2 Roswell Coyotes in the New Mexico Activities Association Class 5A Girls State Basketball Championship.  The legendary Wise Pies Arena (a.k.a. The Pit) at the University of New Mexico began to fill up predominantly with fans clad in orange and black to support their Bengals, resulting in a crowd of more than 12,000 raucous fans. The coaches were ready, the players were ready and the fans were ready for this match-up of #1 vs. #2.

In the officials’ locker room, eight women had a conversation about what was about to happen. It was just another game, just another officials’ assignment. Or was it? No, it was much more than that. This game represented the first time in the history of the state of New Mexico that a state championship game would be refereed by an all-female crew – all three referees plus the alternate were women.

Erin Dunavant (Farmington), Candace Aragon (Las Cruces), Yolanda Osuna (Albuquerque) and Joye McHenry (Farmington) were scheduled to work this historic assignment. They were joined in the locker room by two up-and-coming female officials, Jessica Dooley (Gallup) and Rebecca Gonzales (Albuquerque), and one of the trailblazers of female basketball officials in the state, Lisa Romero (Albuquerque). I was fortunate to meet with them as well and was surprised at how overcome by emotion I was in that very special moment.

I looked around the room and I didn’t see seven female referees.  I saw seven quality referees, who dedicate their time and energy and pour their hearts and souls into officiating. I have been at camps with each of them, have watched them grow and progress through the ranks of officiating and have been witness to their struggles and their triumphs. I was looking at four capable and competent referees who deserved that assignment in front of that packed house. The stars had finally aligned and something that I had wanted for so long had finally come to fruition.

We walked down the legendary ramp at The Pit and the reaction of those around us was unbelievable. There was applause, there were whispers and there were people asking us at every turn, “Is this this first time this has happened?” Yes, it was. When the referees began to position themselves for their crew photo, the fans seated in the front row applauded them. Some even stood up and applauded. We see three males officiating girls games and boys games all of the time, but this event was a rarity. I could not help but think that it should not be such a big deal, especially in 2016, but it was indeed.     

I took the crew’s photo and began to walk back up the ramp. The butterflies in my stomach were out-of-control. It was not nerves, as I knew that the crew on the floor was one of the best at the tournament and I knew they would knock the game out of the park (which, they did, in case you were wondering). The butterflies were those of pure excitement and of pride.

It was exciting and inspiring that these four referees were being showcased in front one of the largest crowds at the tournament - a crowd larger than the attendance average of the games at the NCAA women’s tournament last year - and that young women from all corners of our state would see that refereeing IS a viable option for them. Where else could we send a message that powerful? Why would we not seize the opportunity to provide the hope of homologous reproduction for young women in our state? 

I felt so proud of the crew, of the women who came before them and the women who are following in their footsteps. All eight of us in the locker room before the game were on the court with the crew in some way and women across the country were with them too. After taking the crew’s photo, I completed my ascent up the ramp, went out the back of The Pit and cried. My heart was overwhelmed with joy. It was finally happening…in grand fashion.

We need more female officials in New Mexico and nationwide, and this game was a prime opportunity to let young girls know that greatness is possible in this avocation if you work hard, regardless of if you are a man or a woman. All officials should be rewarded for their exemplary efforts and abilities! The crew for this game could have easily worked any state championship game, boys or girls, but this assignment in front of 12,000 fans for a girls’ game was THE game they needed to work. And, work it they did. They were professional, crisp, knowledgeable and anyone watching could tell they were having fun and relishing the moment. One fan asked on Facebook, “Didn’t you hear the crowd booing them?” All that meant was that they were referees and not exempt from the chorus of jeers when a call went against one side or the other.

Coincidentally, in our neighboring state to the North, I later learned that one of our friends, Denise Lopez, had made history in the Colorado High School Activities Association state basketball tournament, receiving an assignment in the Class 5A boys state championship game. What an amazing feeling to know that so much good was going on in the world of officiating, just 400 miles from each other and in a 24-hour window. New Mexico also saw its first state championship game coached by two women, Lori Mabrey of Cibola High School (Albuquerque) and Lisa Villareal of Volcano Vista High School (Albuquerque). History was being made all around us and I could not help but smile. 

Several days after the tournament, there was still a lingering “buzz” among the New Mexico high school sports community about the crew and the game. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and I am excited for future tournaments wherein we can do more of this for our state and send this strong message to the young women who are wondering how they can stay connected to athletics after they graduate.

There are many moments in my career that have been memorable but this one was one of the proudest in nearly two decades. May this one assignment inspire and serve as a catalyst to young women who maybe never considered officiating as an option after high school. As the crew said, if they inspired just one young woman to don the stripes in the future, their work was more than fruitful.