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The North Central Conference will bestow the North Central Conference Honor Award on Jim Fallis, Rich Glas, Dianne Glowatzke, Art Grachek, Kathy McCann, Butch Raymond and Dean Trauger during the NCC Celebration Dinner Saturday, June 21 at the Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Fallis represents the University of Northern Colorado, Glas and McCann represent the University of North Dakota, Glowatzke and Grachek represent St. Cloud State University while Raymond and Trauger represent Minnesota State University.

The award is the highest honor in the conference and is given in appreciation of their efforts to heighten the integrity of the North Central Conference. The award is voted on by the institutional representatives at each of the seven member institutions. This year's class of seven brings the total number of inductees to 180 members since the award's beginning in 1967.

Tickets are available for $50 each by contacting the North Central Conference office (605-338-0907) by Wednesday, June 11 or online at www.northcentralconference.org and clicking on the Celebration Dinner banner at the top of the page. Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express are accepted.

Here is a look at each of the honorees:

Jim Fallis (University of Northern Colorado) - Fallis served as the Athletics Director at the University of Northern Colorado from 1993 until 2003. During this time UNC won back-to-back NCAA Division II Championships in football (1996 & 1997) and made the playoffs six times in eight years, including 2002 when the team went undefeated in the NCC and advanced to the national semifinal game. During the same span the UNC volleyball team won the NCC championship four times and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight tournament twice.

UNC also hosted two NCAA Divison II Wrestling Championships during that period including 2001 when North Dakota State and South Dakota State finished 1-2. Fallis, being a former national champion wrestler in college, was a member of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Committee who argued for more qualifiers from the NCC each year and helped NCC institutions secure the bid for hosting the national championships.

Fallis served on multiple NCC committees and was also a member of numerous NCAA committees. As a member of those committees, he provided leadership and was a strong advocate for the NCC at the national level.

Fallis also served as an officer of the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors (NACDA) during this period and was a member of the NACDA Director's Cup Committee. He played an important role in creating a point system that awarded schools who sponsored many sports and provided a broad-based sports sponsorship as the NCC members did. Prior to that new point system, institutions were able to "load up" on several sports, offer the minimum number of sports allowed and be able to win or place very hight in the all-around award system each year.

Fallis is currently the Director of Athletics at Northern Arizona University.

Rich Glas (University of North Dakota) - Glas spent 18 years (1988-2006) as the University of North Dakota head men's basketball coach. When he stepped down as head coach after the 2005-06 season, he left with the most wins of any coach in Fighting Sioux men's basketball history with a UND record of 335-194 (.633). He also led UND to a 170-136 (.556) North Central Conference record, three conference titles and eight NCAA postseason appearances, including NCAA Elite Eight appearances in both 1990 and 1991.

Glas was a two-time Kodak/NABC North Central Region Coach of the Year (1990, 1991) and he led UND to eight 20-win seasons. At UND, he coached five NCC most valuable players, nine All-Americans, 25 All-NCC selections, two NCC newcomers of the year, one NCC freshman of the year and eight academic All-NCC selections.

After a stint on the coaching staff at the University of Northern Iowa, Glas is now the head men's basketball coach at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.

Dianne Glowatzke (St. Cloud State University) - Glowatzke retired in the fall of 2002 after 26 seasons as the St. Cloud State University head volleyball coach. With a 527-418 career record, Glowatzke ended her career with more wins than any coach in SCSU history, and she ranked among the top 10 active coaches for career wins in DII volleyball in 2002.

She guided the Huskies to 19 winning seasons, four NCAA Division II post season tournaments, and a first ever berth in the 1995 NCAA Division II Elite Eight. She was voted the 1995 North Central Region Coach of the Year and the 1995 North Central Conference Coach of the Year.

A pioneer in women's athletics, Glowatzke was only the second person to coach the SCSU volleyball program. 

Dr. Art Grachek (St. Cloud State University) - Grachek served as St. Cloud State University's Institutional Representative to the North Central Conference from 1987 to 2001. As the FAR, he served as NCC President and Executive Committee Member and NCC Liaison to the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association.

From 1971 to 2003, he was a professor in the Communications Studies Department at SCSU. Over the years he served the SCSU community as the Faculty Association President, Chair of the Speech Communications Department, Chair of the SCSU Faculty/Staff Development Campaign, Chair of the General Education Committee, Chair of the General Education Review Committee, Member of the first Inter-Faculty Organization negotiation committee, and member and Chair of the International Studies Committee. He was also a faculty member and Academic Director in the British Studies program and Travel/Study to SCSU Study Abroad Centers.

Now retired, Gracheck was inducted into the St. Cloud State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.

Kathy McCann (University of North Dakota) - McCann served the University of North Dakota for nearly 17 years (August 1986-April 2003) as an assistant athletic director before retiring in April 2003.

She successfully held a number of roles at UND, serving as the senior women's administrator, assistant athletic director for facilities and recreation and intramural director. While McCann was SWA, UND won three NCAA women's basketball titles (1997, 1998, 1999) and UND also made NCAA postseason appearances in volleyball, cross country, track & field, golf, swimming & diving.

A member of the Minot State Athletic Hall of Fame (1995) and the North Dakota Softball Hall of Fame (1983), McCann started the volleyball, women's basketball and softball programs at Minot State and was president of the North Dakota Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Association for three years. She received an honorary letterwinner award from UND in 2003. 

Butch Raymond (Minnesota State University) - Raymond served as men's basketball coach and coordinator of intercollegiate athletics at Minnesota State University. He coached the basketball team from 1973-84, earning one North Central Conference and one Northern Intercollegiate Conference title. From 1978-82, Raymond coordinated all efforts for the men's and women's athletics departments. In addition, he was an associate professor in the school of health, physical education and recreation.

Raymond was the men's basketball coach at St. Cloud State University from 1984-1997. In addition to managing the operations of the men's basketball program, Raymond served as an associate professor in the school of health, physical education and recreation. He has more wins than any other men's basketball coach in St. Cloud State history (231-141). Raymond led his team to the North Central Conference Championship in 1986, 1987 and 1988. He was inducted into the St. Cloud State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

He moved to Southwest Minnesota State University, where he served as director of athletics and associate director of development from 1997-2004. While at Southwest Minnesota State, Raymond was responsible for all activities, budgeting, fund raising, marketing and promotions, compliance and day-to-day operations of 10 varsity sports as well as the overall athletics department. Raymond was also chair of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee.

Raymond became the fourth full-time commissioner of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2004. He has served on the NCAA Division II Football Committee and NCAA Division II Basketball Committee.

A graduate of Augsburg College, Raymond served as men's basketball coach and assistant professor at his Alma Mater from 1969-1973. He also held the position of boys basketball coach at Fairmont and Minneapolis Southwest high schools. Raymond earned his master's degree from Minnesota State. 

Dean Trauger (Minnesota State University) - Trauger, recently retired MSU Vice President for Finance and Administration, graduated from then-Mankato State College in June 1969 with a degree in accounting and business administration. Starting in 1967 he worked in the Business Office as a part-time student grants accountant, and in 1971 he was named the University's director of accounting. In 1974 he was promoted to director of business affairs, and served as interim vice president for resource management from 1978 to 1980. In 1989 he was named Vice President for Fiscal Affairs (later Vice President for Finance and Administration). Trauger stepped down from his responsibilities as Vice President in May 2006, but continued on as a Special Assistant to the President this past year, where he continued to provide oversight for the athletic program.

During Trauger's most recent stint with MSU Athletics the program has flourished, achieving a higher level of financial stability and successfully implementing roster management strategies in compliance with gender equity requirements. During this time the Mavericks have improved competitively while capturing three consecutive North Central Conference Cup titles while climbing into the Top 5 nationally in the Director's Cup standings.