Former NorthWood athletic director Norm Sellers, shown in 2018 with then Tippecanoe Valley athletic director Duane Burkhart, was awarded the IIAAA Charles Mann Distinguished Service Award for his work with student-based athletics. InkFreeNews file photo by Mike Deak

By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews

INDIANAPOLIS – A pair of athletic administrators from the Northern Lakes Conference were honored on Sunday as part of the 2021 Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA) banquet held over the weekend.

Now retired NorthWood athletic director Norm Sellers was recognized for his 14 years of administration and leadership to Panther Nation with the Charles Mann Distinguished Service Award for District 2. Sellers oversaw the NorthWood athletic department largely on his own from 2006 to the conclusion of last spring’s athletic calendar. His programs won 78 sectional titles and a host of tournament advancements, including three visits to the IHSAA State Finals from girls golf, two from football and the girls basketball state championship in 2020.

“I didn’t do any of this for the accolades,” Sellers said this past June in an interview with InkFreeNews about his retirement. “It was about the people. It was about the kids, the coaches and the community. When you work with good people, you don’t feel like it’s work. Made it easy to come to work everyday.”

Also in Indianapolis, Concord athletic director Dave Preheim was bestowed the honor of IIAAA District 2 Athletic Administrator of the Year. Preheim has been with Concord athletics for over a decade and has held leadership seats with the IHSAA and the Northern Lakes Conference. His work from above has helped Concord maintain its position as one of the top athletic programs in northern Indiana, and has overseen growth physically on campus including the completion of the new weight room and several facility upgrades.