The IHSAA is proud to announce three 2024 honorees for induction into the IHSAA Officials Hall of Fame, to be recognized on Friday, July 26 before the state championship baseball games in Carroll and Cedar Rapids.
Below is brief biographical information on each Hall of Fame selection. More information on IHSAA awards is available in the annual state tournament program, available for $5 on site or through the IHSAA office.
Two Carroll recognitions will take place prior to the Class 2A championship game. One Cedar Rapids recognition will occur prior to the Class 3A championship game.
IHSAA OFFICIALS HALL OF FAME
JIM MOLITOR
The Carroll graduate was a four-sport standout who first registered as an official in 1977 at the urging of his town’s athletic directors, his father Al at Carroll and Kuemper’s Dan Balk. He officiated through college at Buena Vista and stayed hooked on the experience.
Molitor has been a postseason level official in baseball, football, and track and field since the 1980s and has previously been registered in basketball and soccer. His baseball tenure has included 17 state tournament appearances and seven title games, partnering most with Larry Barr and Dan Pomeroy. He was named IHSBCA state umpire of the year in 2010 and 2022. In 25 years of varsity football with Pomeroy’s crew, Molitor appeared in 23 playoff games and continues to work junior high and sub-varsity contests. As a track official, Molitor has been a starter for both state qualifying cross country and track and field meets.
Jim and his wife Teri live in Carroll and have three daughters – Kristin, Kara (Mike), Katy – and a grandson, Brody.
JOE NELSON
A graduate of Ballard in 1988, Nelson began umpiring baseball for the IHSAA in 1989, “[A]fter my high school coach Merle Olberding let me know my future in baseball would be better suited for success without a bat and glove in my hands!” He added college baseball to his plate in 1993, alongside IHSAA basketball and football, mostly across central Iowa and the CIML.
This summer marks his 23rd state baseball tournament as an umpire, including 13 championship games prior to 2024. Nelson has worked home plate for all four classes of baseball championships. Off the field, he has served as a career educator with time as a teacher, administrator, principal, activities director, and superintendent. Nelson is Hall of Fame selection of the IHSBCA. The son of the late Kenny and Pam Nelson currently serves as superintendent of schools at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows.
CHRIS OBERBROECKLING SR.
A lifelong lover of baseball, Oberbroeckling began umpiring in the Dyersville Little League as an eighth grader and has stuck with the game through 23 IHSAA state tournaments and 13 championship game appearances. A multi-sport student-athlete at Beckman, he was a three-year letterwinner in baseball under legendary coach Tom Jenk Jr. It led him into what is now 35 years of baseball umpiring, currently in the MAC, MVC, and WaMaC conferences each summer. Oberbroeckling was inducted into the IHSBCA Hall of Fame in 2023, and has also officiated basketball for 15 years.
He works as an insurance agent with Farm Bureau Financial Services and lives in Marion with his wife Leah. Their family includes four kids – Ashtin (Tyler), Michaela (Taran), Chris Jr., and Brycen – and two grandchildren, Grayson and Ronin.