NMOA INDUCTS THREE INTO THEIR HALL OF FAME ‘CLASS OF 2024’
The New Mexico Officials Association inducted three new members into their Hall of Fame on Thursday night. Nora Carter, John Daniel, and JE Wells represent the Class of 2024 NMOA Hall of Fame. The NMOA Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place during the 2nd Annual New Mexico High School Sports Award Show and Dinner at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Nora Carter
Nora Carter’s volleyball career began at an early age in Albuquerque at Madison Junior High in 1968. She went on to play for Sandia High School from 1971-74, helping the Matadors win a state title in 1973. She was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and Female Athlete of the Year.
From 1974-78, Carter was a member of the New Mexico State University Volley-ball team. While at NM State, she helped the Aggies compile an overall record of 80-44 in four years and 29-17 in conference play and a bid to Nationals. Carter was named a first team all-conference selection and honorable mention during her time in the crimson and white.
Following her collegiate career, Carter continued to compete at the USVBA/USA level from 1979-2008. Her team was the Women’s Adult City Champions for 14 straight years. Upon being told to break up their team or play in the Men’s League they chose to stay together. They won the Men’s league 3 times and were Co-ed Champions 8 years.
In 1975, Carter began her coaching career at Picacho Middle School in Las Cruces. She would go on to an assistant coaching position for the Las Cruces Bulldawgs (1976-77), at the New Mexico School for the Deaf (1979-82) and for Santa Fe High School (1980-81).
In 1985, preferring to coach younger players, Carter began to coach the Eldorado High School C-Team until 1989, before becoming the Highland High School junior varsity coach from 1990-92. During her time with the Hornets, Carter guided the junior varsity to the JV Metro Tournament Championship in 1990.
With all her accomplishments on the court as a player and on the sidelines as a coach, Carter has a true passion for the game of volleyball which grew even larger as an official. She began her officiating career in 1975, officiating for the United States Volleyball Association.
Carter also officiated college volleyball from 1980-83 and 1990-2015 at the Division I, II, III, NAIA and junior college levels. Currently, she continues to officiate for USA Volleyball, Special Olympics, Senior Olympics, AAU and for NMAA. Carter has officiated more than 20 Finals at the Adult Opens, Girls and Boys Junior National Championships. She has officiated the Men’s Mountain West Regional Finals, she also serves as the Head Referee for the NM State Championships and is often the clinician for the State Clinic and the Coaches Clinic.
She was named the Albuquerque City League Official of the year in 1983, 1984 and 1987, the NFHS New Mexico Volleyball Official of the Year in 2005 -2006 and the Mel Otero Service Award in 2007. She received the Albuquerque Metro Official of the Year in 2014, the NFHS Section Six Distinguished Active Official Award in 2019 and the NFHS State Award for Outstanding Service in 2020.
John Daniel
John Daniel holds a BS in secondary education, an MA degree in Educational Administration and is a Certified Athletic Administrator. He began his officiating career in intramural sports at NMSU. Upon graduating in 1974, John returned to Alamogordo to teach and coach. During this time, he intended to officiate only football, however, when basketball season rolled around, his partners told him to “come on, we will teach you.”
In 1979 he moved to Las Cruces and Mayfield High School and eventually became the girls head track coach. In 1981, he was hired by the NMAA as the Southwest Regional Commissioner as-signing football and basketball until moving to Tucumcari in 1989 to become assistant principal and athletic director.
The following year, John became the NMAA Assistant Director for Boys Sports and Director of Officials for all sports. John was instrumental in promoting the mentorship program to develop and train officials. John con-siders his greatest achievement over 40 years as being a role model and mentor for numerous younger officials.
John’s officiating career spanned several decades and included 39 years in football, 34 years in basketball interspersed with softball, track, volleyball, baseball and women’s college basketball. He worked numerous playoff and championships in football, basketball, softball and track & field.
His many recognitions include the NMAA and NMOA Distinguished Service Awards, NFHS Track & Field Official of the Year and the Interscholastic Administrator/Contributor Award. He was the chairman of the NMOA Supervisory Committee. He has been a basketball clinician at the NMAA Alternate State Clinics, served on the National Federation Football and Track & Field Rules Committees, and was a presenter at several National Federation rules/officiating meetings for football and track.
Locally, John held every leadership position for both football and basketball groups. After retiring from basketball, he evaluated officials for the SW Region. John and his wife, Patsy (the best officiating wife ever), has been married for 43 years. They have two adult daughters, Sara and Dana, and four granddaughters.
JE Wells
JE Wells was born September 9, 1945, in his grandparent’s modest home in Mountainair NM, located 60 miles north of the Trinity site as the crow flies, approximately 7 weeks after the Trinity site occurrence. He grew up on a farm/ranch near Claunch and Gran Quivira NM and attended elementary school in each of these locations until the country schools closed.
JE attended junior high and high school in Mountainair and graduated from Mountainair High School in 1963. He was always interested in “playing ball” and sports activities, lettering in football, basketball, baseball, and track in Mountainair’s programs. After graduation, he and his best friend, Carl Anderson, attended Evangel College in Springfield MO to play basketball and baseball. There he played on intermural teams with Vern Clark who later became the director of Naval operations. In 1965 he transferred to Eastern NM Universi-ty where he received a BA in Physical Education, Math, and Spanish.
His first teaching job was at Gadsden Junior High School where he taught 8th grade math and helped coach 8th grade football and basketball. After one semester, he was invited to officiate football and basketball by his friend and fellow teacher Pat Carrillo. Officiating appealed to him much more than coaching; and thus started his officiating career in the fall of 1968, initially with football, basketball, and baseball. After the third season of baseball games with no time limit and dust storms, he decided that he only wanted games that had a clock – so he focused on football and basketball. JE continued officiating in the Las Cruces Officials Association from 1968 to 2020.
Some highlights of his officiating career were numerous high school championship football games and basketball state tournaments where countless lifelong friendships were established. From 1991-2016, he served as the Southwest region assigner, one of his more rewarding challenges. Officiating has been one of the most important ventures of his life and has culminated in this Hall of Fame honor. The greatest blessing has been the friends and acquaintances that he made with fellow officials, coaches, players, and administrators.
