Local wrestling o cial honored at CIF luncheon
SAN DIEGO — Near the end of every school year, CIF-SDS office hosts an appreciation luncheon at the former Qualcomm (now San Diego Community Credit Union) Stadium, in part to celebrate the people who help keep the wheels of local interscholastic sports turning.
One recurring honor at this event is the awarding of CIF “Lifetime Passes” to persons who are retiring are already have retired from a life of service
to institutions under CIF jurisdiction. These passes allow the bearer to enter any CIF-sanctioned sporting event, at any level, free of charge for the rest of their days.
One of this year’s recipients was Brawley native Dale Ramey.
Ramey was recognized for his longstanding involvement in wrestling.
He was part of the first batch of wrestlers to roll through Brawley Union High, joining up after P.E. teacher and program founder Jack Gifford cajoled he and his classmates into it, offering a choice between wrestling and running laps.
Wrestling turned out to agree with Ramey just fine and he was a part of CIF championship-winning teams in 1969 and 1970 (his senior year).
After graduating, he went on to wrestle for IVC under coaches Leon Kesloe and Don Miller, helping the Arabs to two state junior college championships during his time there, and being named team captain in his sophomore year.
Ramey wanted to stick around wrestling after college so he began officiating matches in the Coachella Valley. Eventually he decided, along with Stan Wintermote of El Centro, to found a wrestling officials association specifically for the Imperial Valley, the IVWOA.
He would serve as President and Official Assigner for a full 45 years, until retiring in 2017 watching the sport expand and take on new life, helping to shepherd it into the 21st Century while enjoying a fine working relationship with all involved.