Crookston’s Sara “Sunny” Bowman is a veteran and well-respected volleyball official in northwest Minnesota and this weekend she was the head official for the Minnesota State High School League Class AA Championship match between Cannon Falls and Pequot Lakes at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Bowman became part of history as all four head officials of the Minnesota State Volleyball championship matches were women for the first time in the history of the state volleyball tournament. The officials were Louise Beaman of St. Paul Park in 1A, Sunny Bowman of Crookston in 2A, Gail Simones of Sartell in 3A, and Robbie Goodmund of Marshall in 4A.
When asked if she gets nervous for the big match, Bowman said she did. “I still get nervous before the first game of the year….so yes, I was very nervous. My stomach was in knots from the time I found out I was scheduled, until I stepped out there…..I even forgot to introduce myself to the teams and the coin toss….. but once I was in uniform and walked across the court, I was in my element, and it was just another game,” said Bowman. “I LOVE reffing! It’s super fun for me, and anyone that has seen me ref, knows that I try to make the game fun for everyone. I’m not the stoic, stuffy, bossy lady on the stand, I’m the smiley, throwing up the peace sign to Em (her daughter), bow in her hair, let’s make this a fun experience lady!”
Bowman has been officiating for over 15 years and this was the sixth year that she has been officiating at the state volleyball tournament. She was the R2 (down ref) in the Class AA championship match last year.
Bowman, a Red Lake Falls Lafayette High School graduate, is the Crookston Pirate Softball coach in the spring and is a former University of Minnesota Crookston student-athlete, where she played volleyball and softball.
