Longtime Yankton Offical Colin Kapitan Passes Away

YANKTON, S.D – Colin Kapitan, a longtime high school and college sports officials has passed away at age 78. For six decades, Kapitan was a fixture on the regional sports scene as a long-time football, basketball and track official, and a recruiter of and mentor and trainer for thousands of young officials. For 34 years, Kapitan served as a college football and basketball referee for NAIA and NCAA Division II games, and hung up his whistle after the 2000 football season. He was selected to the National Federation Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, and was honored as the National Federation Sports Official of the Year in 1999, South Dakota High School Distinguished Service Award in 1997 and South Dakota Coaches Official of the Year in 1992. Kapitan passed away early Friday morning at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton. Arrangements for Kapitan are pending with Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Onsite Crematory in Yankton.
(yankton.net provided information for above story)