NMOA Inducts Two Members Into 2025 Hall of Fame Class
The New Mexico Officials Association inducted two members into their Hall of Fame. Longtime baseball official Tom Litchfield and veteran wrestling official Victor Romero highlight the NMOA Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The two individuals were honored Saturday night at the New Mexico High School Awards Show as part of the 2025 Summer Conference.
“Tom Litchfield and Victor Romero have set the highest standard for officiating in New Mexico,” said NMAA Commissioner of Officials Carl Vigil. “Their decades of service, integrity, and dedication to student-athletes have left a lasting legacy. It is an honor to recognize them as inductees into the NMOA Hall of Fame.”
Tom served 25 years as an official with New Mexico Officials Association (NMOA), working all 25 years in baseball. He also worked 12 years of college baseball with games at all levels from junior college through Division I. Litchfield was also a fill-in umpire at Albuquerque Isotopes games from 2003 – 2022. Tom worked fifteen New Mexico High School State Tournaments and was State Tournament Umpire-in-Chief three times. He served on the NMOA Executive Board and on the NMAA Baseball Executive board. He was the lead instructor for on-field umpire training many times and presented umpire training at the NMAA state conference numerous times. Tom initiated an umpire evaluation program to help umpires identify areas for improvement. That evaluation program evolved to the current Umpire Development Program for the Central New Mexico Baseball Umpire Association. Tom was named the NFHS Officials Association Baseball Official of the Year in 2008.
Vic attended the University of New Mexico on a wrestling scholarship and qualified for the NCAA’s and his path in the sport continued into his adult life. Vic was a lifelong educator, teaching in the Albuquerque Public Schools for 44 years. He started coaching wrestling at Eldorado High School in 1974. He also coached kids at Hoover Middle School, where he was a physical education teacher and coach. After coaching, Vic decided to become a wrestling official. He utilized his skill set from the classroom to serve as an official and as the longtime assignor for the Greater Albuquerque Wrestling Officials Association (GAWOA) – he served in that capacity for 31 years, and also served as the organization’s president. Vic was a permanent fixture at the NMAA State Wrestling Championships, serving as an Official and Head Referee for 35 years. He was also a Distinguished Service Award recipient in 2011 and 2014. Vic was inducted into the New Mexico Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006.
