Officials of the Year to be Recognized at this Weekend’s 2023 IHSA Officials Conference

The 2023 IHSA Officials Conference will be held on Friday and Saturday at Normal West High School. With a shortage of contest officials at the high school level here in Illinois (and nationwide), this conference serves as a chance for officials to learn, network, and share experiences with their peers from the officiating vocation.

Among the several keynote speakers for the weekend will be former MLB umpire Larry Young and Brenda Hilton, Big-10 Senior Director of Officiating. After umpiring Major League Baseball games for twenty-four years, Young is now entering his 17th year as a supervisor of umpires. Hilton recently founded Officially Human, an organization whose mission is to help restore respect to contest officials.

IHSA Officials of the Year for the past school year will also be recognized at the banquet on Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00. Monmouth/Galesburg area officials that will be honored on Saturday include Abingdon-Avon’s Dave Hasley for baseball, Galesburg’s Jim Cahill for softball and Wyoming’s Brian Rewerts for girls basketball. To be considered for this honor, an official must first be nominated by an Officials Association recognized by the IHSA or by an IHSA administrator.  IHSA staff members then vote on the winners based on factors such as character, skill as an official, and levels worked in the IHSA State Series.

“Far too often overlooked and underappreciated, sports officials are vital if high schools around the country wish to offer interscholastic athletics,” said IHSA Associated Executive Director Kurt Gibson.  “Our membership is honored to be able to recognize these 22 individuals for their service to young people across Illinois.  Their dedication to the avocation is a testament to their selfless nature, and we are grateful to be able to recognize these individuals for their excellence.”

See the full list of honorees by sport below:

IHSA OFFICIALS OF THE YEAR