Published on July 13, 2026 1:12 pm
Last Updated on July 17, 2026 8:46 am
The National Athletic Hall of Fame Announces 2026 Inductees in the Media Category.
Greg Sapp
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee is proud to announce Greg Sapp as a 2026 inductee in the Media – Sports Broadcaster category.
For more than 50 years, Greg Sapp has been a defining voice in local athletics, serving as a longtime sports broadcaster and former Sports Director at Premier Broadcasting.
Sapp was the voice of the Effingham Hearts for many years. His coverage has spanned baseball, basketball, football, softball, and even a bowling tournament alongside fellow Hall of Famer Larry Wilson. Sapp’s distinguished career includes numerous honors, among them the 2003 Tom Bryant Friends of the Game Award, 2009 Effingham Citizen of the Year, 2017-18 IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award, 2018 IBCA Media Division Hall of Fame, 2024 National Athletic Hall of Fame Director’s Award of Excellence, and 2025–26 Effingham Sports Backer of the Year.
Beyond the broadcasting booth, Greg has been a steadfast supporter of athletics and community service, encouraging athletes and contributing to organizations such as being a member of the Effingham Noon Rotary for over 30 years, the Alliance for a Healthier Effingham County, the Salvation Army, and the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. He has also been a member of Calvary Baptist Church for over 50 years, where he has worked with youth, led worship, and taught.
Millie Lange
The National Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee is proud to announce Millie Lange as the 2026 inductee in the Media – Sportswriter category.
Lange has served the athletic community as a sportswriter for 45 years and counting, including 29 years at the Effingham Daily News, where she worked as a sports reporter and editor from 1981 to 2010. Since 2010, she has continued her coverage with Premier Broadcasting.
Throughout her career, she has reported on nearly every sport in the region — covering baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, tennis, track and cross
country, wrestling, volleyball, golf, bowling, swimming, bass fishing, and both men’s and women’s fastpitch and slow-pitch softball.
Beyond journalism, Lange is deeply involved in her community. She is a 59-year member of First Baptist Church in Effingham, has participated in Relay for Life, taught Sunday School kindergarten for 30 years and assisted with Girls in Action.
Randy Poole
The National Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee is proud to announce Randy Poole as a 2026 inductee in the Media – Sports Broadcaster category.
For more than three decades, Randy has been one of the most recognizable voices in regional athletics.
He served as the long time broadcaster for Flora Wolves football (34 years) and Flora Wolves basketball (15 years) on WNOI in Flora, becoming a trusted and familiar presence for generations of athletes, families, and fans. In addition to his play-by-play work, Poole also spent 15 years as Sports Director, covering football, basketball, baseball, softball, and junior high athletics throughout the region.
Randy’s dedication extends far beyond the broadcast booth. He has been an active member of the Flora Rotary Club for 30 years, served on the Flora Academic Foundation Board and the Flora Chamber of Commerce, and remains a committed member of the First Methodist Church in Flora, where he serves on the Church Council.
Loren Tate
The National Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee proudly announces Loren Tate as a 2026 inductee in the Media – Sportswriter and Broadcaster.
Known as the Dean of Illinois Sports Reporters, Loren’s career as a sportswriter spanned more than 70 years, including almost 60 years covering University of Illinois athletics for the News-Gazette in Champaign since 1966. Tate has served as sports director, columnist, and radio host, and still writes a weekly column and appears on over four radio shows weekly on WDWS 1400 AM/93.9 FM. Along the
way, he has become a trusted source for all things Illini athletics throughout the region.
In 1974, Loren was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Media Division Hall of Fame, and in 2021 he was inducted into the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Hall of Fame.
Growing up in nearby Monticello, Illinois, Loren continues to maintain a lifelong connection to the area’s athletic history, frequently sharing nostalgic looks at regional sports on local broadcasts.
The 2026 Induction Ceremony will be held Friday evening, November 13, 2026, at the Teutopolis Banquet Hall in Teutopolis, Illinois. The event begins with a banquet that is open to the public. Tickets go on sale September 20 on Eventbrite and in person at the KC Hall in Teutopolis. The price is $12 per ticket, plus a processing fee if purchased through Eventbrite. The induction ceremony will start with a social hour at 6 p.m., followed by the meal at 6:30 p.m. The main program is planed to begin at 7 p.m.