Published on September 21, 2026 11:19 am
Last Updated on September 21, 2026 11:20 am
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce its 12th class of recipients of the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award.
The 2026-27 honorees encompass two active media members, as well as a recent retiree.
Millie Lange, who has enjoyed a decorated career in the Effingham area in print and radio, becomes the first female winner of the award, while the voice of high school sports in Will County, WJOL’s Scott Slocum, is also being recognized. Dave Rigg, who retired in February, will be honored after a career in radio and streaming that spanned almost 60 years.
The fourth and final member of the class, veteran radio voice Jim Teckenbrock, passed away in 2025 and will be the first honoree to receive the award posthumously.
The IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award was created to recognize media members who have covered high school sports and activities in Illinois for a significant period of time, while maintaining perspective on the amateur events they report on. See past winners by clicking here.
“Congratulations to each of these individuals on this well-deserved honor,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “Millie is truly a trailblazer in her field, and we are proud to be a part of her making more history in being the first female honoree for this award. This year’s class certainly exemplifies the special connection that we have with those who bring us high school sports over the airwaves. Dave, Scott, and the late great Jim Teckenbrock, were all the voices of high school sports in their respective areas of the state and have made a lasting impact on their communities. We look forward to bringing special recognition to each during the 2026-27 school year.”
IHSA member school personnel and veteran media members in the state are eligible to nominate individuals for the award. Beginning in 2024, the IHSA began to honor at least one retired media member as a part of what is traditionally a class of four honorees.
The IHSA’s media advisory committee, and a select committee of past honorees in the state vote on the nominees. Each winner will be honored at a high school event of their choosing during the 2026-27 school year.
“A vital element of this award is the recognition within the community,” said Troha. “We look forward to seeing this year’s winners being recognized in front of the students, coaches, and communities they have impacted with their exceptional work.”
MILLIE LANGE
The first female recipient of the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award, Millie Lange blazed a trail in spending more than five decades covering high school sports in the Effingham area, first as a newspaper reporter and later through radio. A graduate of Effingham High School, Lange took evening courses at Lakeland College before beginning her career at the Effingham Daily News.
Lange joined the Daily News in 1970 after her mother encouraged her to pursue her love of writing. She initially worked in the newspaper’s composing room for 10 years before sports editor Sam Rickelman recognized her interest in athletics and began sending her to games to keep score and gather information for his stories. When Rickelman became ill during boys basketball regionals, Lange was asked to cover the games and write the stories herself. Despite having little experience writing game stories, she studied Rickelman’s work and developed her skills, eventually moving into a full-time sports reporting role.
Lange remained at the Effingham Daily News until 2010, covering generations of student-athletes, coaches and teams throughout the area. She then joined WXEF/KJ Country, initially as a receptionist while also helping with sports coverage and writing. She continues in that role today.
Throughout her career, Lange has been a familiar presence at high school athletic events and was once the lone woman among the area’s sports reporters covering boys athletics. She fondly recalls Effingham St. Anthony coach and athletic director Dave Bartlett going out of his way to make sure she received the same access as her male counterparts following a big boys basketball victory. Lange also remembers correctly predicting a dramatic, buzzer-beating finish in a Teutopolis girls basketball game, much to the disbelief of a reporter sitting beside her.
For Lange, the best part of covering high school sports has been watching young athletes develop from grade school through high school and, in many cases, into college. She has also developed lasting relationships with coaches and athletic directors, whom she credits for their assistance and respect throughout her career.
An avid Chicago Cubs fan, Lange enjoys traveling, photography, gardening and attending Cubs games, where she still keeps score. She also participates on a trivia team based at the radio station. After more than five decades in sports media, Lange’s dedication to covering high school athletics has helped tell the stories of countless student-athletes and teams across the Effingham area.
Award Presentation: On Monday, November 16 at Effingham High School during the Effingham vs. Robinson High School varsity girls basketball game. Presentation prior to the game at approximately 7:15 PM.