IHSA Announces 2026-27 Distinguished Service Award Honorees 

The IHSA Distinguished Service Award is one of the Association’s highest honors, presented annually to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to Illinois high school sports and activities. Recipients embody the spirit of service, leadership, and dedication that strengthen participation opportunities for students across the state.

The 2026-27 group of honorees includes Shaunda Brown, Brien Dunphy, Lynn Gelatka, Fred McNeeley, and Laurie Wager.

Whether through decades of officiating, coaching, event hosting, administration, or behind-the-scenes support, these honorees have gone above and beyond to elevate the IHSA experience and create unforgettable moments for participants. Their commitment ensures that State Series events are well-run, students are supported, and the values of sportsmanship, teamwork, and lifelong learning remain at the center of interscholastic activities.

The IHSA Distinguished Service Award program began in 2007 and annually recognized winners through 2019. The award was put on hiatus during the pandemic and returned in 2025.

Award winners are nominated by the IHSA staff and will be recognized at an IHSA State Final or member-school event of their choosing. Each honoree represents the very best of the thousands of individuals who give their time and talents to make high school athletics and activities in Illinois possible

 

SHAUNDA BROWN

“Shaunda’s contributions to the IHSA have made a lasting difference and her dedication to high school athletics and activity programs in Illinois is second to none. This award celebrates individuals who leave a lasting legacy and Shaunda embodies that.”

—Susie Knoblauch, retired IHSA administrator

Few people have seen the IHSA from as many angles as Shaunda Brown, whose journey from state-medaling athlete to association administrator to nationally recognized official has made her one of the most influential voices in high school spirit programs.

Brown’s IHSA story began at Du Quoin High School, where she was a two-sport athlete, competing in varsity cheerleading and track & field all four years. A four-time IHSA State Final qualifier in track & field, she earned five state medals in her career, including a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash as a senior. She went on to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Saint Louis University, and Lindenwood University.

Brown has built her professional career as a speech-language pathologist. She served as clinic director and speech-language pathologist at Pediatric Potentials in Chicago from 2002 to 2006 before joining Special School District in 2006. In 2014, she stepped away to serve as an IHSA Assistant Executive Director, a role she held through 2016 before returning to Special School District, where she continues to work today.

Brown has officiated at the IHSA Competitive Cheerleading State Finals every year since 2006, with the exception of 2021, and was named IHSA Cheer Official of the Year in 2009. That same year she became a cheerleading clinician, and she later served as Head Clinician from 2016 to 2024, a role she has returned to in 2026. Her impact extends well beyond Illinois. She has served on the NFHS Spirit Rules Committee since 2013, including a term as chairperson from 2015 to 2019. In 2022, she was recognized nationally as an NFHS Officiating Legend for her contributions as a spirit official in cheerleading and dance.

Brown resides in Florissant, Missouri. When she isn’t working IHSA events, she officiates STUNT for high school and collegiate teams, and she enjoys traveling, cooking new recipes for friends and family, and deep sea fishing with her father.

“Having experienced the IHSA as an athlete, administrator, and official, my work has always been driven by a love for high school sports and activities,” said Brown. “Receiving the Distinguished Service Award is deeply humbling, but the true reward is giving back to the community that shaped me and ensuring the next generation enjoys those same life-changing opportunities.”

Recognition event: 2027 IHSA Cheerleading State Finals on Friday, February 5, 2027, at  Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

BRIEN DUNPHY

“One of Brien Dunphy’s many signature qualities is his willingness to roll up his sleeves and do what it takes to put on the best event of its kind. There is never a task too small for Brien. His dedication to Illinois student athletes, the IHSA, Peoria High School, and the Peoria Community are recognized and greatly appreciated.”   

—Kraig Garber, IHSA Assistant Executive Director

Each November, thousands of runners, coaches, and fans descend on Peoria’s Detweiller Park for the IHSA Boys & Girls Cross Country State Finals, and for the past 16 years, Brien Dunphy has been the driving force behind making it one of the premier championship events in the IHSA calendar.

Dunphy has served as meet manager for the IHSA State Cross Country Finals since 2011 and has been a member of the IHSA Cross Country Advisory Committee for the same span. He was named the State Cross Country Honorary Referee in 2025. His service to the IHSA also includes terms on the IHSA Boys State Basketball Host Committee from 2015 to 2020 and the IHSA Equity Advisory Committee in 2023-24. He has been equally active at the state and national levels, serving on the IADA Hall of Fame Selection Committee, the NIAAA Scholarship Committee, and the 2017 NHSACA Convention Host Committee, as well as serving as IADA Convention Audio/Visual Chair from 2017 to 2024.

A football player at Amboy High School, Dunphy began his career in 1994 as a special education instructor at SEAPCO in Farmington, where he also served as an assistant and later head football coach at Farmington High School. He went on to serve as a special education and vocational coordinator at Woodruff and Manual high schools in Peoria, coaching boys and girls cross country at both schools. In 2011, he was named athletic and activities director at Peoria High School, a position he held through 2025. In retirement, Dunphy serves as Student Services Director at Peoria Notre Dame High School. His many honors include the 2017 NHSACA Distinguished Service Award,  2019 Illinois Coaches Association Athletic Director of the Year, and 2019 NHSACA Regional Athletic Director of the Year and National Finalist, along with receiving the 2024 ITCCCA Distinguished Service Award.

Dunphy earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University, followed by master’s degrees from Rockford College, 2 degrees from American College of Education, and Grace College. He resides in Dunlap with his wife, Beth Crider. Together they have three children,

Daniah Nacarato, Abby Von Gillern (Troy), and Kate Olcott, and six grandchildren: Jaxen, Parker, Gabe, Vayda, Miles, and Belle. In his free time, he enjoys running, reading, and traveling.

“I am very honored to share this award with the entire Peoria High School Cross Country community.  Peoria High teachers, coaches, administrators, and Lion teams host State Cross Country and many other activities with great pride, and every year the Peoria Park District strives to make Detweiller Park the best championship venue in Illinois,” said Dunphy. “I am very grateful to the IHSA for supporting me, Peoria High School, and State Cross Country.”

Recognition event: 2026 IHSA Cross Country State Finals on Saturday,  November 7, 2026, at the Detweiller Park in Peoria.

LYNN GELATKA

“Competitive Dance has thrived in the IHSA because of the passion and knowledge that Lynn has infused into the sport. She cares deeply about the training and education of our judges and wants each student-athlete to feel like they receive a fair opportunity every time they compete.”

—Tracie Henry, IHSA Associate Executive Director

As IHSA Competitive Dance marks its 15th season, few people have done more to shape the sport than Lynn Gelatka, who has been involved since its inaugural year as an official, clinician, mentor, and tireless advocate.

Gelatka has been a fixture at IHSA Dance events from the start. For the past 14 years, she has worked every IHSA Dance Sectional as a Head Official and has been selected to officiate at the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals each of those years, serving as both an official and Head Official. She was named IHSA Official of the Year for Competitive Dance in 2011, just the sport’s second year, a fitting recognition for someone who helped establish its standards of consistency and professionalism from the ground up.

Her contributions extend well beyond the competition floor. Gelatka currently serves as the IHSA’s Head Clinician for Dance and has been an active member of the Dance Advisory Committee. She also played an integral role in developing the competitive dance scoresheet and rubric that provides the framework for evaluating performances statewide. A dedicated educator, she regularly mentors dance officials, has presented at numerous Illinois Dance Coaches Association meetings, and frequently leads seminars and breakout sessions helping coaches and officials interpret and apply the IHSA scoresheet and rubric.

Gelatka’s own dance roots trace back to Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing, where she was a member of the dance team and was also involved in Student Council, Students Against Drunk Driving, and Girls Club, which she served as president. She went on to attend the University of Kentucky. For the past 22 years, she has owned and operated LM Premier Dance, where she has taught recreational and competitive dance to students ages 3 to 18, many of whom have gone on to dance at the collegiate and professional levels.

Gelatka resides in Chicago with her husband, Michael. They have three children: Carson, Katie, and Khloey.

“I have been fortunate to be involved since the inaugural year and to watch the sport grow into what it is today,” said Gelatka. “This award represents much more than an individual accomplishment to me; it reflects the relationships, experiences, and shared commitment of so many people who have helped competitive dance grow in Illinois.”

Recognition event: 2027 IHSA Dance State Finals on Friday, January 29, 2027, at  Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

FRED MCNEELEY

“Fred is never one for the limelight or recognition, but he is very deserving of it. He has worked tirelessly to support high school sports and athletes in Illinois, and the sport of softball has benefited tremendously because of his efforts.”

—Tracie Henry, IHSA Associate Executive Director

As he begins his 30th year as an IHSA official, Fred McNeeley has become one of the most respected softball umpires in the state, earning the trust of coaches, players, and fellow officials across central Illinois and at the sport’s highest level.

McNeeley has been selected to umpire the IHSA Softball State Finals three times and was named IHSA Softball Official of the Year in 2026. His commitment to the officiating community extends well beyond his own games. He has served as president of the Central Illinois Softball Association (CISA), for more than 10 years, and he is the new umpire coordinator for the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, where he helps recruit, train, and support the next generation of umpires.

McNeeley and CISA members have played a crucial role in staffing the IHSA Softball State Finals since they came to the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria in 2020. Fred and his colleagues help put on a first-class event for the participants and fans by handling everything from running the scoreboards to shagging foul balls.

A three-sport athlete at Princeville High School, McNeeley played football, baseball, and basketball before beginning a 38-year career with Caterpillar, where he worked as a research mechanic at the company’s Technical Center. He continues to reside in Princeville. Away from the diamond, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and just about any outdoor activity, as well as spending time with his busy grandchildren.

“Receiving this award is not a reflection of a solitary effort,” said McNeeley. “To me, this award stands as a testament to the incredible mentors, colleagues, and family members who guided me along the way.”

Recognition event: 2027 IHSA Softball State Finals on Saturday, June 5, 2027, at  the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria.

LAURIE WAGER

“Laurie has spent years quietly doing the work that makes Illinois high school athletics and activities possible. The kind of service that doesn’t always make headlines but makes everything else run. She has given so much to high school students, athletics, and the IHSA, often behind the scenes, never seeking the spotlight.”

—Susie Knoblauch, retired IHSA administrator

For more than three decades, Laurie Wager has been one of the most respected figures in IHSA Competitive Cheerleading, serving the sport as a coach, official, clinician, and mentor to countless students, coaches, and fellow officials across the state.

Wager’s roots in the activity run deep. She competed in cheer and track at Mascoutah High School before going on to cheer at Illinois State University. She returned to her alma mater as varsity cheer coach, leading the program from 1995 to 2004 and again from 2009 to 2015. Over a 20-year coaching career that also included stints at the junior high, junior college, and all-star levels, her teams earned recognition both on and off the mat, highlighted by a first-place finish in the 2010 American School Spirit Award, which honored the nation’s best overall school spirit program. That same year, she was named IHSA Cheer Coach of the Year, and she went on to earn NFHS National Spirit Coach of the Year honors for 2010-11.

Wager has filled nearly every role imaginable at the IHSA Competitive Cheerleading State Finals. She began as a warm-up room volunteer in 2006 and has since served as a judge, Top 10 coach, officials coordinator, and technical judge, a role she has held since 2018. She has also served as Head Technical Official at sectionals since 2018. A competitive cheer official since 2006 and a dance official since 2016, Wager has been an NFHS Rules Interpreter since 2016 and worked as a cheer clinician from 2016 to 2024. She served on the NFHS Citizenship & Equity Committee from 2008 to 2011 and on numerous IHSA Cheer ad hoc committees, and she was named IHSA Cheer Official of the Year in 2021-22. She has also volunteered for many years at the IHSA Dance State Finals and the IHSA Boys Basketball State Tournament.

Away from the mat, Wager spent more than two decades as a small business owner and later worked with Varsity Spirit. She now serves as facilitator for Silver Creek Area CEO, an entrepreneurship program for seniors from Mascoutah, O’Fallon, Freeburg, and Lebanon high schools. She was named the Mascoutah Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year in 2013 and was inducted into the Mascoutah Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023. She resides in O’Fallon and has three sons, Austin (Hilary), Logan (Abby), and Tycen (Megan), and three grandsons.

“This award means so much to me because it represents far more than the years I have spent coaching, officiating and working with the IHSA. It represents the people and relationships that have made this journey so meaningful,” said Wager. “To receive this recognition at Mascoutah, a place that has meant so much to me, makes it even more special.”

Recognition event:  Mascoutah High School basketball game on Friday, December 4, 2026.