{"id":49089,"date":"2026-10-13T12:19:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T17:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/?post_type=tribe_events&p=49089"},"modified":"2026-10-13T13:12:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T18:12:45","slug":"national-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"tribe_events","link":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/calendar\/49089-national-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony\/","title":{"rendered":"National Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"image_print\"Print<\/span><\/a><\/div>

2026 National Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees and Ceremony<\/p>\n

\u2022 When: Friday, November 13, 2026
\n\u2022 Where: Teutopolis Banquet Hall, 210 Pearl St., Teutopolis, IL
\n\u2022 Schedule: 6:00 social hour \u2022 6:30 dinner \u2022 7:00 induction ceremony
\n\u2022 Tickets: $12 \u2013 can be purchased in person at the Teutopolis KC Hall or on Eventbrite (plus
\nfees)<\/p>\n

Professional Athlete
\nChad Green \u2014 Effingham HS \u2192 Louisville (school-record 2.38 career ERA) \u2192
\ndrafted by Tigers 2013 \u2192 MLB debut with Yankees 2016, played through 2022, then
\nBlue Jays 2023\u20132025. 500+ career strikeouts; 2017 breakout (1.83 ERA, 103 K in 69
\nIP); AL Comeback Player of the Year finalist in 2024 after Tommy John surgery,
\nwith 16 straight saves converted.
\nFormer Student Athlete
\nJeff Mihlbachler \u2014 St. Anthony HS, basketball & baseball 1973\u201377. Nearly 1,000
\ncareer points (pre-3-point era), All-State Honorable Mention 1977. Drafted in 25th
\nround by the Reds out of high school; led Pioneer League in strikeouts, 1978. Now a
\nGrand Ambassador for the Effingham Chamber of Commerce, 22-year Sunrise
\nRotary member.
\nCoaching
\nBob Horst \u2014 37-year coaching career (Mt. Vernon, Flora, Newton). 23 years at
\nNewton: 18 playoff appearances, 166-79 overall record, undefeated 2005
\nseason\/Class 4A runner-up. Led Newton to its first-ever state track title in 2006.
\nIllinois HS Football Coaches Hall of Fame, 2001.
\nKristi & Dan Paulson \u2014 EIU softball co-coaches, 279-95 overall over 8 years. At
\nParkland CC: three NJCAA Region 24 titles, four straight MWAC titles. At EIU: two
\nstraight OVC regular-season\/tournament titles (2025, 2026), NCAA Tournament
\nappearances both years. Also founded Premier Fastpitch in 2011.
\nMedia
\nLoren Tate \u2014 \u201cDean of Illinois Sports Reporters,\u201d 70-year career, ~60 years
\ncovering Illini athletics for the News-Gazette since 1966. Still writes weekly and
\nappears on 4+ radio shows on WDWS. USBWA Hall of Fame, 2021.
\nMillie Lange \u2014 45+-years as a sportswriter, 29 years at Effingham Daily News
\n(sports editor 1981-2010), now with Premier Broadcasting. Covered nearly every
\nregional sport.<\/p>\n

2026 National Hall of Fame Inductees and Ceremony
\nRandy Poole \u2014 30+ years broadcasting, Flora Wolves football (34 yrs) and
\nbasketball (15 yrs) voice on WNOI, plus 15 years as Sports Director.
\nGreg Sapp \u2014 52+ years, longtime voice of the Effingham Hearts. Multiple honors
\nincluding 2018 IBCA Hall of Fame and 2024 National Athletic Hall of Fame
\nDirector’s Award.<\/p>\n

Officials
\nAndy Pullen \u2014 59 years as IHSA-certified official (basketball, track, cross country), plus 22 years
\nin Junior College basketball (GRAC). IBCA Hall of Fame official, 2002.
\nJim Wagner \u2014 35-year IHSA official across basketball, baseball, softball, football; 15 years
\nofficiating JC basketball, 12 Women’s Regionals, 1 National Tournament appearance.<\/p>\n

Twelfth Man Award
\nTom Clark \u2014 50 years as PA announcer for Newton Eagles football; also active in Newton Rotary,
\nJasper County Health Department Board, and Newton City Council Zoning Board.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2026 National Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees and Ceremony \u2022 When: Friday, November 13, 2026 \u2022 Where: Teutopolis Banquet Hall, 210 Pearl St., Teutopolis, IL \u2022 Schedule: 6:00 social hour […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","_tribe_events_status":"","_tribe_events_status_reason":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"tags":[],"tribe_events_cat":[40],"class_list":["post-49089","tribe_events","type-tribe_events","status-publish","hentry","tribe_events_cat-community-calendar","cat_community-calendar"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNational Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Effingham's News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Effingham's News and Sports Leader\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/calendar\/49089-national-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"National Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - 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