March 6, 2026

Fran Gallagher Leads 2026 OHSAA Officials Hall of Fame Induction Class

Per the OHSAA

Fourteen Set to Join OHSAA Officials Hall of Fame

Annual Celebration of Officiating banquet will enshrine new hall of fame class and recognize officials of the year

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fourteen individuals will be enshrined in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Officials Hall of Fame and 21 individuals will be honored as the OHSAA Official of the Year in their respective sport during the OHSAA’s annual Celebration of Officiating banquet this summer.

The banquet is set for June 20 at the Hilton Columbus/Polaris in Columbus.

The 14 Hall of Fame inductees are being honored for outstanding officiating careers and significant contributions to interscholastic officiating in Ohio. More information on the OHSAA Officials Hall of Fame is posted at: http://www.ohsaa.org/Officiating/HOF.

The officials of the year are selected through a process that includes OHSAA staff, OHSAA Directors of Officiating Development and local officials associations.

“We are grateful for the commitment and dedication of each of our nearly 15,000 contest officials across the state of Ohio,” said Beau Rugg, OHSAA Director of Officiating and a member himself of the OHSAA Officials Hall of Fame. “The OHSAA takes great pride in celebrating the distinguished careers of our hall of fame inductees and officials of the year. Officiating is a service, and each of these individuals is to be celebrated for their excellence in that service.”

2026 OHSAA Officials Hall of Fame Induction Class (name, city and sports officiated)

William Alge, Findlay (Football, Basketball)

Scott Bunting, Zanesville (Football, Basketball)

Timothy Campbell, Columbia Station (Football, Basketball, Baseball)

Marvin Doyle, Lawrenceburg, Ind. (Football, Basketball, Baseball, Softball)

Mark Froelich, Defiance (Basketball)

Francis Gallagher, Lakewood (Football, Basketball, Softball)

Evalyn Hammonds, Columbus (Volleyball, Football, Field Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse)

Sam Jones, Tiltonsville (Football, Baseball)

John Kipp, Brunswick Hills (Soccer)

Dan McGinnis, Plain City (Baseball)

Paul Melcher, Westerville (Football, Basketball, Softball)

Lori Powers-Basinger, Columbus (Gymnastics)

Terri Tutt, Chillicothe (Track & Field)

Matt Velten, Batavia (Football, Basketball)

2025-26 Officials of the Year

Baseball: Glenn Harrah, Strongsville

Boys Basketball: Kurt Schooley, Hilliard

Girls Basketball: Marilyn DeWalt, Oak Harbor

Boys Cross Country: Nicholas Molnar, Lorain

Girls Cross Country: Lisa Rucker, Dayton

Field Hockey: Jonathan Belvin, Munroe Falls

Football: Michael Dame, Brunswick

Gymnastics: Jane Droese, Hilliard

Ice Hockey: Michael Wenter, Lewis Center

Boys Lacrosse: Thomas Scott, Columbus

Girls Lacrosse: Katherine Jirus, Chardon

Boys Soccer: Miklos Hendricks, Canton

Girls Soccer: Jeri McCoy, Bucyrus

Softball: James Reneau, Findlay

Boys Swimming and Diving: Alan Jaffee, Bowling Green

Girls Swimming and Diving: Stephen Mayo, Dublin

Boys Track and Field: Marty Dahlman, Pataskala

Girls Track and Field: Edward Katzman, Youngstown

Boys Volleyball: Terry Bush, Mount Vernon

Girls Volleyball: Kevin McKinstry, East Palestine

Wrestling: Kurt Stewart, Kingston

Vince McKee

Vince is the Owner of KEE On Sports Media Group. A company built on the very best in sports coverage and broadcasts of High School Sports, Boxing, NPSL Soccer, and everything the sports fans of Northeast Ohio want to know about. He is the play by play man for Ohio Boxing, as well as Cleveland SC of the NPSL. Vince is also a 12x published author who has interviewed everyone from Jim Thome & Austin Carr to Bill Belichick and Frankie Edgar.

View all posts by Vince McKee →

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.