News
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Posted 2026-08-08 by
BNOA Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Inductions
The BNOA Annual Recognition Banquet was held Thursday, August 6 at the Aaron Leech Club at ISU’s Hancock Stadium. With nearly 80 attendees, our initial event in this venue was a success. Illinois State University Women’s head coach Kristen Gillespie provided the keynote address, and Greg Halblieb was the master of ceremonies.
BNOA annual award winners were:
Hodgson Award – Seth Ward
Russell Award – Terry Whalen
Bailey Award – Brian Yoder
Mallehan Scholarship – Chris CuppiniIn addition, the BNOA Hall of Fame added four new members. Inducted to the BNOA Hall of Fame were Joe Kemp, Larry Lyons, Roger Nichols and Roger Quinlan. These names have been added to the BNOA Hall of Fame display located in Redbird Arena.
Finally, BNOA Officers will remain the same for the 2026-27 with the exception of the VP-Baseball position. Tim Griffin very capably assumed his role when it became vacant during the last term and his commitment to the Association is appreciated. Justin Bowling is returning to the BNOA Executive Committee as the VP-Baseball.
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Posted 2026-03-05 by
Volleyball clinic
The BNOA is partnering with the Heartland Volleyball Officials Association to host Level 1 and Level 2 volleyball clinics Wednesday, August 19, 2026 beginning at 5:00 pm. The clinic will be held at the Shirk Center, on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University, in Bloomington, IL. There is no cost to BNOA members in good standing with the association.
We hope to see you at the clinic. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Derek Sieg, [email protected], no later than one week prior to the event. While we will accept walk-ins, it helps event organizers plan materials prior to the event if we have an idea of who will be attending. If you have questions, please reach out to Derek Sieg.
Awards
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Past and current inductees into the BNOA Hall of Fame.
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Presented in the memory of Rory Hodgson to the less experienced official who best exemplifies the ideals of sports officiating, and who has worked to gain experience and knowledge necessary to advance in his/her officiating career.
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Presented in the memory of Allan Russell to the BNOA official who did the most in promoting the ideals of sports officiating, and the development of young officials.
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"Friends of the BNOA" - Award to individuals outside of officiating to be honored with the recognition they deserve for helping advance officiating, retain sports officials, and promote sports in general.
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The Kevin Mallehan Scholarship Was Started In 2013 By The BNOA Executive Board In Honor Of Lifelong BNOA Member & IHSA Umpire Kevin Mallehan. This Scholarship Will Be Awarded Each Year , With The Recipient Being Recognized At The Annual Hall Of Fame Banquet. The Recipient Of The Scholarship Shall Be An Official In Good Standing With The BNOA Or An Organization Recognized By The BNOA Executive Board . The Application Period Shall Run From August 1st Thru March 1st Each Calendar Year. All Applications And Monetary Awards Will Be Reviewed By The Present BNOA Board Of Directors.