MHSAA Officials Awards & Alumni Banquet: Photos, Video & OMD 2026.
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 30, 2026
More than 80 MHSAA-registered game officials were honored Saturday during the annual Officials Awards & Alumni Banquet at Kellogg Center in East Lansing.
Our MHSAA communications director emeritus John Johnson was on site, camera in hand, to capture photos of our award winners and several more attendees and honorees. Check those out by clicking here – MHSAA Officials Banquet photos – to see not only photos from this past weekend but also from 2003-19, 2024-25, and the 2013 and 2018 Officiate Michigan Day events.
Among this year’s honorees was Grand Ledge senior Owen Rottier, who received the Randy Paulson Legacy Award and scholarship. Owen has officiated both cross country and track & field as part of the Legacy Program and will study next at Lansing Community College. He’s pictured above with (from left) MHSAA executive director Mark Uyl, Mary Paulson, Rottier and MHSAA director of officiating Sam Davis.
Receiving the 36th Vern L. Norris Leadership in Officiating Award was Metro Detroit’s Robert Czech, who is in his 44th year as a registered official and also has assigned officials for more than 35 years, including currently for four Detroit-area leagues.
Referee Magazine also created a commemorative cover celebrating Czech and in advance of this summer’s Officiate Michigan Day.
OMD 2026 will be July 25 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, followed by the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) Summit from July 26-28.
For information on registration and details on both events, check out the Officiate Michigan Day page.
Be the Referee: Swim Finishing Touch
September 19, 2019
This week, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis explains a new rule in swimming that allows for more flexibility when determining when a competitor has finished a race.
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment - Swimming Finishing Touch - Listen
There’s a swimmer-friendly rules change being made in that sport this season. The definition of a legal finish has been changed to allow a competitor to touch any part of the finish end of the lane.
Previously, a swimmer had to contact the touch pad for a legal finish. The touch rule has also been changed to apply during relay races – where prior to this season only the final swimmer had to touch the finish end of the pool.
While the changes may provide some flexibility for swimmers, it does put additional responsibility on lane judges and back-up hand timers to be ready for those occurrences when a swimmer does not contact the touch pad.
Sept. 12: Curbing Gamesmanship By Substitution - Listen
Sept. 5: Football Safety Rules Changes - Listen
Aug. 29: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen