The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce its 12th class of recipients of the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award.
The 2026-27 honorees encompass two active media members, as well as a recent retiree.
Millie Lange, who has enjoyed a decorated career in the Effingham area in print and radio, becomes the first female winner of the award, while the voice of high school sports in Will County, WJOL’s Scott Slocum, is also being recognized. Dave Rigg, who retired in February, will be honored after a career in radio and streaming that spanned almost 60 years.
The fourth and final member of the class, veteran radio voice Jim Teckenbrock, passed away in 2025 and will be the first honoree to receive the award posthumously.
The IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award was created to recognize media members who have covered high school sports and activities in Illinois for a significant period of time, while maintaining perspective on the amateur events they report on. See past winners by clicking here.
“Congratulations to each of these individuals on this well-deserved honor,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “Millie is truly a trailblazer in her field, and we are proud to be a part of her making more history in being the first female honoree for this award. This year’s class certainly exemplifies the special connection that we have with those who bring us high school sports over the airwaves. Dave, Scott, and the late great Jim Teckenbrock, were all the voices of high school sports in their respective areas of the state and have made a lasting impact on their communities. We look forward to bringing special recognition to each during the 2026-27 school year.”
IHSA member school personnel and veteran media members in the state are eligible to nominate individuals for the award. Beginning in 2024, the IHSA began to honor at least one retired media member as a part of what is traditionally a class of four honorees.
The IHSA’s media advisory committee, and a select committee of past honorees in the state vote on the nominees. Each winner will be honored at a high school event of their choosing during the 2026-27 school year.
“A vital element of this award is the recognition within the community,” said Troha. “We look forward to seeing this year’s winners being recognized in front of the students, coaches, and communities they have impacted with their exceptional work.”
A bio on each of the honorees is below:
DAVE RIGG
Dave Rigg’s high school sports broadcasting career spans 59 years and includes radio, public address and internet webcasting. A graduate of Edwards County High School in Albion, Rigg attended Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel, where he studied Radio & TV Broadcasting. He also participated in football and basketball during high school.
Rigg began his broadcasting career in 1967, calling Mt. Carmel Aces football and basketball games on WSAB-FM. Inspired by his love of listening to St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Harry Caray, Rigg had already gained experience doing public address work for Bone Gap Little League and Pony League baseball. While at Wabash Valley College, he volunteered to assist with Mt. Carmel Aces football broadcasts. When the play-by-play announcer became ill, Rigg stepped in as the voice of the Aces and Wabash Valley College Warriors.
In 1971, Rigg joined WFIW-FM in Fairfield, providing play-by-play for Fairfield, Cisne, Wayne City, Edwards County, Mills Prairie and Grayville high school basketball. He also covered the first three Class A Boys Basketball State Tournaments in Champaign in 1972, 1973 and 1974. After stepping away from radio broadcasts in 1975, he continued as the public address announcer for Edwards County football before returning to play-by-play in 1979, focusing his coverage on Edwards County football and basketball.
Rigg began webcasting Edwards County basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball games in 2002. His broadcasting career also included several State Finals appearances, including Edwards County volleyball in 2012, 2013, and 2014, Weber Township baseball in 2014 and Wayne City softball in 2015.
Rigg says the best part of covering high school sports has been his opportunity to associate with student-athletes and provide broadcasts for those unable to attend games. He particularly enjoyed covering Edwards County girls volleyball and basketball and was the first to provide internet coverage of every Edwards County contest in both sports.
Known throughout Southern Illinois for the bright red sports coat he wore while calling games, Rigg's dedication to high school athletics has made him a familiar and valued presence at countless events. Away from broadcasting, he enjoys researching old newspapers and writing stories about people and events from the past.
Award Presentation: On Thursday, October 15 at Edwards County High School during the Edwards County vs. Hamilton County High School varsity girls volleyball game. Presentation prior to the match at approximately 6:45 PM.
MILLIE LANGE
The first female recipient of the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award, Millie Lange blazed a trail in spending more than five decades covering high school sports in the Effingham area, first as a newspaper reporter and later through radio. A graduate of Effingham High School, Lange took evening courses at Lakeland College before beginning her career at the Effingham Daily News.
Lange joined the Daily News in 1970 after her mother encouraged her to pursue her love of writing. She initially worked in the newspaper’s composing room for 10 years before sports editor Sam Rickelman recognized her interest in athletics and began sending her to games to keep score and gather information for his stories. When Rickelman became ill during boys basketball regionals, Lange was asked to cover the games and write the stories herself. Despite having little experience writing game stories, she studied Rickelman’s work and developed her skills, eventually moving into a full-time sports reporting role.
Lange remained at the Effingham Daily News until 2010, covering generations of student-athletes, coaches and teams throughout the area. She then joined WXEF/KJ Country, initially as a receptionist while also helping with sports coverage and writing. She continues in that role today.
Throughout her career, Lange has been a familiar presence at high school athletic events and was once the lone woman among the area’s sports reporters covering boys athletics. She fondly recalls Effingham St. Anthony coach and athletic director Dave Bartlett going out of his way to make sure she received the same access as her male counterparts following a big boys basketball victory. Lange also remembers correctly predicting a dramatic, buzzer-beating finish in a Teutopolis girls basketball game, much to the disbelief of a reporter sitting beside her.
For Lange, the best part of covering high school sports has been watching young athletes develop from grade school through high school and, in many cases, into college. She has also developed lasting relationships with coaches and athletic directors, whom she credits for their assistance and respect throughout her career.
An avid Chicago Cubs fan, Lange enjoys traveling, photography, gardening and attending Cubs games, where she still keeps score. She also participates on a trivia team based at the radio station. After more than five decades in sports media, Lange’s dedication to covering high school athletics has helped tell the stories of countless student-athletes and teams across the Effingham area.
Award Presentation: On Monday, November 16 at Effingham High School during the Effingham vs. Robinson High School varsity girls basketball game. Presentation prior to the game at approximately 7:15 PM.
SCOTT SLOCUM
Scott Slocum has spent nearly four decades covering high school sports in the Joliet area, building a career that has included radio and television broadcasting while creating opportunities and memorable experiences for generations of student-athletes. A 1984 graduate of East Peoria Community High School, Slocum was a two-time All-Conference basketball player in the Mid-State 8 Conference, led the league in scoring and free-throw shooting as a senior and earned honorable mention All-State honors. He continued his playing career at North Central College, where he led the CCIW in three-point shooting as a junior.
Slocum began his broadcasting career in 1988 as a sports reporter at WJOL in Joliet, quickly becoming the station's Sports Director. From 1995-1999, he also worked as an afternoon sports reporter and anchor at WBBM Newsradio 780 in Chicago, where he covered the city's professional sports scene. In 1999, Slocum became Program Director and Morning Show Host at WJOL, positions he continues to hold today.
His broadcasting career has also included extensive television work. Slocum has worked with IHSA TV broadcasting the Girls Basketball State Finals and Girls State Volleyball Finals, as well as with Comcast SportsNet, SportsChannel, CBS in Peoria and Lakeshore Public Sports.
For Slocum, the appeal of high school sports is rooted in tradition, community, and relationships. He appreciates the role athletic programs play in the identity of their communities and the lifelong friendships created through competition. His career in the Joliet area has allowed him to broadcast numerous memorable moments, including the careers of standouts such as Gary Bell, Roger Powell Jr., Alando Tucker, and Mike Alstott. He has also been part of 18 state championship broadcasts involving Joliet Catholic and Providence football.
Some of Slocum's most meaningful contributions have come through creating and organizing high school tournaments. He started the WJOL Boys Thanksgiving Classic, WJOL Girls Basketball Classic, WJOL Don Ladas Memorial Baseball Tournament and WJOL Softball Tourney, with all four continuing to provide memorable experiences and opportunities for student-athletes. His goal has always been to create events that give young athletes lasting memories while allowing schools to compete for local bragging rights and tournament titles.
Away from broadcasting, Slocum remains active in youth basketball. He serves as the head coach of the Channahon sixth-grade boys team, conducts basketball clinics for hundreds of children each year and runs a first- and second-grade boys and girls basketball league. An avid golfer, he also completed four marathons before retiring from distance running. Slocum has served as a Channahon Village Trustee since 2008 and serves on the boards of the Will County Children's Advocacy Center and People for Channahon Parks.
Award Presentation: On Friday, December 18 at Joliet West High School during the Joliet West vs. Joliet Central varsity girls and boys basketball games. Presentation to follow the girls game at approximately 6:30 PM.
JIM “TECK” TECKENBROCK
Jim “Teck” Teckenbrock spent nearly three decades as one of the most recognizable voices in high school sports throughout the Plano, Sandwich, Yorkville, and the surrounding communities. He becomes the first individual to receive the IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award posthumously, following his passing on June 25, 2025, at the age of 76. His illness was unable to dissipate his passion for high school sports, as Teck called the Oswego High School softball team’s IHSA Class 4A state championship game on the radio just 19 days prior to his passing.
A 1966 graduate of Plano High School, Teckenbrock attended Waubonsee Community College before transferring to Northern Illinois University. He returned to Waubonsee in 1977 as an instructor and coach, eventually becoming the school’s first womens basketball coach in 1979. He also coached softball, guiding the Chiefs to the 1982 Skyway Conference championship.
Teckenbrock’s coaching career led to his first broadcasting opportunities at WMRO in Aurora during the 1980s, where he provided game analysis. In 1996, he joined WSPY radio and began what would become a nearly 30-year career covering high school athletics. He was named the station’s Sports Director in 2001 and became a defining voice for student-athletes and sports fans throughout the area.
Teckenbrock’s broadcasting career included covering numerous IHSA State Finals and state championship teams. Among his most memorable assignments were calling the back-to-back state titles by the Plano football (2006 & 2007) and Hinckley-Big Rock girls basketball teams (2008-09, 2009-10), as well as the Newark boys basketball title run in 2011. He was inducted into the Basketball Museum of Illinois Hall of Fame in the Media category in 2014 and was widely respected by athletes, coaches and fans.
Known for his calm, cheerful delivery and genuine enthusiasm, Teckenbrock had a special ability to make listeners feel connected to the games he covered. Whether it was a state championship or the first game of a season, his excitement grew with the action. His broadcasts chronicled the triumphs and disappointments of generations of student-athletes and became a cherished connection for families who followed their children and grandchildren on the radio.
Teckenbrock’s love of sports extended well beyond the broadcast booth. He played baseball, fastpitch softball, and basketball and bowled in adult leagues, while also serving as an umpire for area schools and recreational leagues. He was a longtime participant and later announcer for the Illinois Special Olympics Polar Plunge and was honored as one of Waubonsee Community College’s Fab 40 and inducted into the Illinois High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.
Award Presentation: To be announced
