One hundred sixty-six prep officials will be honored at the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s 23rd Annual Officials Recognition Banquet and Awards Ceremony this Saturday night in Des Moines. Among those receiving among the highest honor of the night is Chad Morton of Jefferson, a Greene County teacher and coach.

Coach Morton will receive the National Federation Officials Association’s Official of the Year Award in Boys’ Track & Field. He’s a highly respected high school track & field starter, and has worked many collegiate meets as well, specializing in the long jump and triple jump. Among those are the Drake Relays, and Morton will be at his familiar post at those pits for this week’s Drake Relays at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

Morton told Raccoon Valley Radio part of the appeal of the Drake Relays is the fact the meet has middle school, high school, college & university, and world-class athletes competing at the same venue. One hour may see high school athletes long jumping in the pit where Morton is an official, and the next hour the Olympic champion may be jumping in that same sand.

Saturday’s ceremony starts at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour in the Iowa Hall of Pride, followed by a dinner, featured speaker, and awards program, at Iowa Events Center.