The IHSA annually honors Honorary Referees at the IHSA Track & Field State Final meets as a way to recognize them for their dedication to the sport, and PND Coach Dan Gray was named the 2026 Boys Honorary Referee!
See what the IHSA shared about Coach Gray and his much deserved honor below:
“Dan Gray has made a lasting impact on high school track & field in Illinois that stretches far beyond the finish line.
Gray’s involvement in Illinois high school athletics has spanned nearly four decades as a coach, mentor, volunteer and lifelong ambassador for cross country and track & field. A graduate of Academy/Spalding in Peoria, Gray was a standout distance runner before continuing his collegiate career at the University of Illinois, where he competed in cross country and track from 1983-86 and was a member of the Fighting Illini’s 1984 Big Ten Championship cross country team. He began his coaching career in 1987 and has spent the vast majority of it at Peoria Notre Dame High School, serving as both an assistant and head coach in cross country and boys track & field.
Under Gray’s leadership, Peoria Notre Dame became one of the state’s premier distance-running programs. His teams produced dozens of conference champions, numerous IHSA All-State runners and multiple state trophy finishes, including the school’s 2010 IHSA Girls Cross Country state championship. Gray served on the IHSA Cross Country Advisory Committee from 2018-21 and has volunteered as an umpire at the IHSA Boys Track & Field State Finals since 1993. In 2020, he was named the IHSA Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year. Beyond coaching, Gray has been heavily involved in the Illinois running community through the Illinois Valley Striders, the Steamboat Classic and countless road races and youth events throughout central Illinois.”
Congratulations, Coach Gray! We are so blessed to have you at PND!
