•April 21, 2021•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports

On your marks! Set… Fans of track and field know exactly what sound follows those words. For 38 years Ben Guyot of Sullivan was the official who pulled the trigger on the starter’s gun. Last July Guyot was honored as the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) 2020-21 Official of the Year in Girls’ Track & Field. IHSA Officials of the Year are traditionally honored at a banquet during the IHSA Officials’ Conference each July. This year’s conference was moved to a virtual format. To be considered for this honor, an official must first be nominated by an Officials’ Association recognized by the IHSA. IHSA staff members then vote on the winners based on factors such as character, skill as an official, and levels worked in the IHSA State Series. Guyot admitted he was a terrible athlete in junior high and high school so the path to this honor was as expected. Guyot attended Murray State University which had a prominent track program in the early 1960s. “Over four years, I watched a bunch of great athletes in meets at MSU, since Big Ten teams showed up two-three times during the early spring for the ‘warm weather’ on the ‘Southern Circuit,’” Guyot said. “I watched and learned and began to become a good observer of processes and techniques of track and field.” When Guyot began teaching chemistry in Noble in 1966-67, he was drafted as a non-IHSA baseball umpire, a basketball timer during the winter and a “picker” in track.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.