CLEVELAND – The Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2 CCA) has announced the recipients of the second annual 2025 Excellence in Officiating Awards. The Excellence in Officiating Awards represent a pioneering effort to recognize outstanding referees across NCAA Division II.
Joan Sitterly a women's lacrosse official in Conference Carolinas was honored by the association. She has been an official for 51 years and has worked nine NCAA Division I semifinal games as well as 15 NCAA Division III championship games in her career. In terms of conference championships, Sitterly has worked championships in eight different conferences.
Sitterly has been inducted into the USA Lacrosse Western New York Hall of Fame as well as the USA Lacrosse Central New York Hall of Fame. She currently serves as the Executive Director for College Women's Lacrosse Association (CWLOA) and has been a clinician at numerous training events over the last 30-plus years.
D2 CCA RELEASE
The awards will be presented to one male and one female official that officiate in NCAA Division II Championship Regions. Awards are presented by the gender of the official regardless of the sport officiated.
Conference offices solicited nominations from the conference supervisor of officials and selected one male and one female to submit for the regional award. Upon receipt of all nominees, voting was conducted by the commissioners within each of the following regions – Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, Southeast, South Central and West – to select the following regional winners.
In addition to this new initiative, the D2 CCA created the following strategic programs aimed at transforming the landscape of sports officiating and address current challenges by creating recognition and recruitment opportunities.
- Officials Appreciation Week acknowledges officials across all sports seasons – fall, winter and spring – highlighting their critical role in maintaining integrity and fair competition.
- Collegiate P2R (Player-to-Ref) Program targets recently graduated student-athletes, helping educate potential officials about the rewarding opportunities in sports officiating, creating a sustainable pipeline of qualified professionals.
These efforts reflect the deep commitment the D2 CCA has homed in on to elevate the status of sports officials, by creating structured recognition and celebrating those who ensure fair play and maintain the highest level of standards for athletics competitions.
The list below honors those officials that are making significant contributions to the advancement of officiating in Division II.
| Female Recipients |
| Conference |
Name |
Sport |
Region |
| Central Atlantic Collegiate |
Laura Craft |
Volleyball |
East |
| Gulf South |
Jessyca Christopher |
Basketball |
South |
| Pennsylvania State Athletic |
Pam Miller |
Basketball, Lacrosse, Field Hockey |
Atlantic |
| Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association |
Naomi Omenski |
Soccer |
Central |
| Conference Carolinas |
Joan Sitterly |
Lacrosse |
Southeast |
| Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic |
Stacey Thomas |
Basketball |
Midwest |
| Male Recipients |
| Conference |
Name |
Sport |
Region |
| Pennsylvania State Athletic |
Joe Volpe |
Baseball |
Atlantic |
| Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic |
Brian Smith |
Volleyball |
Midwest |
| Northern Sun Intercollegiate |
Mike Mudder |
Football |
Central |
| Lone Star |
Tim Debysingh |
Soccer |
South Central |
| Central Atlantic Collegiate |
Dave DeYong |
Basketball |
East |
| Peach Belt |
Darion Padgett |
Baseball |
Southeast |
| Gulf South |
Nate Starr |
Baseball |
South |