Julie Roe Lach guest speaker for IndyStar High School Sports Awards

Julie Roe Lach, executive vice president of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, will be the guest speaker for Monday’s IndyStar High School Sports Awards at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Roe Lach took on her new role in the fall of 2025 after five years as commissioner of the Horizon League and more than a decade overall with the conference. She also serves as chair of the board of directors of Indiana Sports Corp and is a board member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

Roe Lach got her start in sports playing basketball at a young age and is a member of the Millikin University Athletics Hall of Fame.

The IndyStar Sports Awards, presented by the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, will celebrate the best of Indiana high school athletics. The sports awards nominees for players of the year in each sport will be announced during the live show, in addition to the winners for fall and winter sports. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 7 p.m. The show will also announce the winners of premier awards such as overall male athlete of the year, overall female athlete of the year, Courage Award, Team of the Year and Coach of the Year.

Theresia Wynns will be honored as the 2026 IndyStar Women’s Sports Trailblazer Award winner. Wynns had a 50-year career in education at the local state and national levels prior to her retirement in 2021. The South Carolina native came to Indianapolis in 1971 and spent the next 26 years as a teacher and administrator in the Indianapolis Public Schools and Warren Township Schools. Wynns officiated the girls’ state basketball championship games in 1977, 1981 and 1986.

She went on to a role with the Indiana High School Athletic Association, administering the sports of girls and boys soccer, girls’ basketball and girls and boys tennis from 1997 to 2012. She worked at the National Federation of State High School Associations from 2012 to 2021.

Nominated athletes who RSVP for the event will receive a free ticket thanks to sponsors. The IndyStar High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards program.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Julie Roe Lach guest speaker for IndyStar High School Sports Awards program