NEW HAVEN, Conn. (August 28, 2025) – Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference on-field officials Dave De Yong and Laura Kraft are among the 16 recipients of the 2025 Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association Excellence in Officiating Awards. De Yong, a men’s basketball referee, and Kraft, a volleyball official, are the male and female honorees, respectively, from the East Region.
The Excellence in Officiating Awards represent a pioneering effort to recognize outstanding referees across NCAA Division II. The awards were presented to one male and one female official in each Division II championship region -- based on the gender of the official, regardless of the sport officiated – for making significant contributions to the advancement of officiating in Division II.
“Officials are of vital importance to the playing of our games,” said CACC Commissioner Dan Mara, “D2 CAA has made a commitment to recognizing the best of the best in this area. Mr. De Yong and Ms. Kraft were selected from a deep pool of officials.”
De Yong has been officiating basketball for 33 years, including the last 23 at the men’s college level. He has worked multiple CACC and NCAA postseason tournaments. He served a two-year term as the president of the College Basketball Officials Association and is currently the executive director of the CBOA, which concentrates on supporting, training, and educating officials at the Division II and III levels. He also spent nearly two decades as a rules interpreter for his local high school board.
Kraft, who began officiating in 2015, is a USA Volleyball National Referee and a Professional Association of Volleyball Officials State Referee. She has called multiple CACC Championships, the 2023 NCAA Division II East Regional, and the 2019 Men’s D-III National Championship. She is also a line judge in the Big Ten Conference. Kraft serves on the Garden Empire Volleyball Association Officials Committee, assisting with recruitment, retention and development, and the PAVO New Jersey Board Officials Evaluation Committee.
In addition to the Excellence in Officiating Awards initiative, the D2 CCA created Officials Appreciation Weeks to acknowledge officials across all sports seasons, and the Collegiate P2R (Player-to-Ref) Program which targets recently-graduated student-athletes about the rewarding opportunities in sports officiating. These strategic programs are aimed at transforming the landscape of sports officiating and addressing current challenges.
Founded in 1961, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference has been affiliated with NCAA Division II for 20 years. Conference institutions compete for championships in 17 sports – seven for men, nine for women, and one co-ed. The CACC contains 11 full members in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Membership includes the University of Bridgeport, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Dominican University New York, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Post University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Wilmington University.