Stacey Aber Richardson said her mother’s illness started as “clumsiness” and tripping and escalated to not be able to eat, drink, move or speak. Linda Aber of Sheffield passed away in 2024 within three months of an official bulbar Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis diagnosis at 67.

The Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association released its All-State teams on Tuesday and five area players were selected.

Eight different area teams had players earn spots on the 2026 Illinois Coaches Association All-State softball team.

This year’s Walnut 5K Run/Walk for ALS is scheduled for Saturday, July 4 starting at 8 a.m. at Bureau Valley North School. All proceeds for the event will go toward research for ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Just over two years after a cardiac arrest during her senior year of high school, former Rochelle track standout Alivia Henkel, now competing at North Central College, raced to a first-place finish in the 400 hurdles during the NCAA Division III National Championships.

The Putnam County baseball team scored three runs in the first inning and led throughout in an 11-2 victory over Fulton to win the Class 1A Putnam County Sectional title, the Panthers' first sectional crown since 2013.

Riverdale High School used first-place finishes in boys track and softball this spring to clinch its second BCR’s Three Rivers All-Sports Championship in three years. Sherrard (77) was second and Princeton (72) was third.

Sterling baseball player Eli Penne is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week, presented by Loescher Heating and Air Conditioning. He pitched a one-hitter in a 2-0 win over Dixon in the regional semifinals. Here is a Q&A with Penne, who will attend UW-Plateville.

Breaking school and state records, Rochelle pole vaulter Andrew Nuyen finished second with a personal-best height of 5.35 meters (17 feet 6 1/2 inches) during the IHSA Class 2A state boys track and field meet at Eastern Illinois. Nuyen is signed to compete at South Florida.

Forreston fell behind early and never recovered in a 10-7 loss to Galena at the 1A Forreston Sectional on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Galena plays Dakota for the sectional title on Saturday, June 6, at Forreston High School.

Harvest Westminster Academy scored a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge Riverdale 2-1 at the 2A Byron Sectional on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

The Forreston baseball team got off to a tough start and just could not get over the hump in a 10-7 loss during Wednesday’s Class 1A Forreston Sectional baseball semifinal matchup against Galena.

Chase Dykstra was dominant on the mound and Fulton capitalized on seven Parkview Christian errors to win 12-1 in five innings in a Class 1A Putnam County Sectional semifinal Wednesday.

Fulton defeated Parkview Christian 12-1 in five innings on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at Putnam County High School in Granville. Fulton will play for the Sectional title on Saturday at 11a.m.

Sterling had multiple athletes named All-Western Big 6 Conference in baseball, softball and girls soccer.

Dixon's Owen LeSage won the IHSA state shot put title to lead the Dukes' medalists on Saturday. Sterling's 4x400 relay took third.

The Morrison boys repeated as IHSA state track and field champions in Class 1A and set multiple records on Saturday. Amboy, Forreston-Polo, Erie-Prophetstown and Oregon also earned hardware.

Fulton's Braedon Meyers pitched a two-hitter in a 5-0 win over Orion as the Steamers won a fifth straight regional title. Forreston also won a Class 1A regional title after beating South Beloit 22-2.