After each team snapped a regional title drought this year, both Clifton Central and Gardner-South Wilmington had their seasons come to an end Wednesday in the Class 1A Dwight Sectional semifinals.

Meet this week's Daily Journal Athlete of the Week, Gardner-South Wilmington senior softball player Maddie Simms.

With their 2-0 upset of Macon Meridian in the Class 1A Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional on Monday, the Gardner-South Wilmington softball team is enjoying something no other GSW softball team has enjoyed before. They’re heading to state.

The Gardner-South Wilmington softball team is headed to state after defeating Meridian 2-0 in the Class 1A Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional at Inspiration Field at Carol Willis Park in Bloomington Monday, June 1, 2026.

Twin brothers Case and Caden Christensen handled the pitching, and the whole lineup chipped in on the hitting Saturday to lead Gardner-South Wilmington baseball to a 6-1, Class 1A title win at regional host Dwight.

Behind elite defense and another dominant outing from ace Maddie Simms, Gardner-South Wilmington punched its ticket to the supersectional while ending Serena‘s cinderella postseason run with a 4-1 victory on Friday night.

Bishop McNamara's Malachi Lee, Cale Hamilton and Brock Clott were three of six area boys track and field athletes to advance to Saturday's state finals from the Class 1A prelims at Eastern Illinois University. This and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Maddie Simms had 17 strikeouts to lead Gardner-South Wilmington softball to a win in the IHSA Class 1 Indian Creek Sectional semifinals, Clifton Central baseball walked off Momence in the 1A Clifton Central Regional semifinals and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

In the regular-season finale for both teams, Beecher got three hits and RBIs from both Chase Maher and Noah Hanson to best Gardner-South Wilmington in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Down 2-0 after five innings, Gardner-South Wilmington softball came back to top Grant Park in an extra-inning regional title thriller. And more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Peotone's girls soccer team beat Beecher 2-1 in the IHSA Class 1A Manteno Regional championship, earning its fifth straight regional title, while Herscher beat Reed-Custer 3-1 for its 10th straight regional crown. That and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Wilmington's McKenna Van Tilburg advanced to Saturday's state finals in four events and Milford/Cissna Park's Addison Lucht advanced in three to lead a group of Class 1A girls track and field athletes in Thursday's prelims. That and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bishop McNamara's Malachi Lee, Bradley-Bourbonnais' Lyzale Edmon and Kankakee's George Noble are all headed to boys track and field state next week, with all three schools qualifying multiple relay teams as well. That and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Alina Mkhwanazi had a hat trick while Yailen Torres and Rachel Sanchez-Aguilar also scored in Kankakee's regional semifinal shutout, Bradley-Bourbonnais' postseason softball journey began and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Beecher softball team got a one-hitter from Taylor Norkus in its regular season finale Saturday, downing Lemont 3-1 to finish off the first undefeated regular season (29-0) for the program since 2006, and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Bradley-Bourbonnais baseball team will host a regional on its bid for a third straight plaque. Look at that and more in the Daily Journal's baseball regional preview.

Kankakee's Dominic White split the Southland high jump title and was joined by Kymani Billings, Phillip Turner and George Noble on the winning 4x100 relay team. At the SWSC meet, Bradley-Bourbonnais' Lyzale Edmon won the 200. That and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Herscher's Gianna High tied the girls soccer IHSA single-game record with seven assists in a 9-0 Tigers win, Bishop McNamara's softball team defeated ranked Class 3A Providence Catholic with an 11-4 win and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Boilermakers opened postseason play with their best offensive output of the season, Kankakee girls soccer ended conference play undefeated and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Ryan Kettman's go-ahead triple helped Wilmington to a win in extra innings, Preston Payne allowed a hit in four scoreless innings for Bishop McNamara and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Coal City's boys track team took first place at the Illinois Central Eight Conference Meet on Thursday, the Coaler girls took second, Wilmington's McKenna Van Tilburg and Manteno's Klarke Goranson each won four individual ICE titles and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Kankakee girls track and field won the Southland, Michael Clark, Nick Pignatiello and Gavin Jones combined for Bishop McNamara's second no-hitter this week and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

The IHSA released the 2026 softball postseason brackets on Wednesday. Bradley-Bourbonnais is one of the top seeds at its host sectional, and the local Class 2A field remains as strong as ever and more.

Lydia Hammond hit a two-run home run and pitched seven one-run innings to lead the Bradley-Bourbonnais softball team to a 4-1 win over Lincoln-Way East, its seventh SouthWest Suburban Conference win in a row, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Anna Lesage twirled a two-hitter for the Tigers softball team, Dylan Bayston and Gaige Brown combined for a shutout on the baseball field and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Aiden Fitzgerald had the game-tying RBI double and scored the winning run for the Boilermakers, McNamara got homers from Gavin Jones and Ian Irps, Herscher saw Keira Ahramovich and Lexi Crawford homer as part of their four-hit days and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais' softball team secured its sixth straight SouthWest Suburban Conference win with an 11-1 victory over Stagg, Kankakee softball won another high-scoring Southland Athletic Conference game 24-17 over Bloom and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

After coming from behind for a home win Tuesday, the Gardner-South Wilmington softball team picked up a 13-8 road win over Clifton Central on Thursday to finish off its fourth River Valley Conference sweep of the season.

Kankakee's softball team rallied for 10 runs in the final two innings to down Bloom 14-8, Bishop McNamara stayed hot with its third straight win and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Beecher and Momence both walked off with wins in River Valley Conference play, Herscher's softball team did the same in Illinois Central Eight Conference play and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Beecher's softball team won two games Saturday to improve to 17-0 on the season, Gardner-South Wilmington's baseball and softball teams each split a doubleheader with Serena, and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

A grand slam highlighted KaLeah Jackson's memorable day for Kankakee, the Bradley-Bourbonnais girls water polo team won in three overtimes and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Gianni Jaime hit 100 career goals in Herscher's win over Coal City, the Tiger softball team topped the Coalers in extras and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Reed-Custer's Sophia Moyers had 12 strikeouts and Peotone's Sophie Klawitter had 19 as each threw 11 innings in a wild pitchers' duel, one that Reed-Custer won 2-1, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

After starting the season 0-3, Wilmington has won its last 12 games. Read about that and more in this week's Herald-News softball notebook.

Bishop McNamara continued its dominant start to Chicagoland Christian Conference play with an 18-2 win, Beecher ace Taylor Norkus had 23 strikeouts in 12 innings in a doubleheader sweep of Gardner-South Wilmington and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Callaghan O'Connor belted three home runs and Nick Pignatiello had two, including a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the seventh, to lead Bishop McNamara to a wild 18-14 conference win and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Khloe Picard's sixth-inning home run was the difference for Coal City, Beecher and Grant Park both stayed undefeated and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Peotone's Sophie Klawitter, coming off a seven-inning no hitter against Milford/Cissna Park on Thursday, struck out all 15 batters in a five-inning perfect game against St. Anne, and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Sophie Klawitter threw a no-hitter to power Peotone softball, while Bradley-Bourbonnais and Coal City both took sixth-inning leads that turned into wins. Those games and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Kays avenged a loss to Crete-Monee, the Fightin' Irish had another dominant conference outing and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Grant Park's Cheyenne Hayes had 18 strikeouts in a no-hitter against Clifton Central, Beecher's Taylor Norkus threw a four-inning perfect game in a doubleheader sweep of St. Anne and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

With standouts from across the greater Will and Grundy county area, see who made the 2025-26 Herald-News All-Area Boys Basketball Team.

Reed-Custer softball came out on top of a wild one with Herscher, all three city softball teams earned wins and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Meet the members of this year's Daily Journal All-Area boys basketball team.

Check out preview capsules for the Daily Journal area's prep baseball teams for the 2026 season.

Here are the top girls basketball players The Herald-News had to offer during the 2025-26 season.

Lydia Hammond threw her second no-hitter in the last four days for Bradley-Bourbonnais, Abigail Neukomm socked a walk-off homer for Watseka, and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bishop McNamara beat Peotone 17-2, scoring nine in the top of the sixth innings to secure its first win of the season, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Take a look at the players named to the Daily Journal All-Area team for the 2025-26 girls basketball season.