Marlie Czarniewski finished 9th at the 3A state cross country meet, earning her the Herald-News Runner of the Year Award.

Kankakee's got its eyes set on a Class 3A State title this winter. In the primetime slot of the Team Rose Shootout at Mount Carmel Sunday, the Kays found some areas to improve upon in a seven-point loss to defending Class 3A champion DePaul Prep.

Sterling graduate Grace Egan had nine kills, two aces and a block as the Wisconsin volleyball team beat Texas to advance to Thursday's NCAA Final Four.

A look back at the last week in sports in the Northwest Herald by Northwest Herald photographer Gregory Shaver and Patrick Kunzer, for the Shaw Local News Network.

Henry Schlickman put up a game-high 23 points, which included knocking down two buzzer-beating 3-pointers to help Wheaton North to a 65-31 victory over St. Charles East.

Dixon's Riley Paredes won his weight class as the Dukes were third at Mount Prospect. Rock Falls' Logan Thome and Sterling's Cael Lyons took first at the Riverdale invite, Newman boys basketball won, Eastland and Polo girls went 2-0 and more in Saturday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Bishop McNamara and Clifton Central won at the Watseka Holiday Tournament semifinals in boys basketball, the Iroquois West Holiday Hoops Tournament began on the girls side and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Joseph Lubbe's 16 points paced York past Hinsdale Central, Bennett Kammes scored 17 to lead Glenbard West past Proviso West, plus Lyons, Lemont and Riverside-Brookfield basketball results in Saturday's roundup.

Area wrestlers compete in the Tom DuBois Invite wrestling meet on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at Richmond-Burton High School in Richmond.

Jayden Armstrong scored 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to lead Joliet Catholic to a 67-61 win over Providence in boys basketball action Saturday.

Ben Kleba scored 18 to lead Genoa-Kingston to win in Forreston opener, Sycamore picks up two more dual wins, NIU men falter later at Elon in Saturday's Daily Chronicle Roundup.

Ava Thomas scored 11 points to help Benet hand Nazareth its first loss of the season on Saturday, 58-36.

Nate Kubin had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, a steal in the final seconds – and his first in-game dunk – and Joey Jakstys a steal off an inbounds and go-ahead score as Yorkville scored the final six points to beat visiting Oswego 46-43 on Friday.

Jacob Baumann surpassed the 1,000-point mark on his career to help Aurora Christian boys basketball move to 8-0 with a win over Chicago Christian, and more results from Friday in the Kane County Chronicle sports roundup.

Riverside-Brookfield and Lemont boys basketball picked up conference wins and Downers Grove South beat Lemont in Friday's roundup.

Samson Averehi found his offensive game in the second half, scoring 15 of his game-high 18 points, as Jacobs pulled away to beat host Dundee-Crown 51-34 on Friday night in a Fox Valley Conference boys basketball game in Carpentersville.

Timothy Christian senior Marc Gamble joined the 1,000-point club with a a game-high 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Trojans defeated St. Edward 54-32 in the teams' Chicagoland Christian Conference opener Friday night.

Led by Bronwyn How on offense and Riley Barber on defense, St. Charles North built up a 17-point lead by the end of the first quarter and never looked back, securing a 48-27 victory for their first win over Batavia in three seasons.

Junior guard David Malley came off the bench to score a team-high 11 points, and junior starter Ben Piekarz added 10 points as Marmion earned a 60-25 victory over crosstown rival Aurora Central Catholic on Friday night in Aurora.

Sterling freshman DeAndre Maas scored a career-high 25 points in a win at Quincy. Newman wrestler Blair Grennan went 4-0 in Pontiac, Oregon boys basketball is 6-0 and more in Friday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Clifton Central boys basketball won its sixth straight game, Watseka and Herscher snapped five-game skids and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Sophomore Grant Smith's thundering dunk was one of several highlight-reel performances in a 17-point game as unbeaten Lyons held off visiting Hinsdale Central 39-33 on Friday.

Behind a 32-point explosion from Lincoln Williams and the first game back from injury for Kenaz Jackson, Kankakee found late breathing room to pull away from a young, scrappy Thornton team on Friday.

Marshall Ledbetter scored a career-high 29 points to help Hinckley-Big Rock move to 2-0 in Little Ten play, Indian Creek also picked up an LTC win and more in the roundup.

Jacobs faces Dundee-Crown in a Fox Valley Conference boys basketball game on Fri. Dec. 12, 2025, at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville.

Jacobs faces Dundee-Crown in a Fox Valley Conference girls basketball game on Fri. Dec. 12, 2025, at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville.

Joliet Catholic got 17 each from Donavyn Simmons and Jayden Armstrong as they picked up their first win in the ESCC. Plus more boys and girls hoops scores in Friday's Herald News Sports Roundup.

Jack Carroll scored 15 points to help lead Ottawa to a 41-29 win over Morris on Friday.

Grace Brunscheen's 3-pointer with 1:27 left put Kaneland on top, the 18th and final lead change in the Knights 56-51 win over the Spartans. Brunscheen, back from an injury, was used sparingly early before her fourth-quarter heroics.

Bradley-Bourbonnais was within two scores for most of the third quarter before Don Bosco Prep (Ind.) pulled away, downing the Boilermakers 56-41 on Friday.

Coming off their first loss of the season, Marquette bounced back in dominant fashion in a 72-27 thrashing of Lowpoint-Washburn on Friday night in Ottawa.

Jacobs junior forward Olivia Schuster scored all 10 of her team's points in the first quarter and finished with a game-high 19 as the Golden Eagles cruised to a 55-23 Fox Valley Conference win over Dundee-Crown on Friday.

Brady Pettigrew and TJ Williams shook off slow starts to score 22 and 20 points, respectively, and Bolingbrook rallied to beat previously undefeated Oswego East 69-59 on Friday in Bolingbrook.

The Woodland boys basketball team's lead Friday over Roanoke-Benson looked as if it it might reach 20 points. Then it looked like it might disappear, but in the end the Warriors held on for a 44-35 home victory.

Geneva made just 7 of 25 shots and couldn't solve the stifling defense of Lake Park Friday night in a 30-20 loss in DuKane Conference action. Emma Peterson led the Vikings with seven points and six rebounds.

Kankakee defeated Thornton 83-67 at Kankakee High School on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025.

Senior Connor Kimme scored 19 points and was one of four Kaneland players to reach double figures Friday night as the Knights cruised to a 92-62 win over Rochelle.

Here is a look at the best girls volleyball players the Herald-News area had to offer

Bridget Ferriter led Lockport to a Class 4A third-place finish for the second straight season and was named Herald-News Girls Volleyball Player of the Year

St. Charles North junior Lelanie Posada, who scored a game-high 15 points and knocked down two buzzer-beating shots in a win over Geneva, was voted as the Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week.

Woodstock's Liam Laidig, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward, scored 28 total points and recorded two double-doubles in wins against Grant and Rockford Boylan. Laidig is the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week.

Lemont's Zane Schneider earned a starting job as a freshman, but adjusted to a role off the bench last year. Now the junior is back in Lemont's starting lineup and emerging as the go-to man. That, Downers Grove North's football players settling in and more in basketball notes.

Prairie Ridge senior setter Addi Smith broke the Wolves' program record with 924 assists and led her team back to the Class 3A state tournament. Smith is the 2025 Northwest Herald Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

Meet the 2025 Northwest Herald All-Area Girls Volleyball Team.

Prairie Ridge first-year coach Leah Groat led the Wolves back to the Class 3A state tournament and their most wins in 20 years. Groat is the 2025 Northwest Herald Girls Volleyball Coach of the Year.

Newman boys basketball hit 14 3-pointers against Amboy to improve to 6-0. Sterling boys swimming won, Dixon girls bowling won and more in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Bolingbrook beat Oswego East in girls basketball and more in the Thursday roundup.

Coal City's Owen Petersen's milestone win was the highlight of an overpowering night on the mats for the Coalers, four local schools won at the Watseka Holiday Tournament and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Sterling never trailed in its Western Big 6 game against rival Geneseo on Thursday at Musgrove Fieldhouse, using big runs in the first and third quarter to pull away for a 61-40 victory.

Timothy Christian's Brooklyn Hanchett sank two free throws in the final seconds to hold off a fourth-quarter comeback from St. Edward in a 60-55 win on Thursday night.