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.

The Herscher girls soccer team advanced to the sectional championship with an 8-0 win over Chicago Christian in Monday's IHSA Class 1A Lisle Sectional semifinals, with Sophie Venckauskas leading the way with a hat trick, and more in Monday'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.

Iroquois West's softball team will try and secure its first-ever regional title on Friday after beating Milford/Cissna Park 9-5 in Wednesday's IHSA Class 1A Iroquois West Regional semifinals, rallying for eight runs in the third inning to take control.

The Iroquois West and Momence softball teams opened regional play with commanding quarterfinal wins, with Iroquois West beating Hoopeston 18-8 and Momence beating Illinois Lutheran 10-1, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Bradley-Bourbonnais softball team wrapped its regular season with a 15-5 win over Stagg in SouthWest Suburban Conference play, giving the Boilermakers their most conference wins in a season since 2019, and more in Friday'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.

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.

The Bradley-Bourbonnais boys track and field team broke school records in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays in a solid outing at the Oswego East Invite, Peotone's Sophie Klawitter struck out 18 batters in a no-hitter against Watseka and more in Friday'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.

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.

Callaghan O'Connor went five the first five innings before Braylon Ricketts' closed out Bishop McNamara's combined no-hitter, Lexi Strohm threw a perfect game for Wilmington softball and more in Monday'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.

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.

Preston Payne threw a one-hitter and had three hits of his own for Bishop McNamara, Sophie and Mary Klawitter helped Peotone end Grant Park's undefeated start in softball and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais softball team rallied for an extra-inning conference win over Sandburg, Bishop McNamara bounced back to beat Marian Central behind seven one-run innings and a two-run home run from Joslynn Dole and more in Wednesday'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.

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.

Bishop McNamara softball got four home runs on the day, including two from Vivian Dole, Reed-Custer baseball got a win on a Chase Isaac walk-off hit and more in Monday'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.

Bishop McNamara ran away with a 15-2 win in its Chicagoland Christian Conference softball opener, Reed-Custer's Sophia Moyers threw a five-inning no-hitter in a conference win for the Comets, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bryce Deany and Devin Arbour came up clutch to give the Kankakee baseball team its first win, Abbie Hofbauer led the Bradley-Bourbonnais softball team to its eighth straight victory and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Both Wilmington and Reed-Custer completed Illinois Central Eight Conference softball sweeps, with Wilmington beating Coal City 11-8 and Reed-Custer downing Herscher 14-3, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Check out preview capsules for the Daily Journal area's prep baseball teams for the 2026 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 Reed-Custer 6-1 for its second win in a row, Beecher scored early and often in a 16-4 win over Kankakee, and more in Tuesday'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.

Grant Park improved to 2-0 while handing Kankakee a loss in its season opener, Reed-Custer's Mackenzie Foote hit for the cycle and drove in eight runs for the Comets and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais senior Lydia Hammond opened the season with a one-hit shutout of Oak Forest, striking out 10 batters in an 11-0 win for the Boilermakers, and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

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

The Beecher, Gardner-South Wilmington and Cissna Park boys basketball teams all opened up the postseason with wins in their regional quarterfinals games and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Clifton Central fell to Roanoke-Benson 49-25 in the IHSA Class 2A Clifton Central Regional championship game, ending its winningest season in nine years, and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Coal City beat Reed-Custer and Peotone fell to Lisle in a pair of Illinois Central Eight Conference games with late-season implications on the ICE standings, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Panthers bested Peotone, the Comets avenged multiple losses to Tri-Point and Cissna Park got past Hoopeston. Iroquois West's Amelia Scharp reached 1,000 career points in her final game, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Clifton-Central's Payton Temple was crowned sectional champion and will be joined at state by Bradley-Bourbonnais Sophia Domont. The Boilers' Kayden Roach is also state-bound on the boys side, girls regional basketball action began and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Ava Johnson exploded for 30 points and Malea Harrison set the school's single-game assist record as part of her triple-double to help the Kays to a two-point win over Crete-Monee, and more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Cissna Park made it back-to-back perfect seasons in Vermilion Valley Conference girls basketball, Peotone's boys scored a senior night win and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Lincoln Williams set Kankakee's single-season scoring record, and EJ Hazelett reached 1,000 career points in a win over Thornton, in which the pair scored 21 apiece to lead the Kays to a 12-0 conference season, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Iroquois West outlasted St. Joseph-Ogden on the road for its sixth straight win, Wilmington upset Manteno in its Illinois Central Eight Conference finale and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.