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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eight area college, high school and junior high coaches from the Kankakee area were named Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coaches of the Year.

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.

Athletes from a dozen area teams met up at the Manteno Invite on Friday, getting in some valuable work with the outdoor season already starting to wind down.

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.

Cheyenne Hayes continued her sensational senior season both in the circle and at the plate for Grant Park in the Dragons' 11-1 win at home against Watseka Wednesday.

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.

Watseka's Tom Schroeder was honored April 13 with a Distinguished Service Award from the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association for his decades of volunteer work at track meets.

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.

Lydia Hammond struck out 11 batters in six shutout innings as the BBCHS softball team won on the road in SWSC play, Milford's baseball team picked up its second straight blowout win and more in Wednesday'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.

The Boilermakers won the TJ Shirley Blue Smoke Invite, Nevaeh Brown made school history on the girls side, Bishop McNamara's baseball team slugged at the Pleasant Plains Invite and more in Saturday'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.

Kankakee's Lincoln Williams was named the Steve Tappa Illinois Media Player of the Year in Class 3A, one of 13 local boys and girls basketball players to earn All-State recognition.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Gardner-South Wilmington's baseball team got two home runs from Reed-Millette and Watseka's softball team got a two-run outing from pitcher Lilly Kingdon, with both teams picking up season-opening wins in Wednesday'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.

Coal City's Aidan Kenney, Brock Finch and Cade Poyner and Wilmington's Logan Van Duyne will all wrestle for state titles after winning their semifinal matches and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.