Sports Shorts: St. Bede coach Shawn Sons, BCR Sports Editor receive ICA Softball awards

The coach of the St. Bede state champion softball team and the sports writer who covered them were recently recognized as 2023 Illinois Coaches Association Award winners.

Shawn Sons, who guided the Bruins to their first state championship, was named as the Sectional 2 Class 1A Coach of the Year. St. Bede defeated two-time defending state champion Glasford Illini Bluffs, 7-6, for the 1A State Championship in Peoria on June 3.

BCR Sports Editor Kevin Hieronymus, who covered the Bruins throughout the postseason on the road to the state finals, was named as the 2023 ICA Sports Person of the Year along with Greg Shashack of the Alton Telegraph.

Brad Oakes of Ottawa Marquette was named as the Sectional 7 Class 1A Coach of the Year.

Bureau Valley ‘Pink Out Night’ to benefit the Believe Foundation

MANLIUS - Bureau Valley High School will be hosting a “Pink Out Night” when the Storm football team hosts rival Princeton on Friday, Oct. 6. to donate money to The Believe Foundation.

BVHS will be selling raffle tickets, 50/50 and merchandise that all profit will be donated to the foundation.

PHS volleyball supports cancer awareness

PRINCETON - Princeton High School will be hosting its annual volleyball tournament on Saturday, Oct. 7 with purpose.

In conjunction with the tournament, Tigresses will hold a “Volley for a Cure” benefit to support St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. There will be a silent auction and a 50-50 drawing the day of the event.

All proceeds from shirt sales and event fundraisers will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital on behalf of Princeton volleyball. For more information, contact Elizabeth Klingenberg at 815-878-3353.

Participating teams for the tournament are Princeton, Mendota, Byron, Braidwood Reed-Custer and Sherrard.