Girls Bowling

Marengo's Justin Fluger and Grace Wzientek top the All-Kishwaukee River Conference boys and girls bowling teams as Players of the Year.

As the calendar turns to March every year, athletes, fans and sports reporters alike start turning their attention to the outdoors. After almost four months being cooped up in gymnasiums, it’s nice to start thinking about getting back outside to cover games and events.

Oregon's Ava Wight finished in 20th place overall on Saturday at the IHSA State Bowling Finals, held at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford. The junior rolled a two-day, 12-game total of 2,394, setting a new program record with the total pinfall and her final placement.

Oregon junior Ava Wight easily advanced to Day 2 of the IHSA State Bowling Meet, rolling a six-game series of 1,197 in the opening two rounds Friday at the Cherry Bowl in Rockford.

Three locals will be part of history in two weeks, as they advanced to the first-ever IHSA girls wrestling tournament by finishing in the top four at the Naperville Central Sectional on Saturday. Also, Oregon's Ava Wight advanced to next weekend's IHSA girls state bowling meet.

Polo and Amboy cruised to wins in their girls basket all regional openers on Saturday, while Oregon, Fulton and Bureau Valley also punched their tickets to the semifinals.

La Salle-Peru marked the highest team total in each of the three afternoon games to first pass and then hold off Joliet West for the sectional championship Saturday.

Joliet West and Minooka earned team bids to the IHSA State Finals, with Abby Nolan earning an individual bid with her runner-up finish at Illinois Valley Super Bowl.

A trio of Sterling wrestlers moved on from Saturday’s Class 2A United Township Regional in East Moline, with a pair of runners-up and a third-place finisher qualifying for next week’s Sycamore Sectional.

The Newman girls basketball team picked up their second win of the season Thursday, defeating Riverdale 44-42 in a Three Rivers crossover contest in Port Byron. Meanwhile, the Dixon girls won a Big Northern road game, while Oregon grabbed its first BNC win at home.

The Newman boys basketball team rolled past Alleman 65-39 in a nonconference game Wednesday night in Sterling.

The Newman boys basketball team used a fourth-quarter surge to notch a 56-50 win over Mendota in a Three Rivers East road game Tuesday night.

The Newman girls basketball team lost 53-38 to Hall in a Three Rivers East game Monday night in Spring Valley, while Bureau Valley defeated Kewanee 37-23 in a TRAC East matchup. Meanwhile, Morrison defeated Monmouth-Roseville 48-40 in a TRAC West contest.

Oregon senior Isaac Kaltenbrun finished his high school bowling career at the IHSA State Meet at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon on Saturday, bowling a six-game series of 1,087 on Day 2 to finish 73rd overall. He rolled a two-day total of 2,314.

The Dixon wrestling team finished the season undefeated for the first time in 30 years, going a perfect 13-0 in dual meets after a win over LaSalle-Peru on Thursday night at The Pit.