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.

Herscher's girls soccer team made it five straight undefeated runs through the Illinois Central Eight Conference with a 2-0 home win over Manteno on senior night Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

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.

Gianni Jaime added to her school-record assist total by finding Sophie Venckauskas for a first-half goal and Gianna High added insurance on a free kick as the Herscher girls soccer team finished its fifth straight perfect conference season with a 2-0 win over Manteno on Tuesday.

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.

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.

The Herscher Invite was held Friday, where Wilmington's McKenna Von Tilburg won all four of her events and Tigers seniors like Kelly O'Connor and Jeremy Szepelak ran their final home meets.

Seventeen schools from the region competed in the Herscher Track Invite on Friday, May 1, 2026.

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.

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.

A four-run third inning was plenty of run support for Bradley-Bourbonnais baseball starter Andrew Kubal, who saw Lucas Garrett and Jace Boudreau come out of the bullpen to finish off a 5-1 win at Herscher Friday that snapped the Boilers' six-game losing streak

Eleven area schools competed in the Manteno Track Invite on Friday, April 24, 2026.

Two days after scoring her 100th career goal, Herscher's Gianni Jaime scored two more as the visiting Tigers beat Illinois Central Eight Conference rival Peotone 4-1 in a rematch of last season's sectional semifinals.

Gianni Jaime hit 100 career goals in Herscher's win over Coal City, the Tiger softball team topped the Coalers in extras and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Coal City stayed perfect in Illinois Central Eight Conference play with an 8-7 win at Herscher Monday, April 20, 2026.

Behind a four-hit day from Khloe Picard, Coal City downed Herscher 14-10 in Illinois Central Eight play to pick up its fifth straight conference victory and eighth win in the last 10 games overall.

After the Tigers used a six-run fifth to take a three-run lead, the visiting Coalers countered with five in the sixth, including senior catcher Donnie Ladas' go-ahead two-run single to help Coal City win a roller coaster of a game at Herscher Monday.

Coal City defeated Herscher 14-10 in Illinois Central Eight play on Monday, April 20, 2026.

Chase Maher and Santino Imhof had four hits apiece in Beecher's one-run one win, the Tigers mashed 20 hits in their seventh straight win and more in Saturday'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.

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.

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.

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.

As the MLB and MLS seasons have kicked off in recent weeks, several area natives are continuing their professional careers.

Wilmington wrapped up a series sweep over Herscher with an 8-1 home victory on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

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.

A grand slam from Cooper Holman highlighted a six-run sixth inning for Wilmington in Tuesday's game against Herscher, one where Ryan Kettman threw a gem and had three hits to lift the Wildcats to a two-game sweep of the Tigers.

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.

Bradley-Bourbonnais fought back for a 4-3 victory over Herscher on Monday, April 6, 2026.

Harper Tollefson scored three goals, including a go-ahead score with 18 minutes to play, to help lead Bradley-Bourbonnais to a 4-3 comeback win at home over Herscher on Monday.

Addie Wilkins had another shutout to help keep Herscher girls soccer undefeated, Bradley-Bourbonnais baseball won a slugfest against Oak Forest and more in Saturday'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.

Sophie Klawitter struck out 15 in a complete game while Mary Klawitter slugged a homer to lead Peotone, Gianni Jaime netted a hat trick for Herscher and more in Thursday'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.

Bishop McNamara's Malachi Lee, Wilmington's McKenna Van Tilburg and Manteno's Klarke Goranson, Olivia McElroy and Briggs Cann all won indoor state titles at the Illinois Top Times Championships, and more in Saturday'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.

Bishop McNamara beat Peotone 17-2, scoring nine in the top of the sixth innings to secure its first win of the season, and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais had 11 players record at least one hit Monday, providing plenty of support to five shutout innings from junior Abbie Hofbauer, in a 17-0 road win over Herscher.