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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A grand slam highlighted KaLeah Jackson's memorable day for Kankakee, the Bradley-Bourbonnais girls water polo team won in three overtimes and more in Thursday'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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Grant Park's Cheyenne Hayes racked up 16 strikeouts and ended a 12-2 win over Milford-Cissna Park with a sixth-inning grand slam on Wednesday, leading the Dragons to their fourth straight win to start the 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.

Grant Park pulled away from Milford/Cissna Park for a 12-2 win on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

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.

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.

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

As the prep softball season begins Monday, here are five storylines from the Daily Journal area to keep an eye on.

An entire lineup of nine standouts return to the diamond from last year's Daily Journal All-Area softball team.

Clifton Central earned a 59-32 victory over Milford in the quarterfinals of the Class 1A Hoopeston Regional on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, at Central High School.

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.

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.

For the first time this season, the Kankakee boys basketball team took the top spot in this week's Associated Press Class 3A Basketball Poll.

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.

Gardner-South Wilmington took third place over Momence in the River Valley Conference Tournament, Beecher won a thriller at Tri-Point for fifth and more in Friday'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.

In a battle of undefeated Vermilion Valley Conference teams, Cissna Park made it 11 straight wins and clinched at least a tie of the VVC with a 59-38 win at Watseka/Milford on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.

All three All-City schools are sending a girls bowler to the sectional round, Momence won in the first round of the River Valley Conference Boys Basketball Tournament and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Bradley-Bourbonnais boys basketball team snapped an 11-game losing streak with its first conference win, the Kankakee girls blew out Thornwood to secure a 20-win season and more in Wednesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Kankakee clinched the Southland Athletic Conference title outright with a 20-point road win over Crete-Monee, its 15th win in a row, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.