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.

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.

Ava Johnson exploded for 30 points and Malea Harrison set the school's single-game assist record as part of her triple-double to help the Kays to a two-point win over Crete-Monee, and more in Thursday'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.

Despite being shorthanded in the post for Monday's showdown at Watseka/Milford, Cissna Park used hot outside shooting early to open things up inside down the stretch during a battle of Vermilion Valley unbeatens at Watseka/Milford.

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.

Grant Park's Taylor Panozzo recorded a unique triple double in a win over Gardner-South Wilmington, Watseka/Milford's Christa Holohan and Reed-Custer's Alyssa Wollenzein each hit 1,000 career points and more in Thursday'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.

Bishop McNamara's Trinitee Thompson helped the Irish to a win at Marian Central, Ava Johnson and Malea Harrison powered Kankakee over Morgan Park and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

Coal City had 11 wrestlers place first and all 14 advance to sectionals in a dominant Class 1A Coal City Regional performance, Kankakee advanced six wrestlers out of the 2A Oak Forest Regional and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Reed-Custer beat Illinois Central Eight Conference opponent Coal City for its seventh straight win, Milford downed Schlarman in an overtime Vermilion Valley Conference thriller, and more in Friday's Daily Journal roundup.

Kankakee's Malea Harrison, Manteno's Maddie Gesky and Grant Park's Taylor Panozzo and Abi Roberts all had double-doubles, plus more in Thursday's Daily Journal roundup.

Watseka/Milford girls basketball reached the 20-win mark and stayed undefeated in the Vermilion Valley, Gardner-South Wilmington earned its second win in its last three games and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.

The Boilermaker dance team is headed to state, Bishop McNamara's Tristin Golden is a conference champion on the mats and more in Saturday's Daily Journal roundup.

Manteno clinched its second straight 20-win season with a 57-52 road win over Watseka/Milford on Wednesday in a battle between two of the top Class 2A teams in the state.

Manteno held on for a 57-52 victory over Watseka/Milford on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026.

Kankakee had four players score between 14 and 20 points in a conference win over Thornridge, its 11th in a row overall, and more in Tuesday's Daily Journal roundup.

Bradley-Bourbonnais saw four girls wrestlers win individual titles on the way to a Rantoul Invite championship, Bishop McNamara's girls basketball team trounced Aurora Christian and more in Monday's Daily Journal roundup.