Outside of the many state medals claimed by area girls track and field athletes at the IHSA State Finals, it was a busy and successful weekend around the Herald-News coverage area.

Here are a few of those top stories in our Weekend Rewind, with full reports available at www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Connor Barth claims third straight sectional title

In the Class 1A La Salle-Peru Sectional on Friday, Morris senior Connor Barth claimed a singles sectional title for the third year in a row, moving on to the IHSA State Finals in suburban Chicago this Thursday.

“This was a good day for sure,” Barth said. “Honestly everything in both matches was on today, from my serving and serve receive, playing at the baseline or at the net, playing aggressive or just to keep the ball in play, everything was just clicking for me. ...

“I’m excited for state, and I have some pretty high goals set for myself this last go around.”

Barth’s Morris teammate, Andrew Ochoa, also advanced via a fourth-place finish.

Morris finished runner-up in the team standings behind sectional champion Metamora.

In other boys tennis sectionals

Lemont – led by state-qualifying second- and third-place finishes from Parker Hsu and Owen Hsu in singles as well as the doubles teams of Jacob DePirro and Reyan Sochowski plus Josh Alcantara and Zak Kosanovich – won the 1A Joliet Catholic Sectional. Host JCA was third, with the team of Declan Wagner and Frank Schuler advancing to state via a second-place finish.

Lincoln-Way East won the Class 2A Lincoln-Way Central Sectional, powered by a championship from the doubles team of Thomas Stoiber and Nate Pangallo plus runner-up finishes from Henry Phillips in singles play and the duo of Cole Philips and Karson Kuzlik in doubles. Lincoln-Way Central’s Matthew Katsikas placed fourth in singles to also advance, with Minooka doubles teams Eli Chavez and Dale Larson plus Maddox Lundeen and Derek Przybyla placing third and fourth to move on.

Lockport blanks Plainfield Central for 4A regional title

An two-hit, 10-strikeout shutout from pitcher Brigit Faut was complemented by an 11-hit attack by her offense.

The result was more than enough to power the third-seeded host Porters past sixth-seeded Plainfield Central for a 6-0 victory in the Class 4A Lockport Regional championship game.

Lockport (23-12-1) – which outscored its two opponents a combined 13-0 in the regional – advances to face Lincoln-Way East in a sectional semifinal Tuesday at Lincoln-Way West.

“I think we’ve really been focusing all year as a team of having energy and doing it for each other,” Faut said. “I think we really did that today. Postseason is when it counts, so I’m glad we pulled it through.”

10th-seeded Lincoln-Way Central softball upsets Minooka

At the Class 4A Lincoln-Way Central Regional, the 10th-seeded Knights pulled off the upset over the No. 4 Indians in the title game behind four hits, including two doubles, and four RBIs from Mia Degliomini, and held off a five-run rally by Minooka in the bottom of the seventh to earn the win. Audrey Hennings also had four hits for Central. Addison Stehlik had four hits for Minooka. Olivia Boyd homered.

The Knights will play Lincoln-Way West on Tuesday, also in the Lincoln-Way West Sectional.

Other notable action ...

Other area softball regional champions included Lincoln-Way East (10-5 over Andrew), Lincoln-Way West (9-1 over Homewood-Flossmoor), Plainfield East (9-3 over Wheaton North), Providence (20-1 over Crete-Monee), Seneca (9-2 over Bishop Mac) and Morris (10-0 over Plano), the last led by pitcher Mylie Hughes’ no-hitter and 500th career strikeout. ... On the baseball diamond, Providence won a 5-4, eight-inning thriller over Lockport. ... As for girls soccer regional play, area champions included Lincoln-Way East (2-1 over Andrew), Lincoln-Way Central (2-0 over Homewood-Flossmoor), Lincoln-Way West (6-2 over Lockport), Providence (2-1 over Kankakee), Lemont (8-0 over Evergreen Park and Plainfield Central (2-0 over Batavia).