In addition to the state medals won by our area’s boys track and field athletes at the State Finals, it was a busy championship 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.

Szambelan gets it done for JCA baseball

Joliet Catholic’s Rocco Szambelan got the start he’s been waiting for all season, and he made the most of it.

“This is exactly where I wanted to be at the start of the season,” said Szambelan, who tossed a complete game six-hitter and struck out seven as the Hilltoppers defeated Morris 8-2 for the Class 3A Joliet Catholic Regional championship. “I wanted to be the one starting the regional championship game. I was more excited than nervous last night. I had faith in myself and my teammates that we had put in the work that would get the job done.

“We can see on the outfield fence what the expectations are here, and we want to do our part.”

JCA advances to the Class 3A Washington Sectional, while Morris’ season comes to a close.

“We had better at-bats as the game went on, but we ran out of time,” Morris coach Todd Kein said. “The kids never hung their heads or got down. Sometimes it’s as simple as the other team executed and we didn’t, and that’s what happened today.”

Providence’s Robbins prevails in pitchers’ duel with Morris

Morris’s Mylie Hughes and Providence’s Macie Robbins put on a show in the circle, and in the end, it was the Celtics claiming the Class 3A Providence Sectional championship by a score of 2-0.

In the bottom of the third of a scoreless game, Bella Olszta led off with a walk for the Celtics and then stole her school-record 38th base of the season. A bunt thrown away allowed her to score what turned out to be the winning run from second.

“It’s nice to know that we can manufacture some runs against a good team,” Olszta said. “I was playing to my strength, getting on base and using my speed. It feels good to be such a big part of this win.

“We have a lot of confidence in Macie when she’s in the circle. We don’t want to put it all on her, so we want to give her a cushion. It was so much fun to win the sectional on our own field and to win our last home game.”

Lincoln-Way West wins first sectional title

Lockport gave up its first run of the postseason on a first-inning solo home run by Reese Rourke. She added a second solo shot in the sixth, which wound up being enough as Lincoln-Way West won its own Class 4A Lincoln-Way West Sectional championship 2-1.

The Warriors advance to the supersectional for the first time in program history.

“Since the opening of Lincoln-Way West, we’ve been so proud of our program,” coach Heather Novak said. “The coaches and athletes over the years have set the foundation for Warrior softball to be here today. For this group to be able to experience this is really neat.”

Abby Brueggmann pitched for L-W West and made Rourke’s two solo homers hold up despite an RBI single off the bat of Giavanna Diciolla.

Lockport finished the season 24-13-1.

“We had nine seniors who just truly led with their hearts and left it all out on the field today,” Lockport coach Marissa Chovanec said.

In other action ...

In girls soccer, Lemont topped Providence 2-1 and Plainfield Central fell to Geneva 2-0 in sectional championship matches. ... Plainfield East’s softball team was shut out 2-0 by Oswego’s Jaelynn Anthony to fall to the defending 4A state champs in the Class 4A Yorkville Sectional title game despite a pair of hits by Layla Iverson. ... Joliet West baseball, a No. 4 seed, saw a 24-win season come to a sudden end with a 13-0 loss to Marist in the Class 4A Stagg Regional championship game. ... Minooka baseball overwhelmed Plainfield Central 11-1 for the Indians’ 29th win, the 4A Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional title and a chance to face powerhouse Normal Community on Wednesday. ... Lincoln-Way East and Bolingbrook’s boys volleyball squads advanced to sectional finals with victories – L-W East over Lincoln-Way Central, Bolingbrook over Glenbard East. ... Lemont’s softball team won a Class 3A sectional championship 4-1 over host De La Salle, with Gardner-South Wilmington advancing in 1A via a 4-1 triumph over Serena. ... Lincoln-Way Central (6-5 over Lincoln-Way East), Lockport (5-3 over Waubonsie Valley), Wilmington (9-0 over Coal City), Lincoln-Way West (6-2 over Homewood-Flossmoor) and Gardner-South Wilmington (6-1 over Dwight) also brought home regional baseball titles.