Shawn Akers

DU QUOIN — Pinckneyville High School's Remy Hicks has qualified for the girls' Illinois state track meet before. But there is something different, Hicks said, about 2026.

CARBONDALE — A second-place finish in the day's final event wasn't enough to carry the Carbondale High School boys' track team to a South Seven Conference championship at Bleyer Field Friday.

JONESBORO — You don't have to convince Herrin High School softball coach Nick Baskin how good Anna-Jonesboro is. Results speak for themselves.

MARION — With the teams having split the regular season series, Marion softball coach Joy Neal knew the key to beating Centralia in the regional championship game Saturday was to score early and often.

CARBONDALE – It wasn’t the result Carbondale’s Kai Manzano expected Saturday, and the freshman phenom couldn’t hide his disappointment after losing in the Class 1A boys’ sectional tennis tournament final

CARBONDALE — Double-digit strikeouts in a game isn't unfamiliar territory for Pope County High School senior pitcher Tucker Nalley. He's done it twice now against the same team.

VERGENNES — Waltonville/Sesser-Valier softball coach John Kiselewski constantly preaches aggressive baserunning to his team. Run the bases well, he says, and there's a good chance to score a lot of runs.

DU QUOIN — Pinckneyville Community High School's Kolton Smith doesn't mind throwing over 100 pitches in a single game. He's done it before, and with favorable results.

MARION — With his South team stifled offensively for the better part of three quarters, Johnston City's Jace Weaver knew he and his teammates had to turn things up a notch or go home defeated.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS — While soccer remains the most popular youth sport in America according to a recent article by signaturelocker.com , it's difficult to refute the popularity of swimming with kids in the Southern Illinois area.