Washington, Normal Community prep for super-sectional, PND & Le Roy reflect on state title games
PEORIA, Illinois (WMBD) – Super-sectionals for big school softball and baseball teams. Defending 3A softball state champion Pontiac faces Providence Catholic.
Meanwhile, we'll have two baseball teams competing as well. In 3A, Washington won their sectional title off dominant pitching from Gavin Lawrence on the mound. He and Carter Prina have been a dynamic one-two punch for the Panthers.
Prina will get the nod on Monday and the Bradley commit is excited to step on the rubber.
Oh, it's great. I mean, having all the confidence in the world in my guys. I mean, trying to make it to state, it's going to be amazing. Feeling the emotions. It's high right now, we're ready for the next one and hopefully going to state.
Carter Prina
We were able to capitalize off mistakes. And then with our pitching, how it's been working all season, I mean, it's hard for a team to come back from a deficit when they're already down in the first couple of innings.
Gavin Lawrence
Panthers face Benet Academy in Geneseo.
In 4A, Normal Community is in the midst of a historic season, heading to the super-sectional round for the first time in 21 years.
They won a wild game against O'Fallon in their own backyard at Illinois Wesleyan. Just one win from state, the team is having fun every step of the way.
It's awesome. I mean, I've never made it this far in my life. Even having a regional. So getting this far is just crazy and we really want to make something happen here. So we're excited.
Max Heineman
We definitely had high expectations at the beginning of the year and we went to work every day at practice and got 1% better leading to this point and just looking forward to continuing it being at least another another day with all my brothers here
Kyle Beaty
Peoria Notre Dame girls soccer dropped a heartbreak in the 2A state championship. The Irish fell 1-0 to St. Ignatius on a last-minute goal.
The program had been to the state tournament 12 times before, but Saturday was the first time they played for a title. Through the heartbreak, the Irish tried to keep their historic year in perspective.
The effort we put into this season, we had more wins than we've had ever. We set records, we made history; second in state is a big accomplishment, but we're super upset and we want to come back next year and get first
Rylie Bare
You know, it stings, it's going to sting. But again, you know, they kind of made their mark the last two years and, you know, keep your heads high. And the effort all year has been there and it's just, this sucks.
Ben Ralph
The team ended the season with 26 wins and the 2A runner-ups.
Meanwhile, Le Roy Panthers softball reached the state title game not just for the first time in program history; it was the first championship appearance of any Panthers girls athletics program.
The Trailblazing made this year's team incredibly close.
We just told each other to stick together and to be tough. That's really what we think about all the time. Play for each other, not for ourselves. And that's all we can think about. I'm just going to remember this team. We are family to each other
Natalie Loy
Panthers are the 1A runner-ups and wrapped up their second Final Four berth in three years.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBS News
21 minutes ago
- CBS News
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier earns 2nd Player of the Week award this season
Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier has earned her second Western Conference Player of the Week award this season, adding another accolade to her MVP-level year. Collier's latest honor covers two Lynx games, during which she averaged 23 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2 steals and 1.5 blocks. She logged a double-double in each game. The 28-year-old forward was named the West's Player of the Week for the first four games of the season and Player of the Month for May. Collier leads the WNBA this season in points per game (25.5), steals per game (2.2), player efficiency rating (32.1) and win shares (2.4). Her play has the Lynx off to a 9-0 start, matching how the Lynx began their last championship season in 2017. Last season, Collier finished second in MVP voting behind the Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson. She's having another stellar season for the Aces, but if Collier continues at her current level of play, it'll be hard for voters to deny her the first MVP award of her career. Collier also made the All-WNBA First Team last year and was named Defensive Player of the Year amid the Lynx's surprising but ultimately unavailing run to the WNBA Finals. She also won a gold medal with Team USA at the Summer Olympics. Since then, she's had a productive offseason. She was named the MVP of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 basketball league she co-founded, and TIME magazine listed her among its 100 Most Influential People.


New York Times
25 minutes ago
- New York Times
Lee Corso's final ‘College GameDay' to come at Ohio State in Week 1
Lee Corso's final mascot headgear pick for 'College GameDay' will come at Ohio State, where it all began. ESPN's flagship college football show will go to Columbus, Ohio, in Week 1, where the Buckeyes will face Texas in what is expected to be a top-five matchup. ESPN said in April that the 89-year-old Corso would retire after Week 1 of the upcoming season, giving him a celebratory sendoff, but it did not name the location. There was some speculation the show could go to the Florida State-Alabama game, as Corso played at FSU in the 1950s alongside actor Burt Reynolds (and because Ohio State-Texas will be broadcast on Fox). 📍 Week 1: Columbus, OH We're kicking off College GameDay with a trip to Texas-Ohio State, as we celebrate Lee Corso's final show back where he first made headgear history! 🤩 — College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) June 10, 2025 But the show will send Corso off where the headgear picks began. While Corso has been on the show since its inception in 1987, his first mascot pick came at Ohio State in 1996 for the Buckeyes' game against Penn State. Corso has made 430 headgear picks, from Buckeyes to animals to helmets to full-on costumes. He's correctly picked 66.5 percent of those choices, according to ESPN, including a perfect 11-0 in 1999. Brutus Buckeye has been the most popular pick, chosen 45 times, with Alabama just behind at 38. 'When it was our game, I was always hoping he didn't pick us,' Nick Saban said in April, 'because I knew the players were watching and I wanted reverse rat poison.' Coach Lee Corso by the numbers 🤯 🐻 430 mascot headgear picks🏈 66.5% win rate of picks all-time🏆 Perfect season = 1999 More on LC's 38 years on @CollegeGameDay: — ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 17, 2025 'My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and 'College GameDay' for nearly 40 years,' Corso said in a news release in April. 'I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.'


CBS News
26 minutes ago
- CBS News
Sacramento Railyards soccer stadium plan faces key city council vote
A key Sacramento city council vote deciding the future of Republic FC's new soccer stadium is set for Tuesday. Plans for Republic FC's new home, an expandable 12,000-seat facility, can't come to life without figuring out how to cover infrastructure in the area – things like roadways, pedestrian bike lanes, and traffic lights that the city estimates will to cost north of $90 million. Tuesday's vote will be to approve a special tax district that the city is looking to use to cover the cost. "I think this one is a good investment. We're not investing, subsidizing the stadium," said Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty. The Railyards development will cost an estimated $321 million at least, according to city numbers, with most of it privately funded, like Republic FC's stadium and the area around it. Developers of the project – including Indomitable Ventures, formed by Republic FC – would pay for the infrastructure costs up front, then be reimbursed through funds generated by the special tax district. "We're subsidizing the infrastructure by giving a return on property taxes that but for this project wouldn't be generated anyways," McCarty said. If approved by the council, the deal would commit the city to paying more than $90 million to the project developers in the form of future tax revenue from the soccer stadium and central shops. McCarty says construction would start this year if the plan passes. The stadium is planned to be opened by 2027.