After their first winning season in Bloomington-Normal Boys Lacrosse program history last year, BN Lacrosse opened the 2024 campaign without a win, losing all three opening matches. BN started the season with a 14-4 defeat to Lemont, followed by a 13-4 loss to Lockport. In their most recent game against...

Iron soccer are off to a 3-0 start, winning each match by shutout. Junior goalkeeper Erica Elofson has yet to conceed a goal, recording 11 saves on the season. In March 21's, 1-0 victory over Chatham Glenwood, Elofson recorded a season-high seven saves. Freshman Campbell Damery recorded the...

Jackson Soney and Carter Mayes earned first and second place at the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Freshman and Sophomore State Series in Springfield on Sunday, March 10. The 101-pound Soney clinched his second State title in as many years after taking first in IWCOA Regionals...

Community advances to the 4A IHSA State Finals for the second time in school history after defeating the Palatine Pirates 58-38 at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center Friday afternoon. Two Ironmen finished the night with double-digit scoring performances. Jaheem Webber posted a double-double...

Inside the Paint is a roundtable discussion where the Inkspot’s basketball beat reporters dive deep into the Ironmen boys and girls basketball seasons. Zachary Knox-Doyle, B.J. Dumas, Bella Green and Ben Kerber offer a courtside pass to all things Ironmen basketball. Join us as we break down...

Welcome to "The Up-Beat," where each week a group of Inkspot reporters take a break from breaking news to share what's been making them smile this week. Pranathi Ganti, Malachi McCool, Zachary Knox-Doyle and Brody Roberts share what is making them happy this week.  

Community is headed back to the 4A State Tournament for the first time since 2015 after a 53-29 win over the Downers Grove North Trojans at Illinois State’s CEFCU arena on Monday night. Downers Grove struggled to get anything to fall all night, shooting 21% from the field and going two for 35 from...

In NCAA March Madness history, there have been just two buzzer-beating dunks. The feat was last performed over 40 years ago, not repeated in nearly 2,500 matchups. By any measure, at any level, the buzzer-beating dunk is a rare conclusion to any basketball contest. Come March, against the toughest...

A nine-point scoring differential–in football, that’s a two-score game; in baseball, it’s a team hitting the cover of the ball; and in hockey and soccer, a rather rare feat.   In the realm of high school basketball, where every possession counts and every point can tilt the scale, a box score...

When Normal High laced up their cleats, preparing to take to the gridiron against Bloomington, the nineteen-man football roster had no idea they’d become a part of local lore, that the annual Intercity contest would one day be the stuff of legend.  On that fall Saturday, October 27, 1934, only...

TikTok.  Instagram. Snapchat. YouTube.  Despite growing concerns over social media’s effect on teen mental health, a new Pew Research Center survey reveals adolescents won’t be deleting their accounts anytime soon.   17% of teens surveyed described their social media use as “almost...

Inside the Paint is a roundtable discussion where the Inkspot’s basketball beat reporters dive deep into the Ironmen boys and girls basketball seasons. Zachary Knox-Doyle, B.J. Dumas, Lucas Drengwitz, Bella Green and Ben Kerber offer a courtside pass to all things Ironmen basketball, breaking down...

The Iron boys basketball team sit atop the Big 12 Conference standings after defeating the Peoria Richwoods Knights 57-49 Friday night.  The highly anticipated “unofficial Big 12 Championship,” with Community and Richwoods each entering the contest 5-0 in conference play, lived up to fan expectations...

Inside the Paint is a roundtable discussion where the Inkspot's basketball beat reporters dive deep into the Ironmen boys and girls basketball seasons. Zachary Knox-Doyle, B.J. Dumas, Bella Green and Ben Kerber offer a courtside pass to all things Ironmen basketball, breaking down the season so far...

The Ironmen boys basketball team fell 44-37 to the Thornton Wildcats in the Southern Illinois Classic on Saturday in Springfield. Ahead of the game, head coach Mr. Dave Witzig said the game was a “measuring stick,” offering the Ironmen a chance to gauge their performance against the state's more...

The Ironmen boys basketball team hoisted the Intercity trophy Monday night, finishing the annual tournament 4-0 after holding off the West Wildcats 57-54. The Intercity championship, head coach Mr. Dave Witzig said, is a rare accomplishment for the Ironmen. “I’ve been here 25 years,”...

The Ironmen threw down a 68-43 win over the Bloomington Raiders in the 2023-24 season opener at the Shirk Center Nov. 20. Community dominated the opening minutes of the Intercity tournament, slamming down four dunks in the contest’s opening three minutes of play and jumped out to a 14-0 lead over...

The Ironmen (12-0) return to the IHSA Football Semifinals for the first time since 2007, traveling to take on the Downers Grove North Trojans (10-2) on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. Last week, the Iron (1) battled back from a two-touchdown deficit to secure their spot in this week’s contest, while...

Six Ironmen are headed to college to continue their athletic careers, signing National Letters Of Intent on Thursday, Nov 8. Recognized at the after-school event were four future Division I athletes: Oregon commit Ali Ince (womens track & field), future Louisville Cardinal Ethan Eberle (baseball),...

The Ironmen punched their ticket to the IHSA 7A Football Quarterfinals for the first time since 2015 with a 31-30 overtime victory over the Bradley-Bourbonnais Boilermakers Saturday at Dick Tharpe Field. For the second time in two years, one point would decide the Ironmen and head coach Mr. Jason...

The Ironmen head to the IHSA 7A Football Quarterfinals for the first time since 2015 with a 31-30 overtime victory over the Bradley-Bourbonnais Boilermakers Saturday at Dick Tharpe Field. Watch the highlights and the video recap of the second round playoff win.

Seniors Anna Mayes and Kruthi Sudhir made history when the tennis doubles team earned fourth in the IHSA 2A State Tennis Tournament Saturday, Oct. 23. Mayes and Sudhir are the first female team to advance past the quarterfinal round in the State Doubles contest in nearly 50 seasons of Community girls...

A carriage-ride conversation and a demolished snowman.  A restored pale-blue 1961 Dodge Lancer. Typing 90 words per minute, saving the Daily News on a frantic night.    Each a grand declaration of love, a gesture of affection with one aim–winning Rory Gilmore’s heart. As we...

The Ironmen (5-0, 4-0) sit atop the Big 12 Conference standings in sole possession of first place after last week’s 34-0 shutout win over the Raiders of Bloomington. The Champaign Centennial Chargers fell to 4-1 in conference play, losing to the Danville Vikings last Friday 25-12. With a road...

Five Ironmen found the end zone in Friday’s 54-14 rout of defending 4A State Champions Sacred Heart-Griffin. Tailbacks Tommy Davis and Calen Taylor and wideout Mar’Quan Gary were key offensive contributors in the statement victory over the Cyclones, scoring two touchdowns apiece in the season...

Illinois became the first state in the nation to prohibit book bans on June 12 when Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 2789 into law.  Illinois public libraries that restrict or ban materials based on “partisan or doctrinal” disapproval will lose their eligibility for state funding...

Girls soccer earned its third consecutive Regional Title with a 2-1 win over the East Moline United Township Panthers on Friday, May 19. The Iron (13-8-4) open Sectional play Tuesday, May 22, facing the Minooka Central Community Indians (13-2-4) at Bloomington High School at 5 p.m. Minooka enters...

The College and Career Center hosted over 30 potential employers during May 3’s half-day. The event, organized by CCC counselor Mrs. Karrin Hawkins, showcased a variety of career paths available to students. Representatives from 35 organizations–local businesses, trades, military branches and...

Community’s boys and girls track and field teams can both boast the title “Intercity champs” after winning the annual crosstown competition at Bloomington High School on April 25.   Girls Track & Field The girls team, led by Ali Ince, defended their title for the third consecutive...

The McLean County Unit 5 School Board unanimously reversed the majority of cuts set to take effect in the 2023-24 school year at a special board meeting April 11.  The district will continue implementing several budget measures approved at the Jan. 31 board meeting, including limiting the number...

To reduce the district’s multi-million-dollar budget deficit, the School Board voted to eliminate junior high and freshman athletics and reduce the number of competitors attending out-of-town contests. Those cuts, several veteran Community coaches believe, are detrimental. While the cuts will...

After back-to-back trips to the IHSA State Tennis Tournament, juniors Anna Mayes and Kruthi Sudhir are already looking forward to next season. The doubles team finished the 2022 2A State Finals as one of the top 12 teams in Illinois. Last season at State, Mayes said, the team’s goal was to...

For the second straight year, Community’s boys and girls varsity cross country teams finished 2nd at the Intercity meet at Maxwell Park, Thursday, Sep. 22.   Girls Varsity  Normal West won the girl’s race, with the Wildcats finishing 7 points ahead of Community. Four Community runners...