{"id":12719,"date":"2026-06-08T09:52:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T09:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomingtonnews.online\/?p=12719"},"modified":"2026-06-08T09:52:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T09:52:02","slug":"local-sports-news-june-8-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomingtonnews.online\/?p=12719","title":{"rendered":"Local Sports News: June 8, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bloomington North Wins its first Boys Track and Field State Championship <\/strong> For two minutes, Cougar hearts were beating faster than James Bosco\u2019s after an all-out leg at the end of the 4\u00d7400 relay. Caleb Winders\u2019 hamstring held up well through the 4\u00d7800 and the 800 as Bloomington North took the titles in both events. But on the second leg of the 4\u00d7400, it gave out, taking North from being on track to score out of the second heat to no points at all. Franklin Central trailed by nine points, and a win would give the Flashes the team state title. They were the top seed, but also going in without their star, Rylan Hainje, who couldn\u2019t go on after sweeping the hurdles in record-setting fashion. So, North watched and worried as FC took the lead after two laps. \u201cNo, no, no, no,\u201d Winders cried, hands on his head, watching a state team championship slip away. But the Flashes ran out of gas after the final handoff, falling from second to fifth. The Cougars, in spite of everything, were IHSAA state champs after placing fourth, third and second the past three seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the first state boys track championship for the city since Bloomington High School won the first title on Indiana University\u2019s Jordan Field way back in 1904. It\u2019s the second title in the last two years for retiring 46-year assistant track coach\/head boys’ cross country coach Charlie Warthan, following up on the cross-country title in 2024. \u201cIt\u2019s super amazing,\u201d Warthan said. \u201cI knew this group of kids the distance runners coming in was a special group. But you don\u2019t win a state championship with just distance runners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a tough, tough day to get through, with two weather delays totaling around two hours. The air-conditioned bus helped, but the rest the Cougars had to literally sweat it out.\u201cIt\u2019s not fun to sit there and not be in control of your own destiny,\u201d North coach Justin Helmer said. \u201cIt\u2019s great the way it turned out, and I\u2019ll leave here happy and I\u2019ll leave here wishing for one more. But that\u2019s what you do, right? \u201cI\u2019m proud of the team. It\u2019s not easy to win one of these. Fourth, third, second, first, that\u2019s special. Scoring 39 points, that\u2019s kind of crazy to win a state meet, but it kind of shows around the state for the most part, the talent was spread out. Fortunately, we were able to put it together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt feels great,\u201d said senior Caelan D\u2019Onofrio added. \u201cSo relieved right now. We knew we could do it. There was a lot going on a lot that happens. Great end to a great year.\u201d North kept its four-year string of wins in the 4\u00d7800 alive as Shep Jackson, this year\u2019s new addition, Jake Gentry and Caelan D\u2019Onofrio put Winders in great position to hang in second place before tearing away in the last 200 for a win in 7:38.87. \u201cIt\u2019s been such an amazing group that I\u2019ve been with since I was a little kid,\u201d Gentry said. \u201cWe\u2019ve all been moving up together. To get a state medal, it\u2019s fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winders put down a huge finish to take the 800 in 1:49.36 that was just .11 off Austin Mudd\u2019s state record, with D\u2019Onofrio able to push himself to a 1:53.01 for ninth. That had followed a tough race in the 1,600 in which Westview senior Noah Bontrager won in a state record while D\u2019Onofrio ran a 4:08.53, just a hair off his school record. \u201cThe (800) was so hard, after all the delays,\u201d D\u2019Onofrio said. \u201cWe got a point. I\u2019ll take it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North looked like it might sew things up a bit earlier as Alan Hays raced toward the finish line to cap off the best 300 hurdles race of his life. Instead, it became the worst when he hit the last hurdle and fell. The winner went past him to post a 38.00, which says how fast he was going. More drama would follow, but it worked out. \u201cThat was tough,\u201d Helmer said. \u201cYou go back to Alan Hays and that was such a crushing moment. He might have gotten second out of that middle heat. He was probably 36-high, 37-low, He finishes that and the meet\u2019s over. But then all of a sudden, Franklin Central gets a guy in the 200 final and scores five points and put them right back into it again.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winders\u2019 hamstring issue opened the door just enough to give FC hope. \u201cI would have been so mad if we lost that,\u201d Winders said. \u201cI was just trying to do what I could in the four-by-four. I don\u2019t think I warmed up for it properly. Between the 800 and four-by-four I didn\u2019t get enough strides and drills in, so I think that\u2019s on me.\u201d Bosco, who had earlier placed fourth in the 400 (48.43), was exhausted. The idea was Kellen Bishop, Winders and RaShon English would set the junior up to take care of the lead. \u201cBecause I can run better alone,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it turns out I almost did run alone but not the right way. But Calebs such a warrior, so RaShon got our really fast and I got in behind and just see what I can do.\u201d Enough to get North to 12th. Then the last heat started. \u201cI was on my back the whole time,\u201d Bosco said. \u201cBut I was getting race updates from Caleb. I felt pretty bad, but I think I\u2019m going to feel good in about 30 minutes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior Adis Hamidovic got one in. Just that 150-footer was a welcome sight, considering he\u2019d fouled three times last year. Then his next was in, up to 170. Then he was back in the 180s, keeping everything between the lines this time until he took third place in discus with a 185-0. Shot put was another story and all three attempts were fouls, but it was OK after getting the job done in discus. \u201cI\u2019m just so thankful I was able to do it,\u201d Hamidovic said. \u201cI threw that 157 and I was real, real nervous. Then I got that 181 and I was first going into the finals. Doing what I needed to do for the team and that\u2019s all I really cared about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South senior Gabe Taylor was sixth in the 200 (21.66) and 17th in the 100 despite a 10.93 as the winds were fickle during the preliminaries. \u201cIt\u2019s something I\u2019ve wanted to do for a while,\u201d Taylor said of earning a medal in the 200. \u201cI know it\u2019s not top three or top five or anything, but I\u2019m just grateful I was able to run today. Had a good showing in prelims. I\u2019m excited. This is a big stage. Surreal.\u201d The weather break after the 100s allowed him to reset for the 200s. \u201cLast year, I had a good PR here,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cBut being able to get on the podium finally. I\u2019ve been taking it seriously in the weightroom and on the track, so I\u2019m just grateful for God\u2019s blessing.\u201d In pole vault, junior Arthur Banks continues to climb the ladder, but he\u2019s not stopping until he gets to the top. He nearly did this time. Just four remained after reaching 16-0, but only Crown Point\u2019s was able to get over on his last try at 16-3. Banks was fourth on misses, a step up from fifth last year at 15-0. \u201cI won\u2019t be happy until I win,\u201d Banks said. But he was after making it over 16-0 on his last try. \u201cIt more just relief getting over the bar,\u201d Banks said. It was a day with a lot of sitting around for Banks, who didn\u2019t enter until 14-6. \u201cIt was definitely a struggle, but I just had to come out of it with the mentality of all these can happen, but everybody else is going through the same thing,\u201d Banks said. \u201cI just visualized what I needed to get done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martinsville\u2019s Rayce Wolff was sixth in the 800 in 1:52.20. The Panthers also took 21st in the 4\u00d7800. Noah Field fouled on all three shot put attempts, while Bedford North Lawrence\u2019s Tripp Stahl took seventh in the shot put with a 58-10\u00be. Stahl was 21st in discus and Luke Morris 24th in the 300 hurdles. Edgewood\u2019s William Hosey was 25th in the 100 (11.08) and the 4\u00d7100 team improved on its regional time with a 43.47 for 29th. South\u2019s Simon Barnes was 18th in the 200 (22.04). Owen Valley\u2019s Noah Hall bowed out in the high jump at 6-2. For North, Josiah Powell had a career best 10.84 in the 100 but was the 11th qualifier to just miss the finals. He also had a 22.29 in the 200 for 25th. Eric Shin was 34th in the 100; Evan Cheng was 24th in long jump (21-3\u00be); Jackson was 22nd in the 1,600; Quinn Walters was 20th in discus and Hays was 21st in the 110 hurdles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bloomington South Baseball Walks It Off in Extra Innings over Columbus North to Win the Regional Championship <\/strong> Not a bad way to win your first regional championship in 11 years, eh? South baseball\u00a0won a game for the ages Saturday, June 6, knocking off Columbus North, 6-3 in 13 innings, to claim an IHSAA Class 4A regional title. The Panthers (21-6) will play in their first semi-state since 2015 this Saturday, June 13, against North Central. The time and location were not announced as of 7:30 p.m. Saturday, but they are listed as the second semifinal game opposite Evansville North vs. Center Grove. The semi-state semifinals and title game happen on the same day. The survivor advances to the Class 4A state championship game the weekend of June 19-20 at Victory Field in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a seesaw battle that saw South take a 2-0 lead to the sixth, North scored runs in consecutive innings \u2014 including extras \u2014 only for South to keep the game alive in the bottom of the eighth. After that, the offense dried up. Zero runs were scored in innings 9-12 despite both teams threatening to win the game. North put two runners on in the top of the 13th, but failed to score. This set up the dramatic finish for the Panthers. After Max Surdam reached by an error and Luke Arnett singled, senior Connor Couch smacked a three-run home run over the leftfield fence for the walk-off win. Couch was sensational on the pitching mound, too, going eight innings, allowing three runs (two earned) with six strikeouts. Senior Tyler Morris followed with 2 1\/3rd innings of shutout ball, followed by 2 2\/3rd spotless innings from junior Reid Walker. Walker drove in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third. The Panthers made it 2-0 the next frame on an RBI single from junior Drew Palielo. Columbus North scored a run in the sixth via a fielder\u2019s choice, tied the game on a passed ball in the seventh and took a brief lead in the eighth on an RBI single from Cade Finke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bloomington South Girls Track and Field Finishes Second at the IHSAA State Finals <\/strong> Even casual followers of Indiana high school sports know Carmel has the most state championships. In 17 sports, the Greyhounds had won state championships during the 2000s. One notable omission: girls track and field. No more. After going without one in this sport since 1999, Carmel has gone back-to-back. Moreover, if you count Hoosier State Relays as an unofficial state indoor meet, Carmel has back-to-back triple crowns in cross-country, indoor and outdoor track. In Friday\u2019s 52nd annual State Finals at North Central, Carmel started with a record in the 4×800-meter relay and never relented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a meet featuring favorites holding form \u2013 Mallory Weller\u2019s distance double, Ellie Barada\u2019s repeat in the 800 meters, Kira Smith\u2019s high jump supremacy \u2013 Carmel\u00a0really<\/em>\u00a0came through. \u201cWe\u2019re not counting on one person to score 30 points,\u201d coach Aaron McRill said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get them from everyone, and they all buy into it.\u201d It was Carmel’s sixth state championship of the school year, one off its own record of seven — which it has done four times.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carmel scored 49 \u00bd points to 35 for runner-up Bloomington South, which had its highest finish ever. Whiteland scored 33 for third, its first top 10 ever. Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran was fourth with 29, featuring 20 by Weller. McRill suggested Carmel was on its way before the 4×800. Ellie Cooley was supplying two points with eighth place in the discus, and pole vaulter Kate Hammond (seeded 15th) kept clearing bars until she tied for seventh and 2 \u00bd more points. Then Annabel Pollert, Sadie Foley, Kaitlyn Oshimura and Larkin Taylor won the 4×800 in 8:49.46, climbing to No. 3 in the nation this year. Previous state record was 8:51.35 last year by Bloomington South, anchored by Barada. \u201cThey crushed it,\u201d McRill said. \u201cThey were on fire.\u201d Moreover, Carmel scored 15 in the 1,600 and 11 in the 800. As it turns out, those 36 points in three events would have been adequate for the title. Carmel scored in seven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weller, a North Carolina State signee, allowed some of her lead to diminish on the final lap of the 1,600 but won in 4:46.34. Foley and Taylor were second and third in 4:49.51 and 4:51.47, respectively. Off splits of 5:12\/5:06, Weller took the 3,200 in 10:18.66. Kenya Leitch of Columbia City was second in 10:23.17. Indian Creek senior Libby Dowty, a state champion in cross-country and wrestling, was third in 10:24.85. At a meet like state, Weller said, she prioritizes place over time. She had run a 1,600 in 4:33.77 at a regional May 26 and still ranks No. 5 nationally. \u201cI was not really supposed to run that fast. But it was perfect conditions, perfect weather. I felt great,\u201d she said. She heads next to the New Balance outdoor nationals. She was a national champion in the indoor two-mile in March 2025. \u201cThe other girls in the nation doing those times are doing it with people,\u201d Weller said. \u201cSo it gives me a lot of confidence going into New Balance nationals that I can compete with those girls and I can win a national title.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barada, a North Carolina recruit, was four-tenths off the state meet record with her 800 of 2:05.33. She won by more than five seconds. She, too, is a national indoor champion (at Nike) and has a best of 2:03.02 for No. 2 nationally indoors. She next heads to the under-20 USA Championships at Eugene, Ore. \u201cI haven\u2019t hit my limit for the year whatsoever,\u201d Barada said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it is June in Indiana, a Smith sister from Warren Central is winning a state championship. In 2024, Laila Smith ran to a state title in the 300 hurdles. In 2025, Samaya Smith won state singles in tennis. And now Kira Smith has won state in the high jump. \u201cI\u2019m really proud of my sisters and everything that they\u2019ve done,\u201d Kira said. \u201cTo be able to add to the list of state champions feels really nice.\u201d Or it\u2019s nice if you don\u2019t have to suffer as Kira\u2019s coach does. If you\u2019re a parent, you get it . . . because her coach is her father, Steve, a hall-of-fame high jumper. Steve Smith said he felt calm when he competed, but it\u2019s \u201cnerve-wracking\u201d to coach his daughter. \u201cI hate to videotape because it shakes a lot,\u201d said the father, a former NCAA runner-up for Indiana State. \u201cSo hopefully, the family got better recordings than I did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two older sisters were at the stadium to cheer Kira. Laila didn\u2019t arrive in Indianapolis until Friday night from TCU, where she is a hurdler and long jumper. The outcome wasn\u2019t inevitable, even with Kira having won at New Balance indoor nationals and repeating at the state indoor meet. She missed her opening attempt \u2013 at 5 feet, 4 inches \u2013 and fell to 12th place. The junior jumped 5-6 and 5-7 on first attempts, and 5-8 on the third \u2013 as did Northview senior Karsyn Buck. They were tied. Kira went ahead by making 5-9 and 5-10 on first attempts, wiggling the bar on each clearance. At this facility a month ago, she jumped 6-1 — first in the world among under-18 girls, according to World Athletics. She also heads to Eugene for U20 nationals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the meet\u2019s biggest upset was in the 300 hurdles. Eastern Hancock junior Bella Sotelo, an all-league basketball point guard, won in 41.49. She was .13 off the state record held by Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran\u2019s Symone Black since 2014. Hamilton Southeastern senior Chloe Senefeld, second on the Indiana all-time list at 41.44, finished second in 42.19.Sotelo said she was off balance over the first four of eight hurdles and scrambled to keep up with the fast-starting Senefeld. \u201cShe started slowing, so I kept pushing,\u201d Sotelo said. \u201cI finally passed her and got it. I was shocked that I did. I can\u2019t explain what happened, really.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, Sotelo was second in the 100 hurdles behind Merrillville sophomore Jordyn Fort, who ran 13.86 into a headwind (-1.8). Sotelo\u2019s time was 14.03. Elsewhere, junior Annisa Lammie won the 400 in 54.32 (No. 9 all-time in Indiana). She teamed with Senefeld (54.18 anchor) for HSE\u2019s winning 3:47.29 in the 4×400 relay. New Balance indoor runner-up Amelia Smith of Guerin Catholic overcame shifting winds to win the pole vault at 13 feet. She no-heighted at state last year. \u201cIt was kind of a redemptive year,\u201d the former gymnast said. \u201cI mean, I\u2019m doing it for myself this year. Last year it felt like I had to prove myself to a lot of people.\u201d On a day of shifting winds, Franklin senior Addison Martin led through 12-3 and 12-6. After first-attempt clearances at 12-9 and 13-0, Smith\u2019s redemption was complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indy Eleven Women’s Soccer Scores Six on the Dayton Dutch Lions <\/strong> Indy Eleven\u00a0secured\u00a0its\u00a0second win\u00a0this week\u00a0in a\u00a0commanding\u00a06-0 fashion\u00a0versus\u00a0USL W League\u00a0Valley Division leader\u00a0Dayton Dutch Lions FC\u00a0Sunday night.\u00a0 Notre Dame\u2019s Ellie Hodsden not only made her Girls in Blue debut, but she scored the\u00a0club\u2019s fifth hat trick in history. Two of the goals were courtesy\u00a0of assist from Irish teammate Abby Mills.\u00a0\u00a0The Girls in Blue had strong goals on the pitch from Nicky Jodoin, Breanna\u00a0Dardano\u00a0and Jenna Chatterton to round out the 6-0 win at Grand Park.\u00a0\u00a0 Defensively, Emily Edwards had her second clean sheet of the season\u00a0further justifying\u00a0that\u00a0her leadership and command of the field is a key part\u00a0to\u00a0Indy Eleven\u2019s wins.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Girls in Blue\u00a0will\u00a0continue their four-match homestand Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm, hosting\u00a0division leader and\u00a0rival Racing Louisville FC indoors at the Community Health Network Events Center on the Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.\u00a0\u00a0Tickets are under $12 and they can be\u00a0purchased\u00a0online<\/a>\u00a0or after doors open at 6:00 pm.\u00a0 The match will also be streamed\u00a0on\u00a0Sports Engine Play<\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0Greg Rakestraw and Kristin Haseley calling the action.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strong Second Half Lifts Indy Eleven over Forward Madison FC<\/strong> When halftime ended at Carroll Stadium, the floodgates opened, both for Indy Eleven and the sky.\u00a0 As heavy rain began to fall upon downtown, the Boys in Blue scored two goals in the first ten minutes of the second half to earn a 2-0 win over Forward Madison FC in Prinx Tires USL Cup play. For much of the first half, Indy Eleven peppered Forward Madison FC\u2019s goal, taking 12 shots and putting five on target under cloudy skies. The Boys in Blue threatened immediately coming out of halftime. In the 48th minute, Cam Lindley floated in an in swinging free kick toward the back post.\u00a0 Bruno Rend\u00f3n got under the cross on the right side of the box and headed the ball back toward the crowded six, where Paco Craig towered above a host of bodies to score his first goal of the season on a header.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just six minutes later, the Boys in Blue were back on the attack.\u00a0 Kian Williams drove down the right sideline and played a through ball to Alejandro Mitrano as he was entering the box.\u00a0 Mitrano made a first-time cutback pass to Jack Blake, whose sliding shot from 12 feet out was parried back into the middle of the box by Madison goalkeeper Tenzing Mansing.\u00a0 Josh O\u2019Brien arrived at the box and put away the rebound for his third goal in all competitions this season. Throughout the rest of the second half, the Boys in Blue continued to look as threatening as the lightning visible in the distance over north Indianapolis.\u00a0 Indy Eleven had a whopping nine shots on target in the second half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Madison had a handful of shots in the later parts of the second half, the Indy Eleven defense stood strong, helping Reice Charles-Cook record his second clean sheet in just his fourth start of the season. Rend\u00f3n, who is a finalist for USL-C\u2019s May \u201cPlayer of the Month\u201d award, was threatening all night long and recorded the game\u2019s only assist.\u00a0 Although his four-game goal-scoring streak ended, he nearly scored midway through the first half. Jack Blake played him through on a quickly taken free kick in the 34th minute, but a last-second sliding tackle by a Madison defender deflected his shot off target. Rend\u00f3n still leads all players with 11 goals in the three-year history of the USL Cup, four more than any other player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15-year-old forward Tyler Lowden made his Indy Eleven debut with four minutes to go, becoming the youngest player to take the pitch with the first-team in franchise history. The Greenwood, Ind., native who attends Center Grove High School was signed to an academy contract just eight days ago. The final statistics revealed just how dominant the hosts were.\u00a0 Indy Eleven finished with 23 shots, 14 on target, and eight corners. The Boys in Blue are 1-1-1 in USL Cup Group 4 play with one group game remaining at Lexington SC on June 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indy Eleven resumes USL Championship action at Eastern Conference opponent Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC next Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. The next home game for the Boys in Blue is on Wednesday, June 17 at 7 p.m. vs. Brooklyn FC.\u00a0 It is a 317 Night, so fans can purchase $11 tickets\u00a0online<\/a>. Ticket options include the new\u00a0Desnuda Tequila Deck<\/a>\u00a0(sold out for this match)<\/em>,\u00a0Family Four-Packs<\/a>, and Flex Mini-Plans. Located on the East Deck, the Desnuda Tequila Deck has an exclusive full-service bar and high-top seating providing panoramic pitch-side views for 50 people.\u00a0 It\u2019s a social experience offering a wonderful place to hang out and take in the game!\u00a0 Desnuda Tequila Deck seats start at $59 and include one FREE cocktail and bottomless chips, salsa, and guac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Family Four-Pack is available for all 2026 home games and can be purchased\u00a0online<\/a>\u00a0only.\u00a0 Priced at just $49, the Family Four-Pack includes four tickets, FREE parking, $20 in Concession Vouchers, and a 20% Merchandise Discount, along with access to the Fun Zone\/Kids Activation Area. Flex Mini Plans<\/a>\u00a0include vouchers to be redeemed for any 2026 regular season home match. For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email\u00a0tickets@indyeleven.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint Paul Saints Shut out the Indianapolis Indians in Series Finale <\/strong> Pittsburgh Pirates No. 7 prospect Antwone Kelly threw his second consecutive scoreless relief appearance this season, but the Indianapolis Indians were shut out by the St. Paul Saints, 3-0, to conclude the series on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field. The Indians (25-38) batters put traffic on the bases early, getting six base runners in the first three innings, but could not capitalize. Isaac Mattson and Hunter Barco (L, 2-5) held the Saints (34-28) hitless until the fourth inning, when three singles resulted in the first run of the game and put the Saints up, 1-0. St. Paul kept the momentum moving with a two-run fifth inning, as Aaron Sabato hit a bases-loaded single to extend the lead, 3-0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly allowed a pair of hits and a walk to load the bases in the seventh inning but punched out Sabato and Tanner Schobel to strand the runners. Justin Meis followed with a quick eighth inning to log his fifth consecutive shutout appearance. For the Saints, Ty Langenberg (W, 2-2) picked up his second win of the season after throwing 2.1 scoreless frames. Trailing 3-0 in the ninth inning, Rafael Flores Jr. gave the Indians some hope with a one-out single. But C.J. Culpepper (S, 1) induced a ground out for a double play to end the contest. After the off-day Monday, the Indians will return to Victory Field to face the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, for a six-game series. Game one will be this evening with first pitch at 7:05. No starting pitchers have been named at this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indiana Governor Mike Braun Says the State and the Chicago Bears “Are in the Red Zone” with Stadium Negotiations\u00a0<\/strong> After Friday\u2019s euphoria over\u00a0the Chicago Bears\u2019 announcement\u00a0that they would \u201cadvance (a) stadium development project in Hammond,\u201d which led Governor Mike Braun to exclaim, \u201cwelcome to Indiana,\u201d the state\u2019s top dealmaker was a bit more measured in\u00a0an interview with NewsNation\u00a0hours later. \u201cI think we\u2019re in the red zone,\u201d said Braun. \u201cIn real estate, like I told you before, you don\u2019t count it as a done deal until you ink. This is probably the most important place we\u2019ve been to date, and it takes a lot of the uncertainty out of it. It doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t some left, but hey, we got to this point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis point\u201d is the Bears sending a very sharp yet appropriately ambiguous message to the Illinois General Assembly that time is running down to consider fashioning a deal that would keep the NFL franchise at its ancestral home. \u201cThe Bears, I\u2019m sure, have to use very specific language, so I\u2019m not really surprised at the language that they used,\u201d said Indiana State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. of East Chicago. \u201cWhat I\u2019m seeing, what I\u2019m hearing in that statement, everything tells me that they\u2019re coming to Northwest Indiana, to Hammond.\u201d Harris and fellow lawmaker Sen. Rodney Pol Jr. of Gary were accepting accolades from fellow Democrats at\u00a0their party\u2019s statewide convention\u00a0in Indianapolis this weekend. \u201cRight now, I think what the Bears are doing is they\u2019re wanting to make sure that, before they make their final decision, it is the best decision,\u201d said Pol. \u201cI think they\u2019ll find out very, very quickly that what\u2019s out there is the very, very best one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indiana\u2019s deal to kick in $1 billion raised through new and enhanced hospitality taxes in Lake County to match the Bears\u2019 $2 billion investment would result in a domed stadium literally just over the border from Chicago\u2019s south side. \u201cThe deal that we put out there was sweet,\u201d said Pol when asked if the team could come back to Indiana and ask Hoosiers for more concessions or financial support. \u201cI\u2019m not one to negotiate against myself. As excited as I am, I think we put what is the best foot forward. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s going to be an appetite for it. I think there\u2019s a lot of people who are understandably concerned about spending more funding on infrastructure for the NFL, where there\u2019s billionaires who have a lot of money that are out there.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A member of the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission speculated last week that the State of Indiana might be asked to help the Bears find a way to offset the $90 million it could cost the team to\u00a0break its Soldier Field lease\u00a0with the City of Chicago prior to 2033. \u201cWe really can\u2019t do anything until we go back into session in 2027, so this will all be worked out before that,\u201d said Harris. \u201cWe don\u2019t see any changes happening.\u201d Across the border in Illinois, a sliver of hope remains that the Bears can still be convinced to build on the property they own in Arlington Heights. Following\u00a0t<\/a>he General Assembly\u2019s adjournment\u00a0Monday morning without acting on a senate proposal to provide the team property tax breaks to build in the Chicago suburbs, one legislator said he would introduce a bill this coming week to urge statehouse leaders to call a special session to resurrect the bill\u2019s chances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other legislators said there was no enthusiasm to bring the General Assembly back into session until this fall. Some reports, however, indicate the Bears have been talking with Illinois legislators who are aiming to continue conversations about a new stadium with the team. \u201cI think the Bears are doing their due diligence with the current state they\u2019re in, which is Illinois,\u201d said Harris. \u201cWhen you look at the fact that their session ended, my understanding is they won\u2019t go back until November unless they do a special session. I don\u2019t know how happy people will be if they go back in for a special session and try to work a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago Democrats at the statehouse in Springfield were lined up against a bill to make an Arlington Heights stadium more tax friendly to the Bears, and Republicans oppose giving breaks to the team\u2019s billionaire owner. Harris said he\u2019s aware of the site inspections engineers representing the Bears have done at Hammond\u2019s Wolf Lake area, the anticipated location of the Indiana dome. Should the franchise make a commitment and shovels start turning earth, Harris said dominos will start to fall to assure that the Bears aren\u2019t the only regular tenants of the dome. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be putting together a plan, now that we know what the Bears are doing, that won\u2019t be the only professional sports team we go after,\u201d Harris said. \u201cWe\u2019ll put together a plan and look at drawing others into the area or creating new teams in Northwest Indiana.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pol and other lawmakers view the Hammond dome as a gamechanger for economic development in the Region. \u201cThe issue, though, is that kind of investment and that kind of opportunity for us would be huge because it\u2019s not just the stadium,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re talking hotels, you\u2019re talking hospitality in an area that has the only national park in the state of Indiana. I think it\u2019s very difficult for people to come to Northwest Indiana and realize there\u2019s not a hotel district, there\u2019s not as much hospitality as there should be.\u201d A recent study\u00a0by the Cook County Treasurer found that locating a new Bears stadium just over the state line in Hammond would still pay benefits for Chicago in mixed-use and entertainment district spin-off developments on the city\u2019s south side. The study also indicated that the new Bears stadium in Indiana could lead Illinois officials to upgrade the roads leading up to the stadium on their side of the state line.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bloomington North Wins its first Boys Track and Field State Championship For two minutes, Cougar hearts were beating faster than James Bosco\u2019s after an all-out leg at the end of the 4\u00d7400 relay. Caleb Winders\u2019 hamstring held up well through the 4\u00d7800 and the 800 as Bloomington North took the titles in both events. But …<\/p>\n

Local Sports News: June 8, 2026<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nLocal Sports News: June 8, 2026 - Bloomington News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bloomingtonnews.online\/?p=12719\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Local Sports News: June 8, 2026 - Bloomington News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bloomington North Wins its first Boys Track and Field State Championship For two minutes, Cougar hearts were beating faster than James Bosco\u2019s after an all-out leg at the end of the 4\u00d7400 relay. Caleb Winders\u2019 hamstring held up well through the 4\u00d7800 and the 800 as Bloomington North took the titles in both events. 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