Lily Fish: The Accidental Wrestling Star

Lily Fish is a name you’re going to want to remember. The Reavis senior just became the first regional champion in her school’s girls wrestling program history, taking home the 155-pound title at the Ag Science Regional in Chicago.

A Humble Beginning

Fish didn’t exactly plan on becoming a wrestling star. She joined the team on a whim, looking for something to do between her other two sports, volleyball and softball. ‘I used to play basketball, but when I got to Reavis, I really didn’t want to try out for the basketball team here,’ she said. ‘But I wanted to do three sports. I was like, ‘Why not wrestling?’ It was basically just like, ‘YOLO — you only live once.’

Fast forward to her senior year, and Fish is now a three-sport athlete and captain of all three teams. She’s come a long way since her freshman year, when she was one of just three girls on the wrestling team, practicing and competing with mostly boys. ‘It was hard,’ she admitted. ‘It was awkward being one of the only girls and having all these guys looking at me like, ‘What is she doing here?’ It was weird at first, but I’m really glad I stuck it out.’

A Winning Streak

Fish’s big win didn’t come easily. She pulled off a thrilling 7-6 victory in the championship match against Hillcrest’s Melissa Nance, scoring the decisive reversal with just seven seconds left. Her coach, Kyle McKinley, couldn’t be prouder. ‘She built the program. She’s the winningest girls wrestler we’ve had. There are not enough good things to say about her,’ he gushed.

Fish’s success has inspired other wrestlers at Reavis, including Hailey Canvin and Ezra Velez, who also advanced to the Phillips Sectional. ‘Lily leads the way on the mat and off the mat,’ Canvin said. ‘During practice, she helps us learn better techniques and everything. She’s made us better. She’s just a great partner to wrestle with.’

What’s Next?

Now, Fish has her sights set on qualifying for state for the first time. She fell one win short each of the last two seasons, losing in the blood round at sectionals. ‘I don’t care if I finish first or fourth at the sectional,’ she said. ‘I just want to make it down to state. It would mean a lot to me.’