Lily Fish has been a trailblazer for girls wrestling at Reavis.

When Fish was a freshman, she was one of just three girls in the program, practicing and competing with mostly boys.

“It was hard,” she said. “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.

“If it wasn’t for my parents guiding me to stick with it, I never would have gotten here.”

Fish, now a senior, has certainly come a long way in four years. On Saturday, she became the first regional champion in program history, winning the 155-pound title at the Ag Science Regional in Chicago.

“Seeing me make it this far after knowing what I was like my freshman year, it’s really incredible to me,” Fish said. “I’m very proud of myself.”

Reavis’ Lily Fish, right, reacts after defeating Hillcrest’s Melissa Nance in the 155-pound championship match of the Ag Science Regional in Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)

Fish (29-3) pulled off a thrilling 7-6 win in the championship match against Hillcrest’s Melissa Nance, scoring the decisive reversal with just seven seconds left.

Reavis coach Kyle McKinley was elated to see Fish reach new heights.

“It’s very special,” McKinley said. “She built the program. She’s the winningest girls wrestler we’ve had. There are not enough good things to say about her.

“Of all the boys and girls I’ve ever coached, she’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around. She deserves this.”

Reavis’ Lily Fish, bottom, scores a takedown on Hillcrest’s Melissa Nance during the 155-pound championship match of the Ag Science Regional in Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)

Fish is a three-sport athlete and a captain on all three teams, including volleyball and softball. She plans to play softball at Moraine Valley.

Fish had never wrestled before high school and joined the sport mostly on a whim, looking for something to fill the void between her other two seasons.

“I used to play basketball, but when I got to Reavis, I really didn’t want to try out for the basketball team here,” Fish said. “But I wanted to do three sports. I was like, ‘Why not wrestling?’

“I was basically just like, ‘YOLO — you only live once.’”

Reavis’ Lily Fish, top, defends a takedown attempt by Hillcrest’s Melissa Nance during the 155-pound championship match of the Ag Science Regional in Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)

At first, wrestling was a just a fun diversion on the side. But after a couple of years in the sport, Fish came to the realization it could be more than that.

“My sophomore year, my first time making it to sectionals, I realized I could go far with this if I stuck with it, practiced hard and gave it my all,” Fish said. “At first, it was mostly just me and my friends messing around and having fun on the mats.

“Now, it’s become something really big and incredible.”

Along the way, Fish has been a mentor for many other wrestlers. Reavis’ program has grown to the point where it had a full lineup of 14 individuals at the regional for the first time.

Hailey Canvin finished third at 235 and Ezra Velez placed fourth at 190 to join Fish in advancing to this weekend’s 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.”

Reavis’ Lily Fish, bottom, fends off a takedown attempt by Hillcrest’s Melissa Nance during the 155-pound championship match of the Ag Science Regional in Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)

As captain in three sports, Fish never takes that role lightly.

“I appreciate my coaches thinking of me as a captain,” she said. “I love stepping up and I love helping other people and making sure they know the right thing to do in the moment and making sure I know when to tell people yes or no.

“I feel like I’ve proven myself to be a leader and it means a lot to me.”

Fish now 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,” Fish said. “I just want to make it down to state. It would mean a lot to me.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/11/lily-fish-reavis-girls-wrestling/