This past weekend, an exceptional member of the boys wrestling team, Elijah “Blue” Bishop, joined 116 other wrestlers at State in the 132 lb weight category, where he placed 6th out of the other competitors throughout Illinois. Only a sophomore, Blue won 1st place at the IHSA Regional competition that took place in Harrisburg on February 5th, then later went on to place second at the sectional competition on February 12th. With these scores, he was able to advance to the state-level competition located at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Along with these outstanding accomplishments, Blue also managed to break John Kesler’s 2008 single-season record for three-point near falls with a score of 38 at the Eastern Illinois Tournament on January 29th.

In a recent interview with Blue, he stated that his favorite matches of the season were the Lawrenceville and Regional tournaments. “I’ve been wrestling since I was nine, I do a lot of off-season training, so it felt good to do so well,” Blue explained when asked how it felt to be the only wrestler on Herrin’s team to advance to State. In preparation for this anticipated competition, Blue worked on finishing takedowns and other areas he struggled with along with his other teammates. In regard to his next season at HHS, his goal is to place higher, hopefully, 3rd in a higher weight category. 

Overall, Herrin High was happy to welcome him back after his amazing performance at the State competition. Congratulations, Blue! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish next year!