IL HR0999

Congratulates Lori Blade on her retirement from Edwardsville High School after serving as girls basketball and softball head coach for many years.

Blade compiled 1,529 combined basketball and softball wins over her career, with 786 wins and 131 losses in softball and 743 wins and 92 losses in basketball across 26 seasons each.

At Edwardsville High School, Blade won 13 Southwestern Conference championships in both sports, 15 regional championships in softball, 17 regional championships in basketball, and made multiple state tournament appearances in both sports.

Blade is the only head coach in Illinois High School Association history to retire with over 700 wins in two different sports and is ranked fourth in all-time softball wins and eighth in all-time girls basketball wins in Illinois history.

Blade is inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Illinois Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Hall of Fame.