Jill Justin Explained

Jill Justin-Coffel (born October 1967) is an American, former collegiate NCAA Division I All-American, right-handed hitting softball player, originally from Oak Lawn, Illinois. She played for the Northern Illinois Huskies softball team as an outfielder from 1986–89, partly in the Mid-American Conference and defunct North Star Conference. She and later was a medal-winning member of Team USA softball. She is the 4-year batting average champion (5th overall) for the NCAA and owns nearly all Huskie batting records.[1]

Northern Illinois Huskies

Justin-Coffel graduated from Harold L. Richards High School in 1986 with a Hall-of-Fame career.[2] In her 1986 freshman season, she earned All-MAC conference honors and set new school season records for batting average, home runs and slugging percentage, all of which rank in the top-5 at the school. On April 4, 1986, Justin-Coffel hit a school single-game record of three doubles vs. the Ball State Cardinals.

During her sophomore year, Justin-Coffel earned First Team All-American recognition.[3] The Huskie broke her own average and slugging records whilst also posting new records in hits, doubles and on-base percentage. Justin-Coffel still heads the lists in single season slugging, while her hits and triples are tied for second place all-time in the program. Her school record batting average and doubles (career bests) also led the NCAA.[4]

Justin-Coffel also achieved a then university record 15 consecutive game hitting streak. On May 1, 1987, she became the first player in NCAA Division I to hit three home runs and amass a total of 13 bases for a single game (against the Bradley Braves), in which the Huskies eventually won 12-2. Both record totals from the game were tops for the Division.

In 1988, Justin-Coffel was once again honored as a First Team All-American.[5] She was also selected for the All-North Star conference accolade after the program spent the previous year as an Independent. For the second consecutive time, she was crowned batting champ in the NCAA. Justin-Coffel's home run and on-base percentage were new school records, she still retains the on-base title; her hits were second only to her previous year's mark and remains top-5 all-time. Along with her RBI total, she earned a conference batting Triple Crown.

The Huskies entered their first Women's College World Series and it also would be Justin-Coffel's only appearance. The team was eliminated by the eventual champions the UCLA Bruins on May 27; she had a double and two walks in two games.[6] [7] For that World Series, Justin-Coffel was awarded the NSC Offensive MVP title.

For her final season with the Huskies, Justin-Coffel was awarded with all-season honors as a 1989 First Team All-American and received her second All-North Star selection.[8] Achieving a .443 average, it was the first occasion a Division I player had hit .400 or better in all four eligible seasons of play. For the Huskies, Justin-Coffel held all the top seasons averages and she also surpassed Yvette Cannon (George Mason Patriots) for the batting crown in all Division I capacities where at least two seasons of 250 at-bats were played. Her career best RBI total was also a new school record, while her on-base and triples were and still do rank top-5, and she led the NCAA in slugging percentage with another career best.[9] These would help her to a second conference batting Triple Crown.

Justin-Coffel claims career records in average, RBIs, hits, home runs, triples, doubles, slugging and on base percentages; she is second in runs for the Huskies.[10] [11] In the NCAA, she posted the best slugging percentage and still ranks in the top-20 for a career.

Post-NIU

Justin-Coffel was invited to join Team USA and proceeded to win gold at the World and Pan-American championships between 1990 and 1995. She also auditioned for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.[12] [13]

The former Huskie also played during the summer season for the Connecticut Brakettes from 1999-2004 and set all-time team records for RBIs, home runs and doubles.[14] [15] On August 24, 2001, Justin-Coffel "singled to drive" in the winning run for the National A.S.A. Championship, in which the Brakettes won 2-1.[16]

In 1994, Justin-Coffel was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame[17] [18] and, in 2002, was inducted a second time alongside her 1988 teammates.[19] Justin-Coffel was also inducted into the Harold L. Richards High School's Hall of Fame on September 24, 2006.[20]

As of 2006, Justin-Coffel worked as a physical education (PE) instructor in Illinois state.[21]

Statistics

Northern Illinois Huskies softball

YEARGABRHBARBIHR3B2BTBSLGBBSOSBSBA
1986421312657.43528661299.755%1071114
1987491475374.503345720123.836%2561010
1988461263161.484348118105.833%29134
1989451313858.4433858695.725%30489
TOTALS182535148250.467134242256422.789%94183237

Links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Division I Records . Ncaa.org . 2020-07-11.
  2. Web site: Harold L. Richards High School Athletic Hall of Fame . Bulldogsathleticshome.com . 2012-05-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150619101409/http://bulldogs-athletics-home.chsd218.richards.schoolfusion.us/modules/locker/files/get_group_file.phtml?gid=945642&fid=17360541&sessionid=1c42184c221e91d60163e712c59493e5 . 2015-06-19 . dead .
  3. Web site: 1987 NFCA Division I All-America Teams . Nfca.org . 2015-06-18.
  4. Web site: 1987 Division I Statistics . Ncaa.org . 2015-06-18.
  5. Web site: 1988 NFCA Division I All-America Teams . Nfca.org . 2015-06-18.
  6. Web site: 1988 Women's Division I Softball College World Series Game 1 . Ncaa.org . 2015-06-18.
  7. Web site: 1988 Women's Division I Softball College World Series Game 5 . Ncaa.org . 2015-06-18.
  8. Web site: 1989 NFCA Division I All-America Teams . Ncaa.org . 2015-06-18.
  9. Web site: Softball Statistics . Ncaa.org . 2012-05-11.
  10. Web site: Softball Record Book 2020 . Niuhuskies.com . 2020-07-11.
  11. Web site: No NCAA Call For Huskies . Northernstar.info . 1989-06-21 . 2012-05-11.
  12. Web site: WOMEN'S PROGRAM HISTORY . https://web.archive.org/web/20140121145505/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Team-USA/History/Women . dead . January 21, 2014 . Teamusa.org . 2015-06-16.
  13. News: Oak Park's Tyler Makes Olympic Softball Squad. 11 May 2012. Chicago Tribune. 5 September 1995. Julie Deardorff.
  14. Web site: BRAKETTES ALL-TIME RECORDS . Brakettes . Brakettes Softball . 11 May 2012 . Brakettes Softball . 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120430093512/http://www.stratfordbrakettes.com/alltime_records.htm . 30 April 2012 .
  15. Web site: BRAKETTES ALL-TIME ROSTER . Brakettes . Brakettes Softball . 11 May 2012 . Brakettes Softball . 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120225165159/http://www.stratfordbrakettes.com/alltime_roster.htm . 25 February 2012 .
  16. Web site: 1991 BRAKETTES IN REVIEW . https://archive.today/20130203025554/http://www.stratfordbrakettes.com/review_1991.htm . dead . 3 February 2013 . Brakettes . Brakettes Softball . 11 May 2012 . Brakettes Softball . 2012 .
  17. http://niuhuskies.com/sports/2016/6/13/hallfame-niu-hallfame-html.aspx NIU Athletics Hall of Fame
  18. http://www.niutoday.info/2016/11/16/niu-athletics-hall-of-fame-seeks-2017-induction-class-nominations-by-dec-31/ NIU Athletics Hall of Fame seeks 2017 induction class nominations
  19. News: Niu To Honor Its Version Of The `Fab 5'. 11 May 2012. Chicago Tribune. 7 October 1994. Staff.
  20. Web site: Hall of Fame - Northern Illinois University Intercollegiate Athletics . niuhuskies.com . Northern Illinois University Huskie Athletics . 11 May 2012 . Northern Illinois University Huskie Athletics . 1998–2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232842/http://www.niuhuskies.com/datadump/athletics/halloffame/Year-by-Year.html . 3 March 2016 .
  21. News: Catching up with the record-breaker. 11 May 2012. Northern Star. 25 April 2006. Sean Connor.