Illinois Wesleyan senior centerfielder Jillian Runyon is a four-year first team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin selection and holds the IWU career records for at bats, runs, hits, stolen bases and games started. She also holds the school single-season records for steals, runs scored and at bats.
She was a first team all-Great Lakes Region selection in 2016 and 2017 and was a second team honoree in 2019. She has been named to the preseason 50-player Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III National Player of the Year Watchlist in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
In addition to softball, Runyon has been a multi-year letterwinner in indoor track as a sprinter.
A biology major at Illinois Wesleyan, she is the daughter of Steve and Anitra Runyon.
Why you chose to attend Illinois Wesleyan: Coach Kat sold it.
IWU class you’re most qualified to teach: Coach Eash’s Organization and Administration of Athletics and PE --typed up a lot of outlines for this class at work
The hardest challenge about being a Division III student-athlete is: Having to drive separate to a game when your prof won’t let you miss
Worst grade in a class you ever got: I got a 0/10 once on a Chem quiz and my prof announced it to the class—ended up with a B for the semester
I’m deathly afraid of: Hugging strangers
Worst habit: Biting my nails
Most expensive traffic ticket: Cried my way out of the only ticket I was ever close to getting
Language I’d like to learn: Spanish, I took 5 years…understand very little.
The longest I could survive without my cell phone: No more than two softball games long
One word your mother or father would use to describe you: My dad said “Bigfasteater” and my mom said “Pretty, but I don’t think that’s what they’re looking for” ????
Favorite sports figure: Tiffany Prager (former ISU softball player)
My greatest moment in sports was: Hitting a homerun off an Ally Wiegand rise ball senior year of high school
The best player I ever faced was: Colleen Palczynski up to bat when I’m on third base
Worst dresser on my team: Coach Kimmy…jk she’s perfect
Thing that’s been in my fridge the longest: Probably some Runyon Farm Fresh Eggs
Person I’m dying to have dinner with: Lewis
Favorite food: Tacos
Vegetable I won’t eat: Corn off the cob
Pepsi or Coke? Neither
Favorite TV show: "The Office"
Favorite musical group: Anything Country
Favorite movie: "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days"
If a movie were made of my life, I would like the following person to play me: Kristin Wiig; she’s hilarious and awkward and I am one of those things
If my life were on TV as a reality show, I’d call it: "Runyon through Life"
The person in history I would most like to meet is: My parents when they were my age
My dream job would be: Food critic
Place I’d most like to live: On a beach
If you come back in another life, what would you like to return as: An infielder
Two things that are tops on my “bucket list”: 1) Win a National Championship; 2) Go scuba diving
My possession that would fetch the most on eBay: My college education
Who is the luckiest person in the world? Coach Tiffany because she gets to hang out with Coach Miller every day
What I miss most about being in the third grade: Snack time (was that a thing in third grade?)
