40 in 40 - Jill Stamison

40 in 40 Tribute List

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Title IX, wmubroncos.com takes a look at 40 key moments/females in the history of women's athletics at Western Michigan University. Though the selection process, an effort was made to highlight a moment and player/coach from each of our current women's sports programs, as well pay respect to our women's legacy sports. A different feature will be released each of the 40 days, July 24 through Sept. 1.

After a slow start to her career, Jill Stamison became a two-time All-American and was a professionally endorsed athlete for seven seasons.

Stamison became the fourth Bronco to earn All-America honors in 1993, placing third in the 800 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships and fourth in the same event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Stamison redshirted her freshman year at Western Michigan, and fought through nagging injuries over the next few seasons, before returning to WMU for a fifth year in 1992-93. It would be a record-setting year, as her time of 2:03.65 in the 800m at the 1993 NCAA Outdoor Championships still holds as the top mark in WMU history. She also set the indoor mark of 2:06.37 that stood until Becky Horn broke the record in 2008.

Stamison finished third in the 800m at the 1997 USATF Championships with a time of 2:00.81 and competed in the 1997 World Championships. She was a member of the record-setting 4x800 relay team.

Stamison ran professionally for seven years for Nike for two years, then was sponsored by Asics until 2000, when she became pregnant with her daughter, Olivia. She now also has a son, David.

"After the NCAAs, Asics and Nike were both interested," Stamison said. "I never even knew that was a possibility."

"When I came back to WMU for my fifth year, I dedicated myself to ending on a good note. I'm just so glad that I stayed and had a good career," she said. "I definitely wouldn't have been proud had I left."

Stamison is also a Guinness World Record for running 150 yards in 3-inch heels and competed in a heel-a-thon in New York City in 2008.