Hall of Fame
Jill Motter Stoner ranks second all-time in career tennis match victories at Shippensburg University, having won 132 times spanning singles and doubles from 1989-93.
Stoner is tied for the school record for doubles victories in single season, an achievement she set as a freshman when she paired with Marci Staherski for 19 wins in the 1989-90 season. In her final three seasons, Stoner, along with her twin sister Joy, formed one of the most dominant doubles pairings in school history. The duo competed in three consecutive NCAA Division II National Championships from 1991-93 – winning their first-round match in 1992. The doubles pairing is tied for the school record with 18 consecutive wins in doubles, set in 1992-93.
During her SU career, Stoner was a three-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) champion: No. 5 singles in 1989, No. 2 singles in 1990, and No. 1 doubles in 1992. Additionally, Stoner was a three-time PSAC runner-up: No. 2 doubles in 1989, No. 1 doubles in 1991 and No. 2 singles in 1992. Her performances resulted in All-PSAC classifications in 1989, 1990 and 1992.
Stoner was a part of an SU tennis team that was one of the most dominant in the East Region during the early 1990s. The Raiders, under coaches Stan Line and Bill Wissinger, were ranked number one in the East and competed in the NCAA Division II National Championships in 1990 and 1991. The 1990 SU Tennis team was the first team from the East to ever score a point at the national championships. In 1992, SU upset No. 1 seed California by 13 points to capture its third PSAC championship. SU swept the doubles competition and won four of the six singles flights. Stoner and her sister Joy were one of two Raider doubles tandems to finish the fall undefeated.
In the classroom, Stoner graduated as a two-time International Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athlete: receiving honors as a junior in 1992 and a senior in 1993. She was also recognized with a selection to Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges and was a recipient of the Class of 1926 Women's Athletic Scholarship. She graduated with a degree in mathematics and a 3.73 GPA. She later earned her master’s degree in Secondary School Administration from Shippensburg in 1997.
For the last 17 years, Stoner has taught mathematics at Gettysburg Area Middle School. At Gettysburg Area, Stoner has served as a cooperating teacher for many student teachers from Shippensburg University, as a mentor for new teachers, as a team leader, and as a student council advisor. She also has shared her love for technology by teaching numerous technology workshops to other teachers. Prior to Gettysburg Area, Stoner spent 10 years as a full-time mathematics teacher in the Chambersburg Area School District.
Outside of work, Stoner serves on the management team of Special Olympics Pennsylvania Adams County as a Public Relations Co-Coordinator along with her sister, Joy. Stoner and her sister are assistant tennis coaches for the Adams County program. She also volunteers her time assisting with events held by the Bendersville Fire Company.
Stoner has been married to her high school sweetheart, Mike, for 28 years. The couple has two children: Jonathan and Carly. Jonathan is finishing his last year of high school and is a Special Olympics athlete with Special Olympics Pennsylvania Adams County. Carly is in her third year at Misericordia University and is a member of the nationally-ranked women’s soccer team.
