Twirltastics Baton Club

Jill began Baton Twirling at the age of 4, learning from her older sister, who was enrolled in a Parks and Recreation class in Coos Bay, Oregon. After moving to Fair Oaks, CA, Jill joined the Debonair Baton Corp at age 5, and started private lessons and USTA (United States Twirling Association) competition at age 7. After a few years of competition, she became an Advanced Level twirler and a member of the California Elite Five, winning Grand National Championship titles in Dance-Twirl and Twirl-Team events in 1981. That same year, she was the Juvenile Two Baton Western Regional Champion.

After moving to Eugene, Oregon in 1981, she continued to train, traveling to Portland, Oregon for private lessons with Chet Jones, John Chamberlain, and Shanon Barker, and later, Kathy Forsythe in Seattle, WA. In addition to individual training, she was a member of Dance Twirl teams, J.L Courtship and Dream Girls.

From 1983 through 1988, Jill was the Oregon State Grand Champion, with the last four years being consecutive wins in all five events. She was also the 1984 Western Regional Grand Champion in 3 Baton, and 1988 Grand Champion in Solo, 2 Baton, and 3 Baton events. From 1982-1992, she was a National Champion ten times in age and divisional finals, and was a Four-Time U.S Open Grand National Champion. As a result, she joined fellow USTA Champions in 1986 and 1989, on exhibition tours in Japan where she performed, taught baton, stayed with a twirling host family, and promoted the sport of Baton Twirling.

In 1990, she became involved in the sport and art of juggling, eventually winning the Silver Medal at the 1993 IJA (International Juggling Association) annual National Convention. In 1994, she received the Ben Linder Award for Most Inspirational Juggler at the annual Portland Juggling Festival. In 1999, she was offered an opportunity to combine baton, dance, and juggling as a performer with LUMA, an illuminated performing arts theatre group in Madison, WI. The group performed at the Las Vegas Car Show in 1999, and at college and community theatres throughout the country.

After earning her B.A in Communication Disorders and Sciences, she worked in education and taught baton. She went on to earn an M.Ed in Therapeutic Recreation, and specialized in mental health therapy as a CTRS (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist). She was the featured twirler at University of Oregon and University of Nebraska-Lincoln, performing at several Bowl Games, including the 1989 Orange Bowl in Miami, FL.

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