Honors & Awards
- NTCA Rookie of the Year (2023)
- NTCA First-Team All American (2023, 2024)
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2022, 2023)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2023)
- 2021 PWBA BowlTV Classic Champion
- Three-time Junior Team USA Member
- Two-time PBA Junior National Champion
2022-23 (Freshman)
Jillian Martin enjoyed one of the most successful freshman seasons in Nebraska bowling history. In her first year, Martin claimed NTCA Rookie of the Year honors and was a First-Team NTCA All-American. Martin was also awarded freshman Female Athlete of the Year Award across all of Nebraska varsity sports. Martin was one of the top players in the country with the second highest Avg/Frame in the nation (21.568). Martin bowled in all nine regular season tournaments, transitioning into the anchor role midway through the season, sharing the position with senior Crystal Elliott. Martin earned the MVP honors at her first collegiate tournament at the Motiv Penguin Classic with a pinfall of 1,745 and high game of 245. Martin produced four more top 10 finishes [with a season high game of 277 at the Motiv Ladyjack Classic.] Martin also led the team with the highest overall fill percentage of 89.6.
Before Nebraska
The top recruit in the 2022 class, Jillian Martin brings impressive credentials to the Husker program. Martin has competed as a non-member on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour since 2019. She won the 2021 PWBA BowlTV Classic, becoming the youngest bowler to ever win on the PWBA Tour. She also earned a runner-up finish at the 2021 PWBA ITRC Classic and placed third at the 2021 PWBA Hall of Fame Classic. Martin also competed at the 2019 PWBA East Hartford Open, where she placed 24th.
Martin is two-time PBA Junior National Champion (2021-2022) and was the U18 Junior Gold Top Qualifier in both 2021 and 2022, bowling a 300 game at the 2021 event. She was also the top qualifier in the U20 Division in 2020 at the age of 14, making her the youngest female to make Junior Team USA and the youngest to lead qualifying. Martin won a silver medal with Junior Team USA at the 2022 IBF World Championships. A three-year member of the Junior Team, Martin won the OHSAA state title in 2019 as a freshman. She tied for fifth at the Junior Gold Championships in both 2016 (U12) and 2018 (U15). Martin has double digit wins with the Elite Youth Tour, Storm Youth Championships and JTBA. Martin graduated with honors at Stow-Monroe Falls High School as she finished in the top 10 of her senior class. Martin chose Nebraska over Vanderbilt, McKendree, North Carolina A&T and Wichita State.
Personal
The daughter of John and Lori Martin, Jillian has not declared a major but she did earn a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the fall of 2022. She was a member of the 2023 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.