Jillian Strassner Reardon is the rare athlete who excelled equally on land and sea, as the saying goes. A four- year varsity soccer player and senior captain, she played in 74 career games, scored 67 goals (2nd place in program history), made 27 assists, and earned NCCC All-Conference three times, All-State three times, NSCAA All-New England twice, and NSCAA All-American and Hartford Courant Player of the Year (fall) honors both in her senior year.

During Jillian’s tenure, Avon Girls Soccer had an exceptional run, finishing with a four-year record of 42-9-3, including three Final Four appearances in the State Tournament, and finishes as NCCC League champions in 2006 and 2008. Her coach and Falcon Hall of Famer himself, Jim Murray, describes Jillian a “an impact player and leader (who) dominated on offense.” She is only one of two All-American soccer players in Avon Girls Soccer history.

When soccer season ended, Jillian would hang up her cleats and hop in the pool. Avon has no Girls Swim team, so she swam on the boys’ team and earned her keep. Jillian qualified for and competed in the state finals beginning as a freshman in 2006, earning All-conference NCCC honors. Throughout her swimming career, she was the CT Splash Champion (women’s swimming competition) all four years, was team record holder in freestyle relays and 100 backstroke, and appeared three times at the YMCA national championships. She was elected and served as captain of the co-ed team her senior year.

Jillian went on to be a recruited athlete at Quinnipiac University, where she joined the women’s soccer team. She scored 9 goals and 5 assists in her first two seasons, finished second on the team in points, and was named Northeast Conference Rookie of the year in 2009. In addition, she earned All-Conference First Team honors in 2009 and 2010. Two consecutive ACL tears interrupted her junior and then senior years, but she pushed through to play seven games senior year prior to having surgery.

Married now to AHS grad, T.J. Reardon, Jillian keeps busy chasing their two young sons, Thomas and Miles, and working at Hartford Healthcare as a Surgical Physician Assistant in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.