Top 50 Cal Sports Moments -- No. 49: Triumphant Spirit, 2010

Jill Costello earned a place in Cal lore for the grace she displayed in her dying days, helping the Bears excel in crew

Jill Costello / Photo courtesy of Cal Athletics

As the Pac-12 Conference era comes to a close after more than a century we count down the top 50 moments involving Cal athletics.

THE MOMENT: On May 16, 2010 — just 12 days after she resumed training while fighting Stage IV small cell lung cancer — Jill Costello served as coxswain for the Cal varsity 8+ women’s crew team that edged Stanford to the finish line at Lake Natoma, Gold River, California, clinching the Pac-12 team title.

THE STORY: Cal crew team member Jill Costello was a 4.0 student and vice president of her sorority who earned a degree in political economy of industrial societies. A non-smoker, she was diagnosed June 6, 2009 with lung cancer at age 21. The disease eventually spread to to both lungs, her liver, breasts, ovaries, and bones.

She battled the illness, even traveling to Lourdes, France, in hopes of a miracle. Upon her return, Costello rejoined the Bears and began workouts leading to the 2010 Pac-12 championships. Seated as the coxswain, she helped the Bears knock off rival Stanford to claim the Pac-12 team title.

"That day she came up and practiced with us, and they rowed with power, nice and smooth," then-Cal coach Dave O'Neill said. "It was amazing. I can't imagine what was going through her head.

"Jill did a terrific job in the coxswain," O'Neill added. "It was her first race ever in the V8, and she adds both calmness and inspiration at the same time. We're all very proud and happy for her.” 

The NCAA championships were next. Costello had endured 20 rounds of chemotherapy and 14 radiation treatments, but her spirit was unbowed. At the May 30 NCAA meet, she helped guide the varsity 8+ boat to a fourth-place performance and the Bears finished second in the team competition. Less than a month later, on June 24, 2010, Costello died.

”Every day we could have with her was a win,” All-American rower Iva Obradovic told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Every time we saw her, she had a big smile on her face. It will be an inspiration to us the rest of our lives.”

“Jog for Jill SF,” a lung cancer walk-run fundraiser, was held in her honor on Sept. 12 of that year. The event drew more than 5,000 participants, raising $350,000.

"Back when Jill was diagnosed, she wrote, 'Life is all about how we handle the challenges we are given.' Jill faced this challenge with absolute courage, grace and dignity, and was an inspiration for so many people, especially our team,” O’Neill said at the time. “As much as everyone tried to lend a hand, Jill was the one inspiring all of us.”

* No. 50: Overtime Elation, 2003

* Only specific acts that occurred while the team or athlete was at Cal were considered for the Top 50 list, and accomplishments spanning a season or a career were not included. 

* Leslie Mitchell of the Cal Bears History Twitter site aided in the selection of the top 50 moments.

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo