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Sheila Zilinski Named to PSAC Fall Top 10 Team

BLOOMSBURG—The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has named a group of outstanding student-athletes as the league's Fall Top Ten Awards winners.  Named from Bloomsburg was field hockey player Shiela Zilinski (Barto/Boyertown). 

Sheila Zilinski

The Top Ten Awards, selected by the PSAC's sports information directors, recognize student-athletes who distinguish themselves in the classroom, as well as in the arena of competition.  The conference designates Top Ten Award winners after each of the sports seasons: fall, winter and spring.

To be a candidate for the Top Ten Awards, a student-athlete must have achieved a minimum of a 3.25 cumulative grade point average and must be a starter or key reserve with legitimate athletic credentials.  Only student-athletes from the fall sports season are eligible for the Fall Top Ten Awards.  Those sports are: men's and women's soccer, football, field hockey, women's volleyball and men's and women's cross country.

Zilinski, a junior, was a first team All-American this year as well as the women's field hockey.com Division II Player of the Year and the PSAC Field Hockey Athlete of the Year. In addition, she was named the ECAC Division II Player of the Year and was selected as the Division II Field Hockey representative for the Honda Collegiate Women Athlete of the Year program. Perhaps her biggest honor came when she selected to take part in the US Field Hockey Association “A” Camp after her play at the National Field Hockey Festival in Palm Springs, CA in late November.

In the 2002 season, Zilinski finished tied for the team high in goals with 14 and was second in assists with eight. She showed why she was named first team All-PSAC after she scored two goals in the NCAA title game and one in the NCAA semi-finals. For her play in the NCAA tournament, Zilinski was named to the All-Tournament team. During the year Zilinski had her best game of the year in a win over Slippery Rock with two goals and two assists. She also scored three times in a win over Mansfield.

 “I am honored by all my awards this year, it has truly been an amazing year,” said Zilinski.  “Honestly, all of these awards have come as a complete surprise to me, although I am honored to represent Bloomsburg and the field hockey team and to show what Bloomsburg University stands for.  Another award is just way to recap a dream come true year.”

Bloomsburg finished the year with a perfect 21-0 record and won both the NCAA Division II national championship and the PSAC championship. The NCAA title was the 10th for coach Jan Hutchinson.