Sheila (Zilinski) Hughes was an exceptional Bloomsburg field hockey program member for four seasons, leading the Huskies to two-straight NCAA National Championships and back-to-back Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championships.
During her career, Hughes collected several National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) and Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-American and PSAC honors. During her field hockey career, she was a two-time NFHCA First Team All-American and First Team All-PSAC forward. On the lacrosse field, Hughes was a three-time IWLCA All-American midfielder and a four-time All-PSAC honoree. She earned a spot on the first team during her junior and senior seasons and was a second-team honoree during her freshman and sophomore campaigns.
Following the 2002 field hockey season, Hughes was named the PSAC Athlete of the Year and the NFHCA National Player of the Year. Hughes garnered a pair of honors from the Bloomsburg athletic department as she was named the Joanne McComb Underclass Female Athlete of the Year in the spring of 2003 following her junior season. At the end of her standout 2002 season, Hughes was a finalist for the
Honda Sport Award for field hockey. She capped her career with the Eleanor Wray Senior Female Athlete of the Year honor in 2004. She was a two-time PSAC Top-10 Award honoree during her time at Bloomsburg, in 2002 and 2003.
Hughes is still ranked tied for ninth on the school's all-time list in career goals (48), tied for eighth in career assists (26), and eighth in career points (120). During her PSAC and National Athlete of the Year season, Hughes led the Huskies with 14 goals and finished second on the team with eight assists. She scored twice in the National Championship game and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team in 2002.
The Huskies compiled a record of 73-8 during her time as a player, including a perfect 21-0 record in 2002. The back-to-back National Championships in 2002 and 2003 kicked off four-straight appearances in the national title game and three-straight championships.
Hughes led the lacrosse team with 55 goals during her senior season 2005 and is currently ranked fourth all-time at Bloomsburg with 173 career goals, fourth with 213 career points, and 15th with 40 career assists.
The Huskies won the PSAC title during the 2003 season and finished as an NCAA semifinalist. Bloomsburg finished as the PSAC runner's up in her three other seasons. The Huskies compiled a 54-21 overall record and went 27-9 in PSAC contests during her career. Â
Hughes spent seven of her eight seasons between field hockey and lacrosse on the field with her twin sister, Marcie (Zilinski) Ackell, a fellow Bloomsburg alumni.
Following the completion of her Masters degree at Bloomsburg, Sheila went on to pursue a position as a middle school and elementary special education teacher in the Harrisburg area. She received her Principal and Supervisory of Special Education Certificates from Shippensburg University and progressed from teacher into a leadership position as an elementary assistant principal (2011-2013). For the last ten years, Sheila has held the position as an elementary principal in the Red Lion Area School District. Sheila is currently working on her Doctorate of Education (EdD) at Immaculata University expected to be awarded in 2024. She resides in Red Lion with her husband, John (a Shippensburg University standout swimmer, All American, and record holder) and their daughters, Reagan (7) and Reese (6). In her free time, Sheila enjoys camping and traveling with her family as well as coaching or supporting her children at their extracurricular activities.
