Jackie Sileo entered the LIU Post Women’s Lacrosse program (then known as the LIU Pioneers) in the shadow of her older sister, Nicole. When Jackie stepped off the field for the final time in 2014, she left as the NCAA‘s undisputed point-scoring champion.
Sileo was recognized for her achievements as an inductee into the East Coast Conference Hall of Fame, Wednesday, June 10th.
No one dominated women’s lacrosse quite like Sileo, who left her mark all over the NCAA Division-II record books. The attacker finished her career as the NCAA D-II all-time leader with 563 points, 369 assists and 7.3 points per game.
Sileo was a national leader with 141 points in 2012 and 144 in 2014. She also topped the nation in assists, assists per game and points from 2012-2014.
The Pioneer wasted no time making an impact by having one of the best rookie seasons in NCAA history. Sileo earned 101 points and was third nationally with 67 assists as a freshman. She earned six ECC Rookie of the Week honors before being named the conference Rookie of the Year.
The best was yet to come as Sileo led D-II with 141 points in 2012. She set the then-single-season program record in goals and assists. The Pioneer also set a record scoring nine points in a championship game and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Championship Tournament.
Sileo topped that in 2013 by breaking her own total points and assists records, finishing with 178 and 117, respectively. That ranks second all-time in Division-II and ECC history.
The captain capped off her final season as the only player across D-II selected as a 2014 Tewaaraton Award semifinalist. She was also a finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year honor.
The Pioneers fed off its captain’s success by going 17-3 in 2012 and a perfect 20-0 in 2013 en route to consecutive NCAA D-II National Titles. The 2013 season was the fifth time a D-II team finished undefeated and was the program’s first time since 2007.
Sileo was named an ECC All-American every season of her career, including three First-Team bids. She was a three-time Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association National Attacker of the Year.
Even with all the personal accolades, she treasured winning the national championship most.
“I never thought about individual records,” Sileo said in an NCAA feature in 2015. “My goal and what I aspired to be was a national champion. Looking back, it’s all kind of surreal. It wasn’t just me; it took my coaches and all of my teammates, who were awesome players as well. I obviously couldn’t have done it without them.”
The former captain is more than 150 points and 140 assists ahead of her next Division-II competitor in those categories. She is 123 assists ahead of Stony Brook Seawolves attacker Kylie Ohlmiller, the NCAA Division-I all-time points and assists leader.
Sileo remained with LIU Post as an assistant coach after graduation. Even with an incredible collegiate career behind her, she remained committed to lacrosse as a leader.
