BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) looks back at the outstanding athletes, referees and coaches who made Hall of Fame caliber marks on the league.
A Fall 2017 inductee to the Hall of Fame, Jeff Hilk became the fourth Bucknell University men’s water polo athlete to enter the CWPA Hall of Fame joining Scott Schulte (inducted 2006), Mark Gensheimer (inducted 2012) and Tony Paxton (inducted 2016).
The sixth former/affiliated Bison to garner the league’s highest honor along with former coaches Dick Russell (inducted 2002) and Lynn Kachmarik (inducted 2003), he as a standout for both the Bucknell water polo and swimming and diving teams in the mid-1980s.
Hilk posted 334 goals and 134 assists for 460 points in his career, totals that still rank second only to fellow CWPA and Bucknell Hall of Fame member and All-America selection Scott Schulte on the institution’s career charts. One of only nine players in program history to score 100 goals in a season, with only Schulte and himself the lone athletes to achieve the feat more than once, he a consistent offensive threat during his tenure in Lewisburg.
As a freshman in 1982, he racked up 41 goals and 19 assists for 60 points to rank fourth on the team in goals and third in assists. Further, he recorded a pair of five-goal games as a frosh.
His point total increased dramatically as a sophomore in 1983 as he netted 108 goals and 46 assists for a career best 154 points. An Honorable Mention All-Mid-Atlantic Conference selection, Hilk was a member of the USA Water Polo National Junior Development Team in 1983.
His junior year found netting 81 goals and 24 assists for 105 points. The Bison’s leader in goals, assists and points, he was named First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Conference and garnered recognition as Second Team All-East
HIlk’s senior season in 1985 was arguably his best as he co-captained a Bison squad that finished 25-9, won the Mid-Atlantic Conference title, was runner-up at the Eastern Championship, garnered the program’s first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship bid since 1980 and placed seventh at NCAA Championship. The team marked the final Bucknell men’s water polo team to win a league title or qualify for the NCAAs until the 2016 Bison captured the MAWPC crown and an NCAA berth.
At the NCAA Championship, he scored five times against Loyola University (Chicago) to equal the most goals by any Bison athlete during that year.
Individually, he posted 104 goals and 45 assists for 149 points during his final season of eligibility to again lead the team in goals, assists and points. For his performance, Hilk was named First Team All-East and collected All-America Honorable Mention accolades to accompany the Scott Schule Award as the Bison water polo team’s Most Valuable Player.
After his tenure at Bucknell, he was picked to play on the East team at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1985 and 1986.
In addition to his water polo exploits, Hilk was a four-year swimming letterman at Bucknell. He graduated with school records in the 200-yard freestyle and 400 and 800 freestyle relays. The Cincinnati, Ohio native was a top-eight finisher in five freestyle events at East Coast Conference Championships and was on two gold-medal relays in 1985.
Due to his athletic achievements in both water polo and swimming, Hilk was named the co-recipient of the 1986 Christy Mathewson Award as the top senior athlete in his class.
Successful outside the pool since his graduation from Bucknell in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Hilk is currently Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for Diligent Corporation. In this role, his responsibilities include scaling the growth and efficiency of Diligent’s global sales organization, developing and executing client acquisition strategies, and driving a winning sales culture that is aligned with Diligent’s strong focus on customer success. In addition to global sales, he has global responsibility for customer success management and 24/7/365 worldwide support.
Hilk has more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry, having led teams in account management, sales, product management and engineering. He has held various positions in large multi-national companies such as NCR, AT&T and McDonnell-Douglas Aerospace, as well as smaller technology firms such as Boundless Corporation and BlueShark Technologies.
