CARLA (SHEARER) CHRISTIAN

2026 CHAMBERSBURG ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

Carla (Shearer) Christian kept busy in athletics during her time at Chambersburg, playing on 10 varsity teams – 4 in field hockey and 3 each in basketball and softball – and she excelled for each of them.

“I looked up to my two older sisters (Carmel and Caryn) from the time I was young and wanted so much to be like them,” Christian said. “They were my first role models, and their influence helped shape not only the athlete I became, but also the love of sports that has stayed with me.”

Carla (Shearer) Christian

Christian is one of 9 individuals and one team that will be inducted into the Chambersburg Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 18-19.

Other individuals are Terri Yeager, Craig Helmuth, Brooke (Jacobs) Lombardozzi, Norm Snowberger, Kellen Williams, Paul Kaiser, Jack Mull and Steve Moore, and the 1989 state champion girls cross country team. Stories on each of them have been or will be published this summer.

Christian not only performed at a high level, but she helped make her teams successful, too.

In field hockey, the Trojans won a South Central Athletic League title in her junior year and a Mid Penn Division I crown as a senior, and played in the District 3 tournament both years. In basketball, Chambersburg played in the District 3 tournament all 3 years – finishing as a runner-up in 1982 — and qualified for states once. In softball, the Trojans were second in District 3 in 1983 and took third place in states.

Of the three sports, field hockey was perhaps Christian’s best sport.

Former CASHS coach Cheryl Reed said then, “Carla’s almost phenomenal for a high school athlete for the sense of hockey she has and her athletic ability. She has good hockey awareness and understands the game.”

Christian played center halfback and was picked for the Public Opinion first team all-star team in all three years and was also a Mid Penn all-star. She scored 8 goals over her final two seasons.

In basketball, Christian was a tough defensive guard who in her senior season averaged 11.2 points and 5.2 assists per game, and made 49 steals.

Softball was a relatively new sport for the Trojans, and Christian started 3 years at second base and one at shortstop. She was selected for the Mid Penn Div. I all-star team.

“Being a Trojan meant competing with pride, supporting one another and representing our school with heart,” Christian said.

Success didn’t slow down in college; in fact, it got even better. Christian played 4 years each in field hockey and basketball at Bloomsburg University and was inducted into the Huskies’ Hall of Fame in 2003.

With Christian on the team, Bloomsburg won two NCAA Division III field hockey championships and was the runner-up in the other two seasons. She was named an All-American in 1985 and 1986, and was selected as a member of the 25^th Anniversary Team for NCAA Div. III.

Christian scored 15 goals and had 15 assists in 1986 and finished with 27 goals and 29 assists in her career (29 assists was a school record at the time).

In basketball, Christian ended her career with 889 points (13^th on the Huskies’ career list), 334 assists (5^th) and 184 steals (9^th).

She won the 1987 Elenor Rae Award as Bloomsburg’s Outstanding Senior Female Athlete.

Christian has worked at the Chambersburg YMCA for the last 24 years, including the last 11 as the Executive Director.

By Ed Gotwals