Chadron State College Athletic Hall of Fame
At the conclusion of her women’s basketball career at CSC, Melissa Burke ranked ninth in program history for career points, with 956 from 1997-2001. She helped the Eagles to three straight berths in the RMAC postseason, including two trips to the tournament semifinals. As a sophomore, she led the league in free throw percentage, netting 89 percent of her tries from the charity stripe. In her junior year, Burke finished ranked seventh in the conference for blocked shots, rejecting more than one attempt per contest. She received All-RMAC honorable mention as a senior in 2001, and was named the team’s “Lady Eagle” for her efforts as a sophomore.
Burke is the 2001 recipient of the prestigious Clyde Bond Memorial Award, given to one scholar-athlete at CSC every year who displays leadership, character, and athletic ability.
Her daughter Anika, whom she coached for several years in basketball, will follow in her footsteps as a collegiate student-athlete, having signed to play volleyball at the University of Northwestern Ohio in fall of 2021.
Burke continues to reside in Chadron, where she works at Farmer’s State Bank.
