Burke Named Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Candidate

Lincoln - Nebraska's Kaitlyn Burke was named one of 30 candidates nationally for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, honoring the nation's top all-around women's basketball student-athlete, on Friday, Nov. 4.

Burke, a 5-7 shooting guard for Coach Connie Yori's Huskers, is the most experienced member of the women's basketball team and one of the top all-around leaders on the Nebraska campus.

The fifth-year senior from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has played in 101 games for the Huskers since starting her career at NU in 2007-08. She has made 48 starts, including 29 starts a year ago when she averaged 6.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Burke ranks No. 8 on Nebraska's career three-point list and ranks near the Huskers' career top 20 in assists (205). She has climbed the NU career charts despite battling numerous injuries, including foot and knee injuries, multiple broken fingers on her shooting hand, and even a broken nose last season.

Burke has taken on an even greater leadership role off the court, serving as the 2011-12 President of Nebraska's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In addition to her significant duties as SAAC President, Burke also finds time to coach a Special Olympics basketball team among numerous outreach activities.

The two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection is also a seven-time selection to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. She carries a 3.541 grade-point average as an advertising and business administration major.

Burke's many talents preceded her to the University of Nebraska. Prior to becoming a Husker, Burke was a multi-sport standout at Argyle Secondary School in North Vancouver. Her final year before coming to Nebraska, she was one of the first Canadians to attend the National Elite Development Academy in Ontario. She was a member of the 2005 Canadian Cadet National Team and the Canadian Junior National Team in both 2006 and 2007.

As a youngster, Burke was a childhood actress in several feature films. She starred in Questar's Bear with Me (2000) and Ms. Bear (1997). She also appeared in Disney's Life-Size with Tyra Banks and Lindsay Lohan (2000). She also appeared in A Song from the Heart (1999) and National Lampoon's Dad's Week Off starring Henry Winkler (1997).

From the list of 30 candidates, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the 2011-12 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in late January.  Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award. 

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.
 
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. 
 
Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the women's award winner during the 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four, which will be held April 1 and 3 in Denver. 

Kelsey Griffin, a 2010 women's basketball All-American, is the only Husker student-athlete across all sports to be named a Lowe's Senior CLASS Award winner. Griffin claimed the honor following her All-America senior season, when she was also named Nebraska's Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

2011-12 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Candidates

• LaSondra Barrett, Forward, LSU
• Denise Beliveau, Forward, New Hampshire
• Brogan Berry, Guard, Harvard
• Cierra Bravard, Forward, Florida State
• Kaitlyn Burke, Guard, Nebraska
• Brittany Carter, Guard, Memphis
• Jalana Childs, Forward, Kansas State
• Lauren Edwards, Guard, Princeton
• Adaora Elonu, Forward, Texas A&M
• Briana Gilbreath, Guard, Southern California
• Keisha Hampton, Forward, DePaul
• Jericka Jenkins, Guard, Hampton
• Amanda Johnson, Forward, Oregon
• Emilie Johnson, Guard, UC Santa Barbara
• Glory Johnson, Forward, Tennessee
• Shenise Johnson, Guard, Miami (Florida)
• Michelle Kurowski, Guard, UMBC
• Kristen McCarthy, Guard, Temple
• Natalie Novosel, Guard, Notre Dame
• Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Forward, Stanford
• Chelsea Pickering, Guard, Idaho State
• Abby Plucker, Forward, North Dakota State
• Justine Raterman, Forward, Dayton
• Brittany Rayburn, Purdue
• Monique Reid, Forward, Louisville
• Ericka Russell, Guard, Alabama
• Naama Shafir, Guard, Toledo
• Da'Shena Stevens, Forward, St. John's (N.Y.)
• Whiquitta Tobar, Guard, Alabama A&M
• Corielle Yarde, Guard, Marist