Heidi Burkhart entered into Rockford University Hall of Fame

Heidi Burkhart entered into Rockford University Hall of Fame

By Doug Schroder
EDITOR
Winnebago High School alumnus Heidi Burkhart entered the Chuck DeWild Hall of Fame during the Athletic Hall of Fame Celebration Dinner and Induction on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018. The following information comes from the write-up in the program from that night.
As one of the top female athletes in Rockford University history she was a major reason behind the turnaround of the women’s basketball program in the early 2000s. Rockford won 49 games and posted back-to-back second place finishes in the Northern Illinois Iowa Conference (NIIC) during Burkhart’s three years as a Regent, after winning just six games in the previous three seasons combined. In the 2000-01 season, the Regents earned their second ever berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament, with their other trip coming during the 1986-87 season.
Burkhart’s accolades extend over all three of her seasons as a Regent. She was named Northern Illinois Iowa Conference Player of the Week multiple times in her career; as well as being selected to the D3hoops.com National Team of the Week. During that week, Burkhart averaged 28 points on a blistering 62% shooting from the floor including connecting on 6-of-12 from three-point range. She was also 22-of-29 at the free throw line. In addition to her weekly awards, Burkhart was also a three-time All-NIIC performer and was voted the 2000-01 NIIC Player of the Year. Her performance on the court also turned heads at the national level. Burkhart was named a Fourth Team All-American in 1999-00, a Third Team All-American in 2000-01 and was both a Second Team All-Region selection and an Honorable Mention All-American in 2001-02. Being recognized as an All-American during each of her three seasons at Rockford is an amazing honor, as it means she was one of the top-25 NCAA Division III women’s basketball players in the entire country each year. At the conclusion of her collegiate career, Burkhart held ten Rockford University records, two of which still stand today. She is still the RU career leader in made free throws (431) and the single-game steals leader (10). Burkhart finished her career with 1,585 points, 386 rebounds, 243 assists, 224 steals and 41 blocks. Her 1,585 points ranks second all-time at Rockford University.