The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

June 1, 1997

Athletic trainers often don't take center stage unless there is an accident or an injury to a student-athlete.

But Rob Burke, a certified athletic trainer for Fitchburg State College, doesn't have to wait for injury to strike. He begins games on center stage -- singing the national anthem.

Burke opens hockey, football and basketball games for Fitchburg State with a stirring a cappella rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner."

"Rob has sung the anthem for almost 300 games," Fitchburg's assistant athletics director Dave Marsh told the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Massachusetts.

"And if we have, say, a hockey game and a basketball game going on at the same time, he'll sing live in one place and on tape at the other," Marsh said.

Burke's rendition of the national anthem doesn't go unnoticed by those on the court either. "When Rob's not available to sing, the referees ask me why he's not there," Marsh said.

Burke's first love is still athletic training, though. While he was in high school and working as a student trainer, he attended the Cramer Clinic at Northeastern University, learning about basic first aid and sports medicine. He later earned a degree at Northeastern and worked as a high-school trainer before coming to Fitchburg State seven years ago.

"An athletic trainer is that management piece of the puzzle in sports health care," Burke said. "We identify the problem and refer an athlete to the proper doctor. We're part of the profession that's really trained to care for the needs of the physically active."

The student-athletes appreciate both of Burke's talents. "He does everything for us, and he's available from early in the morning until late at night," said Tom Gordon, a junior on the Fitchburg State ice hockey team.

"And, he's got a great voice. When teams play here for the first time, they just look up in the stands and stare."

Not surprisingly, Burke believes it's important to bring a certain amount of passion to the national anthem when he sings it.

"It's our national hymn. It's about the challenge that being an American really is," he said.

"When I sing it, I think about the veterans who are in the crowd, or the parents who sacrifice for their kids to be in college. For the kids themselves, I would like them to think, by listening to the words, that being an American is special."

Perfect start

Heather Lee, a freshman softball pitcher for Long Island University/C.W. Post Campus, is off to a perfect start in her collegiate career.

She ended her rookie regular season with a 17-0 record and a 1.46 earned-run average.

Lee threw five shutouts this year for the Pioneers, including a no-hitter, a one-hitter and a pair of two-hitters. She allowed just 80 hits in 125 innings of work, while allowing opponents to hit just .181 against her.

Speedy Senior

University of Pittsburgh senior Anna Kohler never gets described as "slow."

Kohler broke a 20-year-old school record in the mile run recently at the Pitt Invitational. Her time of 5:00.22 shattered the record by nearly 20 seconds.

Kohler's time in the 1,500-meter run wasn't shabby either. She won the event in 4:36.67.

100 was the magic number

Muhlenberg College is celebrating its Sesquicentennial (150th year) during 1997-98, but in one week in April, all the celebrations revolved around the number 100, not 150.

The record-breaking began with baseball pitcher Marc Lezinski striking out two Delaware Valley College hitters to increase his career strikeout total to 100. Later that day, women's lacrosse player Katie Kenny recorded three goals and three assists against Bryn Mawr College, pushing her career point total to 102.

Two days later, two softball players joined the records book at Muhlenberg in the first game of a double-header against Western Maryland College. In the first inning, catcher Elizabeth Billie boomed a triple to record her 100th career hit. Four innings later, shortstop Carey Hilton lined a single to left field for her 100th career hit.

-- Compiled by Kay Hawes