Kiara Burke of Mount Olive Chosen Conference Carolinas Comeback Athlete of the Year
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Kiara Burke of Mount Olive has been selected as the Conference Carolinas Comeback Athlete of the Year for the 2020-21 academic year.
The Comeback Athlete of the Year award recognizes a student-athlete who participates in a conference-sponsored sport, suffers a significant injury, and comes back to make significant contributions to their team after recovering. The award is presented annually.
The head athletic trainer from each Conference Carolinas member institution submits one nominee each based on the award criteria. The head athletic trainers then select the winner.
A senior on the Mount Olive women’s lacrosse team, Burke suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. She tore her left ACL in March of 2019 before also tearing her right ACL in February of 2020.
Burke has responded to the two major setbacks in the 2019 and 2020 seasons by putting together a first team all-conference campaign in the 2021 season. Burke has a team third-best 29 goals to go along with a team third-best 24 draw controls. The East Patchogue, New York native has a Mount Olive fourth-best 35 points overall on the 2021 season.
The Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Week on March 22, Burke broke Mount Olive’s career draw control record in February.
Burke and Mount Olive have been nationally ranked all season in a 2021 season in which they earned the Conference Carolinas regular season and tournament championships and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Comeback Athlete of the Year Award Winners
2014: Amber Weaver (Barton)
2015: Nolan Albrecht (Belmont Abbey)
2016: Avery Wallis (Lees-McRae)
2017: No selection
2018: Trey Matthews (Southern Wesleyan)
2019: Zack Bowers (Erskine)
2020: Jordan Blake (Barton)
Alexis Rogers (Belmont Abbey)
Faith Flanagan (Erskine)
Jordan Floyd (King)
Katie Lysaght (Lees-McRae)
Jarrett Malone (Limestone)
DJ Brooks (North Greenville)
2021: Kiara Burke (Mount Olive)