William H. Hollinger Hall of Fame
A three-sport athlete with over 10 seasons of collegiate experience in wrestling, cross country and track, Kerry Burke thrived since he began at Hiram in the fall of 1973. In wrestling, Burke qualified for the NCAA National Tournament in 1976 and 1977. He also won the PAC Championship at 134 lbs. in 1977, while placing second in the conference in 1976 and third in 1975. Burke was a three-time Team MVP in cross country and was the top distance runner for all four of his years on the track team.
Under head wrestling coach Pete Brann, Burke was part of four wrestling teams that finished a combined 21-4 in conference meets and placed second each season in the PAC’s year-end tournament. Burke was joined by Keith Fabrizi, Ken Levels and Kevin Brandenburg as the other PAC Champions from Hiram College during his four years with the program. Burke credits Brann as the most influential figure to him as a student-athlete because he taught discipline and toughness.
Since graduating from Hiram, Burke spent over 28 years as a Quality Assurance Manager in the jet aerospace industry, which involved manufacturing superalloy rings for jet engines. He worked with Welded Ring Products Co. in Cleveland, Ohio and retired in April 2021.
Outside of his professional work, Burke won four state championships in table tennis and qualified for the National Senior Olympic Games. He enjoys cycling and riding motorcycles, and volunteering as an altar server at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Copley, Ohio.
