OUTSTANDING ATHLETE

Induction Year: 2015 | Graduation Year: 1989

Kara (Burkhardt) Meineke graduated with the Tecumseh High School class of 1989.  She was a member of the National Honor Society and ranked 13th in her class.  Kara was a three sport athlete while at Tecumseh excelling at the three sports she played. 

Kara grew up on a farm in Medway, Ohio with her parents Margia and Bill Burkhardt and two Sisters, Heather and Dana.  Kara came by her athletic ability naturally as her parents were both athletes.  Margia, played volleyball, basketball and softball for the Bethel Bees and later for WPAFB were she worked as a civilian administrative assistant. Bill was himself an accomplished athlete for the Arrows who played basketball, football, baseball and track and accepted a scholarship to play football at Dennison University.

As a youngster Kara and her sisters were swimmers as it was the only sport Sister Dana could participate in due to a birth defect that affected the strength of the bones in her legs.  In the 7th grade when Kara discovered basketball and then in the 8th grade volleyball her love of those sports happened instantly and she quickly gave up swimming to participate in both, adding softball to her list of favored sports her freshman year at Tecumseh.

During her four years at Tecumseh High School Kara earned eight varsity letters, two each for volleyball and softball and four for basketball.  While on the Arrows basketball team she helped lead the Arrows to a conference title her junior year and a 2nd place conference finish her senior year on a team that had lost all the starters except her from the prior year conference championship season and started two freshmen guards.  Kara played every position except center at some point in her career and was named the Arrows MVP as well as being named to the first team all-conference, all-county and all-district teams and receiving special mention all-state in her senior season.  

In Volleyball Kara was a setter and outside hitter for the Arrows earning 1st team all-conference and all-county honors her junior and senior seasons as well as 1st team all-district honors and team MVP her senior season.

Kara was the catcher for the Arrows softball team and was the arrows defensive MVP and received special mention all-conference her senior season.

Kara’s first sports love was basketball but after considering a couple of offers from smaller schools with no Engineering programs decided to take a chance at the University of Dayton, as a recruited walk-on, on the Volleyball team where she had been accepted into the School of Engineering. The decision payed off as Kara made the team, found her way into the starting line-up as a freshman and earned a scholarship after her freshman season. Kara enjoyed much team success while a Flyer including a Conference Tournament Championship.  Kara played all four years on the University of Dayton Volleyball team while earning her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

Kara continues to be active in athletics and is an avid boater and all things related to water sports and waterskiing, a  snow skier, snowboarder and most recently is learning to play tennis, in which she and her teammates were the 2015 USTA State Champions in Ohio at her level.

Kara lives in Kettering, Ohio where she is a consultant for Land Development projects. She is married to Donald Meineke and they have an amazing 5 year old daughter, Jacqueline, who is hands down Kara’s proudest accomplishment and “most important thing I’ve done in my life thus far”.

Kara is honored and proud to become a member of the Tecumseh Athletic Hall of Fame. Without the support of her dedicated coaches, amazing teammates and incredibly supportive parents none of the accomplishments above would have been possible. Thanks to all!!!!!