ND's Burger selected Southeast Missourian's Player of the Year

~ Softball standout Kristain Burger has refined her moves on the basketball court.

Notre Dame senior Kristain Burger's prowess on a softball diamond is evident by her three all-state selections and numerous school records.

When it comes to the 5-foot-11 forward's game on the basketball court, the hype may not be as great, but the production is on par.

Burger's consistent double-double production made her this year's Southeast Missourian Player of the Year.

"Softball comes much easier for me," Burger said. "I've had to work harder at basketball. I can't say which sport I like better. I guess it depends on what season it is."

Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim said he could tell from her freshman season he had a special basketball player.

"She says it doesn't come natural, but it does," Grim said. "Even as a freshman, she started out in the sectional game at Park Hills and we brought her in and she did one of her [post] moves, and the [Notre Dame] kids were shouting, 'She's a freshman.' She's a basketball player. I think she loves the game."

This season Burger, along with her three senior teammates, helped lead the Bulldogs to their first district title in three years. The title was a big accomplishment for the girls, knowing it would be Grim's last season.

It also ended a mini drought for a program that had won eight straight district titles before coming up short in 2005 and 2006.

"The four seniors, we wanted to work hard for him because we respect him a lot and we knew he was retiring," Burger said. "Definitely the highlight was the district title. There were some people saying we couldn't do it. We knew we could do it, but we wanted to prove we could."

When the ball went into the post, Burger used her athleticism and post moves to dominate the inside. Burger's favorite move was to use her left hook shot.

"Some of that I worked on, but it also kind of became habit," Burger said of her post arsenal. "It [the left hook] turned into an advantage for me. I like my left hook."

The shot developed over the course of her high school basketball career. Burger said Grim's instructions on using both hands early in her career helped her develop the shot.

"Probably by the middle of my junior year I had it down," she said.

Burger averaged 19 points a game with the help of the hook. Only once in 27 games did Burger score less than 10 points, and she scored more than 20 points 10 times. Many of her biggest performances came against the toughest competition.

She also averaged 12 rebounds a game for the Bulldogs.

"That's something," Grim said of her scoring consistency. "And half of those games she had double-doubles. You can't ask for much more than that. I've had some great players and I don't think they've ever done that. It seemed like when we played the better teams, she was always up to the task, even when she had to go against taller kids."

For the second straight year Burger was named all-state by the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters. Burger also earned a spot on the Missouri Coaches Association all-state team this season, and was chosen as the SEMO Conference Player of the Year.

"I surprised myself," Burger said. "Basketball doesn't come as easy to me, so getting recognized for something I worked so hard for is really gratifying. It's something that makes me miss the game so much more."

Burger will play softball at St. Louis University next year. She signed a letter of intent with the Billikens in the fall.