Burkhart was a four-year starter at outside hitter for the Lions and served as a two-year captain. She ranks in the top ten in six different career categories at Southern including first in digs (1,776), second in aces (211), third in attack attempts (3,957), fourth in kills (1,421), fourth in hitting (.268) and tenth in games played (445).
She also ranks high in the single-season records at Southern. Burkhart has the seventh highest hitting percentage (.348 in 1996), is ninth in both attack attempts and kills, sixth and eighth in digs, and second and ninth in service aces. She holds the Southern record for attack attempts in a three-game match (58), kills in a four game match (31), and hitting percentage in a three game match (.800/12-15). Burkhart had one of the best seasons ever as a Lion in 1996 as she helped Southern to a 20-11 record and led the team in games (113) and matches played (31) as well as attack attempts (1,105) and aces (53).
Burkhart was an honorable mention All-MIAA selection in 1994 and a second team selection in both 1995 and 1996. She was an academic All-MIAA selection in 1994-96, as well as a second team Academic All-American in 1995 and first team selection in 1996. The MSSU Outstanding Graduate of 1998, she was a member of the Southern Honors Program and received the NACDA Post Graduate Scholarship.
A Joplin native, Burkhart graduated from Southern in 1998 with a degree in Biology and went on to earn her MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Kansas in 2000. She has served from that point as a physical therapist and athletic trainer at Freeman Health System in Joplin, being the primary physical therapist for Southern athletes and occasionally filling in as an athletic trainer.