SUNY Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame
James Burke was a three-time All-America defenseman for Cortland’s men’s lacrosse team from 1975-78 who went on to become one of the world’s top lacrosse players on three U.S. world championship teams
* A Huntington, N.Y., native, he earned a bachelor’s degree in health science education from Cortland in 1978
* Four-year men’s lacrosse starting defenseman from 1975-78
* Three-time All-American, earning first team honors in both 1976 and 1978 and second team recognition in 1977
* Team captain in both 1977 and 1978 and North-South Senior All-Star Game participant in 1978
* Helped Cortland make four straight NCAA Division II tournament appearances from 1975-78; the Red Dragons won the 1975 national title and were national quarterfinalists the other three seasons, and the team also won the inaugural SUNYAC title
* Led a defensive unit that allowed less than 10 goals per game during his four seasons, compared to Cortland averaging more than 13 goals per game during that stretch
* Member of U.S. national men’s lacrosse team that won world championships in 1982, 1986 and 1990, and was a team alternate in 1978. In 1986 he was a team captain of the U.S. squad, was voted the Outstanding Defenseman of the World Games, and earned a spot on the All-World Team as the U.S. defeated Canada, 18-9, in the gold medal game in Toronto. The U.S. also defeated Canada, 19-15, in the 1990 championship game in Perth, Australia, with Burke taking over faceoff duties during the game to help propel the Americans to the title
* 1994 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee
* 1992 Long Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame; played for more than a decade with the Long Island Lacrosse Club, where he was a perennial All-Club selection and a key to six championship teams in the USCLA, at the time the top post-collegiate field lacrosse league. He also played club lacrosse in California as well as masters tournaments in Vail, Lake Placid and Florida
* 1991 Krongard Trophy winner for his contributions to the game as an active club player
* Coached youth lacrosse in Florida in 2016
* Graduated from the New York Chiropractic College in 1983 and was the owner and operator of Burke Family Chiropractic from 1983-2016
* Passed away peacefully at his family home on April 8, 2020, following his four and a half year battle with prostate cancer
