2011-12 (Freshman):
In his first season at Pacific, Burkard provided depth in the breastroke events for the Tigers. His best outing of the year came against Fresno Pacific and UC Santa Cruz when he collected a trio of top-10 finishes, placing seventh in the 200 Breast, eighth in the 200 IM and ninth in the 100 Breast. He added an eighth place showing in the 200 Breast against conference members Seattle U and CSU Bakersfield. At the 2012 MPSF Championships, Burkard came in 17th in the 100 Breast with a time of 57.27 while his mark of 2:05.82 was good for 19th in the 200 Breast. The respective times ranked second and third on the team.

High School:
Burkard prepped at Homestead High School in Mequon, Wisc., where he earned four letters in swimming. He was an All-America selection in the 200 IM as a senior with a personal record of 1:54.13. He also set a record in the 100 Breast with a time of 57.74. Burkard finished third at the state meet in the 100 Breast and fourth in the 200 IM. He was his team’s MVP in both 2009 and 2011, and captained his team as a senior.

Personal:
Burkard was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is the son of Alan and Lauri Burkard. He has an older sister, Jessica, and a younger sister, Samantha. Burkard’s hobbies include swimming, ultimate frisbee, and disc golf. He is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.