During her childhood, junior Mary Burke wanted nothing more than to be a gymnast, just like her two older sisters. She didn’t desire to one day be a superhero. She simply wanted to be a gymnast.

That was at age five. Now, a decade and a half later, Burke is both. Sort of.

At the beginning of each season, gymnastics assistant coach Amy Smith assigns each individual gymnast a character, a role to fulfill while performing.

Burke’s character is a superhero — quite fitting for the junior from Illinois.

Burke is the top gymnast in the Big 12 Conference, and is ranked 10th nationally. She has claimed five Gymnast of the Week titles throughout her career, four of which have come this season, as well as five career all-around titles.

A Top-10 national individual ranking is an accomplishment, but Burke is not one to become caught up in personal accolades.

“I never expected to be ranked this high, but I’m most proud of (our) team being 23rd in the nation,” Burke said. “I need to stay consistent with my performance, build on every routine each week and hopefully help the team make another nationals appearance.”

Such a statement reflects her attitude. Burke thrives off the success of the team, not personal gain. Much like a superhero, who puts those around him or her first.

She has always succeeded at gymnastics, and has always placed the team ahead of herself.

Athletes like that are rare these days, and the coaching staff cherishes having an athlete like Burke on the roster.

“She’s such a team-oriented kid,” Smith said. “She always knows what the right thing to do is. We don’t have to worry about her at all, and that’s great.”

Aside from her performances during meets, coaches and teammates alike are quick to point out a handful of other admirable qualities about Burke.

After each home meet, the gymnasts sign autographs for young children in attendance. Burke says she appreciates these moments, always interacting with the kids afterwards, not just signing autographs.

In addition to being an influence for the kids, junior Allie Heizelman swears by Burke’s impact on her teammates.

“During meets, she’s one of the more vocal people,” Heizelman said. “In the gym, she’s a really good teammate, works very hard in practice and is a great role model for the team, especially since there are so many freshmen.”

Burke’s work ethic has also allowed for her to flourish while simultaneously taking on a leadership role with the squad.

“She’s a workhorse,” Smith said. “She’s just going do it and do it and do it until you tell her to stop.”

Burke and the Tigers will look to continue their success Friday against Centenary College and Temple at the Hearnes Center.