Hall of Honor
A two-time high school all-conference basketball player, Karen Walker arrived at Beloit College ready for challenges in the classroom and on the hardcourt. In her first season as a Buccaneer, she established the college record for steals with 84, averaged 14.4 points per game, and led the team in assists with 128. Karen again demonstrated she had the strength, talent, and tenacity required of standout athletes as a sophomore, but equally as important, her career total of 274 assists at season’s end underscored her determination to be a true team player. In her final two years, she shouldered more of the scoring burden and on January 30, 1993, in a game against Cornell, she netted a layup to join the Buccaneer 1,000-point club, eventually finishing with 1,110. Karen is Beloit’s career leader in assists (532), steals (292), and free-throws made (335); her 95 thefts as a senior are a season’s top mark. Before she graduated, this four-year starter in basketball and three-year regular in softball also was a three-time team MVP, won all-conference recognition three times in basketball and as a senior in softball, earned Buc Defensive Player of the Year honors, and served as team co-captain. Karen, who lives in Chicago with her husband Fred and their four children, is assistant varsity basketball coach at her prep alma mater, Maine South High School in Park Ridge.
