Darren Kinnard
Section618.com
OKAWVILLE — A tumultuous week in Okawville has resulted in Michelle Hasheider-Burianek deciding to step down as the Lady Rockets’ girls basketball head coach.
Hasheider-Burianek announced the decision via social media on the Lady Rockets’ Facebook page. In the post, Hasheider-Burianek said “with my son having another brain surgery last night, I have decided that I must focus on his health and my own health and take care of my family at this time.” Hasheider-Burianek was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2019.
Fox 2 in St. Louis reported that rumors of the school board discussing possibly firing Hasheider-Burianek led to many supporters showing up at Thursday night’s board meeting, with several speaking on her behalf. The board took no action Thursday.
In Saturday’s Facebook post, Hasheider-Burianek said she appreciated “all of the support and love from my family, friends and former athletes,” adding that “I know that our town needs to heal. I know that my players have been in the middle of this and I don’t want them to be stuck and hurting. I also know that the Lady Rocket program will always be strong as our town does a great job of developing the next generation of Lady Rocket players.”
She closed the post by saying “We must support our athletes, our school, our administrators and our school board moving forward. They are people who are trying to do their best. I know we don’t all see eye to eye on everything, but our town is filled with good people and let’s show that to everyone else. God bless you all and Go Lady Rockets! You will always have me as your #1 fan in the future. I love you all.”
Hasheider-Burianek was a standout player for the Lady Rockets. She is school’s all-time leading scorer with 2660 career points and was named Ms. Basketball 1994 after leading Okawville to the 1A State Championship.
The Lady Rockets finished 30-3 this past season, losing to eventual 1A State Champion Brimfield in the Brown County Supersectional. Okawville won seven regional championships and three sectional championships during Hasheider-Burianek’s 13 seasons as head coach.