WEBSTER GROVES - Here is this week's Gorlok Alumni Spotlight highlighting Webster Athletics alumni and what they are doing today and how their Webster experience helped them in their life after college. 

Today's sixth Gorlok Alumni Spotlight showcases Kaliann (Rikard) Henke, who was a four-year letterwinner for the Webster women's basketball program from 2010-14. 

During her four years as a Gorlok, Rikard was named to the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team in 2014 and also named an All-SLIAC selection that same season. Additionally, she was also named to the SLIAC All-Defensive Team in 2013-14 and was named to the 2013 Cavallo Tipoff All-Tournament Team. In her Webster career, Rikard was part of a Gorlok women's basketball program that captured its second-ever SLIAC Tournament title in 2011 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament and posted a 61-48 overall record and posted a 44-22 record in SLIAC games and played in four SLIAC Tournaments. 

As a Gorlok, Rikard played in a school record 108 games and made 76 starts and recorded 696 points, pulled down 389 rebounds, dished out 301 assists and collected 195 steals. Along with holding the school record for career games played, she is third in career assists (301), fourth in career minutes (2,667), fifth in career steals (195), seventh in career free throws made (235), tied for 10th in career starts (76) and 12th in career free throw percentage (69.7 percent). She also holds single season school marks for assists (124 in 2013-14), assists average (4.6 in 2013-14) and games played (28 in 2010-11).  

Along with being a player with the Gorloks, Rikard, who is married for former Webster baseball player Tom Henke, who is the fields manager for the Milwaukee Brewers, spent two years (2016-18) as an assistant women's basketball coach for the Gorloks on Jordan Olufson's staff. As an assistant, she was part of a SLIAC Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018 and helped the Gorloks post a 39-14 overall record and a 23-9 mark in the league. Rikard was also an assistant women's basketball coach from 2014-16 at William Woods University in Fulton, Mo.

Rikard graduated from Webster University with a Bachelor's degree in Education in 2014 and earned her Masters of Education degree in Athletics and Activities Administration from William Woods University in 2016. 

For more information on Kaliann and the impact his experience at Webster had on her life, please read the Q&A below. 

Q: Name, Sport(s) played at Webster, What years were you a student-athlete?
A: Kaliann (Rikard) Henke, Women's Basketball, 2010-14.

Q: Where are you living now and what are you doing?
A: I currently live in Milwaukee, Wis., with my husband, Tom Henke and I work as assistant women's basketball coach at Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Q: What was your favorite class and favorite professor at Webster?
A: This is a tough one. It would probably have to be my freshman seminar class, which was on Seinfeld with Larry Furrer. It was super interesting to see how a comedy sitcom tied into our real lives and Larry had a way of making you critically think without even realizing it. Larry was a huge athletics supporter, as well, and was always at our games and supporting us. 

Q: When was the last time you were back on the Webster campus?
A: I was back, with multiple other alumni, for the 2020 SLIAC Women's Basketball Tournament championship game that Webster won against Spalding.

Q: What was your favorite highlight/favorite non-athletic memory from your time at Webster?
A: My favorite non-athlete memory would either be Thursday night bowling league nights or attending other Webster sporting events. The Bowling League was so much fun and brought together a lot of different people. And attending other sporting events with my team and cheering/heckling during the game are some of my fondest memories that don't involve playing basketball. 

Q: What was your favorite athletic highlight/memory from your time at Webster (doesn't have to be your sport)?
A: Winning the SLIAC Conference Tournament championship in 2011, and then making it back in time to watch the men's team win it as well. THAT was a really good day for Webster Athletics!

Q: What's the one thing you know now that you wish you knew while you were a student-athlete?
A: That it's not a cliche saying "It goes by so fast." It REALLY does. I wish I appreciated the 6 a.m. workouts or practices that never seemed to end a little more (or the practices we weren't jersey worthy...). Those were the times when our team really became close and bonded. OR that one day you won't be able to eat at WOW for every meal, hahaha!!

Q: How would you summarize your time as a student-athlete at Webster?

A: I loved my time at Webster. It might be a small athletic department, but there was always support from other programs at our games and others. That camaraderie is hard to find once you leave athletics. Academically, it's a really good balance between athletics and having time to study/go to class/etc.

Q: What's one thing that you learned while a student-athlete that you have applied in everyday life today?
A: Working hard gets you a lot further than doing the bare minimum.

Q: What advice do you have for current Gorloks about being a student-athlete at Webster?
A: Appreciate the opportunity in front of you and what you have. There are a lot of great people and resources at Webster for you, if you use them. Make as many connections as possible, because you never know when you might need them! Athletically, make sure you show up for everything, do the extra workouts, ask for extra repetitions, etc. You only get four years to play and then it's over. . .and four years goes by FAST!

Q: What is your greatest accomplishment so far, could be as a student-athlete or in everyday life since college?
A: I would say giving back to the game that gave me so much. I'm proud to be able to give student-athletes the same opportunities and experiences that I had as a student-athlete. My life would be different if it weren't for being a student-athlete in college, and I hope to positively impact my players/students as much as Coach Olufson did for me.

Q: What advice do you have for the current Gorlok student-athletes about life after college?
A: Stay connected!! Whether it's to your coach, old teammates, professors, friends, etc. Since I've graduated some of my favorite times are annually meeting back up with Webster Alumni and supporting the team. I've had career opportunities open up because of connections I made at Webster and have kept since graduating.