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The Passing of the Baton:

Athletic Director Kent Weiser Retires and David Spafford Joins Hornet Athletics

On July 1, 2022, Kent Weiser retired as director of Athletics for Emporia State University, where he has served the student-athletes of Emporia State for 23 years. August 8, 1999, was Kent Weiser’s first day on the job at Emporia State. Since that day, the Hornets have consistently competed at the national level in NCAA Division II on the field, in the classroom and in the stands. The Hornets have won 25 MIAA regular season team championships and 18 tournament championships under Weiser's leadership. Every Hornet program has made an appearance in the NCAA Championships on his watch with a total of 126 national placements, 11 top eight finishes, six top four finishes, four championship game appearances and the 2010 women's basketball national championship. ESU teams have finished in the top 20 of Division II in 11 different sports. “I cannot say enough about the great coaches who I’ve had the opportunity to work with throughout my time at ESU. They have built, and continue to build, championship programs through dedication and hard work,” said Weiser. “I appreciate all of them and am grateful for the positive impact they have made on my life.” Emporia State has ranked in the top half of over 300 NCAA Division II schools in every one of Weiser's 22 years, with seven top 50 finishes, three top 25 places and an MIAA best 11th place finish in the 2007-08 Director's Cup Standings. Off the field, Emporia State student-athletes have enjoyed tremendous success in the classroom and in the community. Hornets from nine different programs have been named Academic All-American 34 times during Weiser’s tenure with every team having at least one Academic All-District performer. Emporia State has had a department-wide GPA of over 3.00 for the last 26 straight semesters. Emporia State student-athletes earned the NCAA Team Works Community Service Competition Award for Division II in 2021. The Team Works Community Service Competition Award is based on the number of service hours completed and the number of participating student-athletes. “The student-athletes I’ve had a chance to work with at Emporia State have been tremendous,” said Weiser. “They have been an inspiration to me.” The athletic and academic success has combined to place every Hornet program in the top 25 in national attendance at some point during Weiser's 23-year tenure. Weiser has spearheaded many physical changes to Emporia State’s athletic facilities over the years. The past year has seen several capital improvements highlighted by the indoor/outdoor Kossover Family Tennis Complex and renovations to the basketball and volleyball practice facilities. They join the renovations of the ESU Soccer Pitch, including a scoreboard; semi-permanent seating areas and a fence around the soccer complex; Jones Field Turf at Welch Stadium; the Golden Oval of Witten Track; the Dennis Shogren Family Videoboard; the Robertson Renovation of the Hornet football locker room; the ESU Athletics Weight Room; Hanna Baseball/Softball Clubhouse; the artificial turf for both baseball and softball along with the Preston Family Scoreboards at the Trusler Sports Complex; and a new scoreboard and videoboard at White Auditorium as projects completed under his watch with 100 percent of the funding coming from private donors. These improvements have helped maintain those facilities as some of the best in the nation at the Division II level.

Throughout his career, Weiser has been aware of the importance of diversity in athletics and the world. Just six months into his position at Emporia State, he applied for and was granted an NCAA Strategic Alliance Matching Grant. This NCAA grant program was established to provide more opportunities in athletics administration for women and minorities. The next year he spearheaded the effort to add women's soccer as a varsity sport. He was a member of the NCAA Inclusion Advisory Group. The mission of the group was to study issues related to diversity and inclusion, and to make recommendations on D-II initiatives that would enhance the division's diversity.

In 2014, Weiser was awarded the Emporia State Presidential Award for Distinguished Service to Diversity. The annual award recognizes those at Emporia State who demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion. On a more personal level, in the fall of 2020, he led a series of discussions with Emporia State student-athletes following the summer of social unrest in the country. His focus was always on his student-athletes. Above all else, he wanted them to have every opportunity to succeed both on and off the field. In his successor, David Spafford, this student-focused ethic continues. “I’m confident the future of Emporia State Athletics is bright,” said Weiser, “and the best days are yet to come.”

The student-athletes I’ve had a chance to work with at Emporia State have been tremendous,. They have been an inspiration to me.”

David Spafford, an experienced professional with a proven track record for fundraising, has joined Emporia State University as the new director of Athletics. Spafford, a Kansas native, brings a successful 27-year career in athletics to Hornet Nation.

Spafford’s leadership centers on educational excellence and competitive success, and he knows exactly how he wants each and every Hornet student-athlete to end their careers at ESU.

“When our student-athletes walk across the graduation stage, I want them to have a championship ring on one hand, their diploma in their other hand, and a job already secured,” said Spafford. “My promise to our studentathletes is we will take care of them, give them the opportunities they need to be successful in life and then let them go out and light the world on fire.” Spafford is developing exciting plans for the future of Hornet Athletics, including opportunities for growth through philanthropy. The Belleville, Kansas, native brings a blend of experience spanning 22 years in NCAA Division I and Division II athletics with an additional five years in University Advancement at seven major universities. He has assisted or led more than 10 major capital improvement projects totaling $253.6 million and has experience in two major university’s $1 billion campaigns. "We are thrilled for David to join our team. His Kansas roots, past successes in development and fundraising along with his structured and disciplined approach are exactly what Hornet Athletics needs right now,” said Emporia State University President Ken Hush. “His commitment to student-athletes and the experience he brings from other Kansas schools are vital to ESU’s return to national prominence." Spafford has spent the last seven years at NCAA Division II Regis University in Denver, Colorado, serving as assistant vice president and director of Athletics since January 2016. Over the past six and a half years, nearly $6.5 million in private funding and facility-use agreements for facility enhancements were generated. The enhancements included the renovation of the Regis Fieldhouse with all 12 team locker rooms renovated, administrative offices relocated and renovated, a new ticket office, new video scoreboards, a new sound system, renovated strength and conditioning/rehab room and a new indoor hitting facility for baseball and softball. He raised $3.15 million for the construction of the Berce Athletic Center — a 19,500-square-feet multi-functional practice facility featuring two full basketball courts and volleyball courts, along with auxiliary centers for athletics training, strength and conditioning — along with $2.7 million for artificial turf fields and lights. Under his leadership, all 12 Rangers sports programs have participated in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference postseason play. The lacrosse team advanced to the NCAA Division II national semifinals in both 2018 and 2019, while the Ranger volleyball team made the national semifinals in 2019 after reaching the Elite Eight in 2018. Five different programs have advanced to NCAA Tournament play in his tenure. Regis Athletics has earned six consecutive NCAA Presidents' Excellence Award for Academic Excellence. RU student-athletes continue to lead by participating in over 3,000 service hours annually engaging the community locally, regionally and nationally. Spafford has held several leadership roles in the athletic community, including time on the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball and Women’s Lacrosse Regional Advisory Committee, the RMAC’s Athletic Director's Administrative Committee and the RMAC Diversity and Inclusion Committee. He established the first-ever Title IX review of the Regis Athletic department and developed a Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the department made up of administrators, coaches and student-athletes.

Prior to joining the staff at Regis, Spafford's work with the Kansas State University Foundation and the Oklahoma State University Foundation provided experiences in working through segments of each university’s $1 billion campaigns. From 2010-11, Spafford was the assistant athletic director for major gifts at the University of New Mexico and assisted with the renovation of The Pit while assisting in securing lead gifts for the renovation of the baseball program’s Lobo Field. Previously, Spafford was the assistant athletic director for development and Indian Club director for Arkansas State University in 2007 before returning to Belleville, Kansas, to assist his parents in managing, and now owning, Anchor S Farms. As the associate athletic director of development at Wichita State University in 200004, he coordinated, planned and implemented all fundraising activities for the school’s athletics programs. Spafford’s fundraising efforts led directly to the Roundhouse Renaissance Campaign that directed the expansion and renovation of the basketball arena and surrounding athletic complex. The $25 million construction was funded by private contributions and student fees. Other improvements included the WSU Baseball’s Eck Stadium, the track and field facility at Cessna Stadium and softball field. While at WSU, the baseball team won two conference championships and appeared in two NCAA Regional Tournaments. The women’s basketball team had its first-ever 20-win season and participated in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Concurrently, the men’s golf team and women’s and men’s track and field teams all secured multiple conference championships. Spafford began his career in athletics as an assistant football coach for seven years, including the Manhattan High School 1988 undefeated state championship team that earned a USA Today final ranking of 23rd in the nation. It was during those early days in his career ESU came onto his radar.

“When I was coaching, we would come to play in Emporia and the community feel was just incredible. As time went on, I said to myself, ‘if the timing is ever right, Emporia State would be a great place to be,’” said Spafford.

My promise to our student-athletes is we will take care of them, give them the opportunities they need to be successful in life, and then let them go out and light the world on fire."”

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