Men's Track and Field | 9/11/2023 4:19:00 PM
September 11, 2023-Emporia State University Vice President, Director of Athletics David Spafford has announced that Seth Mischke, will be the track and field coach for the Hornets. An introductory press conference will be held on Wednesday, September 13 at 2:00 p.m. at the Sauder Alumni Center.
"I am extremely excited to be the next head track and field coach at Emporia State University," said Mischke. "I have admired the program and university from a far throughout my coaching career, and to be able to have an opportunity like this is incredible."
Mischke comes to Emporia State after one year at RMAC member Chadron State University in Chadron, Neb. Eagle throwers earned five All-America awards and four RMAC Championships during Mischke's lone season as head coach in Nebraska. The Chadron State women placed 21st and the men 40th at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in March while the women placed 34th at the Outdoor Championships last May.
"I am excited to announce Seth Mischke as our next head track and field coach. We had a very good pool of candidates and Seth continued to rise to the top as we went through the process," said Spafford. "Coach Mischke brings 25 plus years of experiences as a head coach at the NCAA Division II level with success at each of those programs. I look forward to watching our track and field program as they compete at the national level and the MIAA."
Prior to Chadron State, Mischke spent 11 seasons as the head track and field coach and assistant cross country coach at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D. The Yellow Jackets produced two individual national champions, 18 All-America earners, 18 conference champions, and more than 100 All-RMAC honorees under his guidance.
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Mischke began his head coaching career at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. He was the head track and field/cross country coach of the Huskies for 12 years. During his tenure at SCSU, the Husky athletic program produced 44 All-American Awards for 17 individuals and one national champion. That national champion was Heather Miller who would eventually represent the United States in the heptathlon at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He also coached four national runners-up and three third place finishers at the national championships at St. Cloud State.
St. Cloud State sent 27 student-athletes to the NCAA Division II National Championships as qualifiers and had 21 conference champions under his direction. The Huskies combined to break 43 school records between the men's and women's track and field programs during his time.
He was twice named the conference coach of the year at St. Cloud State. He earned North Central Conference Coach of the Year in 2005 for men's indoor track and field and earned the men's 0utdoor Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year in 2011.
"I look forward to working with the student-athletes, coaches, athletic department, university, and the city of Emporia to continue to make what we have here the best," said Mischke. "The plans that are being moved forward will really make a difference in what we can do for our student-athletes during their journey here at ESU."
A 1997 graduate of the University of Minnesota, Mischke was a two-time team captain for the Gophers. He was the Big Ten Conference runner-up in the indoor pole vault and placed third at the Big Ten Outdoor Meet in the decathlon. His personal best during his collegiate career in the pole vault was 17-3 and a total of 7,026 points in the decathlon.
Mischke, and his wife Colleen, have three children: Brooklyn, Tanner and Micah. Â
Emporia State will play host to two of the next three NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships starting this May. Welch Stadium and Zola Witten Track have been selected as the host site for the 2024 and 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships Over 1,000 student-athletes, coaches and officials will come to the Flint Hills over the Memorial Day weekend. It will be the fourth and fifth time that Welch Stadium has played host to the national championships.
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