(ABC 6 News) — Since becoming Century’s first activities director in 1997, Mark Kuisle has overseen plentiful success.

“I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to serve and be a servant leader,” Kuisle said.

From the 2003 baseball State champions to helping sanction girls’ wrestling in Southeast Minnesota.

“(We) rewrote the bylaw so that we could get the girls into a state tournament experience for themselves,” Kuisle noted. “And how we did it, I think, is it worked out the right way.”

A long hall of Big 9 plaques showcases Century’s success in the conference. And as long as the Panthers continue to have as supportive an A.D. as they have for the past 27 years, that wall will likely need to be longer.

“It’s our programs that boost that kid that walk through the door,” Kuisle added. “And they go to math class and they go to science class. Where do we want these students to be when they’re done with their four years of high school?”

David Perkins is ready to meet that task as he’s wanted this role for a very long time.

“I’m running to something,” Perkins stated. “I’m not running from anything, I’ve run into something that I’ve always had a passion for and have always been something that I’ve wanted to pursue.”

Perkins understands that a healthy athletics program starts with a conversation. Because something as simple as greeting a student can go a long way toward success. That applies both on the field and in the classroom.

“I could have walked by, I could’ve walk by, but I didn’t walk by, I stopped,” Perkins said, describing a chat with a student. “And we had a conversation, he was a swimmer, I was in the building at 7:15 AM. He was done with his workout already.” Perkins continued, thinking back to his experience as a student. “And I don’t know how far that’s going to go, but I know how far it went with me, with Mr. Stafford, and I model that, and I thank him to this day for that.”