Each year at homecoming, Kewanee High School honors an alumnus who has made contributions to the school and community in the years since graduating.
This year, four men — all of whom have been actively involved with the Kewanee School District for many years — were honored.
They are David Bryner, David Spets, Tim Atwell and Kirk Fristad.
This Honorary Boilermaker is a man whose dedication, passion and service have shaped generations of Kewanee High School students.
A 1984 graduate of Geneseo High School, Atwell spent six years farming alongside his father, raising corn, cattle, and hogs. During that time, he volunteered with the Geneseo Junior High wrestling program, laying the foundation for a lifetime of service to young people.
It was Geneseo High School wrestling coach Larry Kanke who encouraged him to take classes at Black Hawk College to become a teacher and coach. He transferred to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in the fall of 1990, where he joined the SIU-E wrestling team.
Atwell worked closely with legendary Coach Larry Kristoff, assisting with practices, wrestling meets, and team organization. His leadership and dedication earned him a scholarship during his senior year, and he graduated in 1993.
Following graduation, he returned to farming while substitute teaching in Geneseo before moving on to Paw Paw High School and Cahokia High School. In 1998, Kewanee High School was fortunate enough to welcome him.
In his time at KHS, he has taught driver education, coached football, wrestling and track, served as athletic director and captured countless memories through his photography at nearly every event. His impact, however, cannot be measured by job titles or bullet points.
If you earned your driver’s license, it’s probably because of him. If you ever played a sport or attended an extracurricular event, it’s because of his commitment. If you’ve seen an unforgettable picture on our walls, it was likely through his lens.
Beyond his professional contributions, he has embodied the true spirit of a Boilermaker — dressing in head-to-toe orange at assemblies, stocking candy for stressed-out teachers and students, sharing a good conversation with anyone who needs it, and always putting others before himself.
He has spent his career encouraging students, athletes and colleagues to be their very best, never asking for anything in return. His retirement this year will leave a void, but his legacy will remain an enduring part of Kewanee High School.
This Honorary Boilermaker is a graduate of the Class of 1982. While at Kewanee High School, Fristad was active in golf and choir for all four years, while also participating in other school activities.
After graduation, he attended Black Hawk College before transferring to Illinois State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in education in 1986. He went on to receive his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Olivet Nazarene University in 2005.
Fristad began his teaching career outside of Kewanee before returning home to the Kewanee School District, where he dedicated 28 years, all but two of them at Central Junior High.
Throughout his career, he coached numerous sports at both KHS and Central, often serving as a three-sport coach in a single year. He was the head coach for boys’ and girls’ golf, boys’ and girls’ cross country, and baseball, with many of his athletes advancing to state competition.
He retired from full-time teaching and coaching in 2020 but continues to serve the district by teaching health at Central and working at sporting events at both KHS and Central.
Known for his dedication, Fristad is still a familiar face at Kewanee events, supporting students and athletes alike.
He comes from a proud Kewanee legacy. His parents, Ken and Kris, were both KHS graduates, and his mother went on to teach for many years in the district. His wife, Susan, and her siblings are KHS graduates, as are his siblings, and together he and Susan raised four children — Julie, Nate, Mitch, and Zach — all graduates of KHS as well. His daughter Julie now teaches at KHS, and his son Nate is involved in coaching and supporting athletics.
These days, Fristad enjoys traveling to the Wisconsin Dells with Susan and their family, golfing and spending time with his grandchildren, Sawyer, Owen and Finn.
For some, retirement is a time to slow down, to step away from public life. But for this Honorary Boilermaker, retiring from the Postal Service after 28 years in 2005, and from bus driving for the Kewanee School District in 2017, only created new opportunities for service. He simply re-routed his path, choosing to continue dedicating his time and talents to the place he’s always called home.
A 1968 Kewanee High School graduate, David Bryner’s commitment to the schools began long ago. As a student, he was a member of the Lettermen’s Club, Student Council and Key Club, and was captain of the golf team.
After his retirement from bus driving, Bryner’s presence at school events has been more consistent and reliable than a mail carrier’s route. He’s helped at cross country meets, softball games, and track meets. He’s a regular fixture at football and basketball events. He also ran the scoreboard and clock at Visitation School events for many years, where he was always in the stands to support his own kids.
For the last 15 years, Bryner has been the consistent face behind the clock for KHS home football games, boys basketball games, and girls volleyball games. He has also announced for girls and boys basketball and helped with cross country and golf meets. And when he’s not giving back to the schools, you can find him on the golf course, playing at least five times a week.
His family, all KHS graduates, are a testament to his legacy. The love of his life, Teresa, was met at a little league concession stand while he was umpiring — a fitting start for a man so dedicated to community athletics. Together, they raised three children — Brett, Brooke, and Brittnee — and now have six grandchildren, Allie, Kinley, Brayden, Greyson, Hayden and Kellen.
One of the most telling stories about Bryner’s character came during his daughter Brooke’s high school years. At an event in Rock Falls, he was given a fan good sportsmanship award on the same night Brooke received the award as a player.
But perhaps the most endearing detail about Bryner is revealed by his grandchildren, who, whenever something breaks, simply say, “Don’t worry, Papa can fix it.”
This Honorary Boilermaker, David Spets, will be officially retired for the second time on Oct. 15, closing out more than three decades of service to the Kewanee School District.
His journey began in 1990–1991 as a baseball coach. From 1991 to 1993, he taught junior high math and coached at Malden Grade School, before returning to Kewanee in 1993, where he taught at Central Junior High until his retirement in May 2017.
Spets was deeply involved in academics and athletics, coaching football, track, girls basketball at Central Junior High, and golf and baseball at Kewanee High School.
He also was a school bus driver, a role he continued even after retirement. He has also worked the scoreboard for basketball and football games for the past 27 years.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University in 1991 and later completed his master’s degree at St. Xavier University in 1999.
His connection to Kewanee runs deep. His parents, Bev and John, were both KHS graduates, with his father serving 12 years on the school board.
His siblings also graduated from KHS, and together with his late wife, Debbie, he raised three children — Jackie, John David and Jennifer — all proud Boilermakers themselves.
His daughter Jennifer teaches at Central Junior High, while his daughter Jackie is a social worker in the district.
He is also the proud grandfather of five — Theo, Elliot, Macy, Sawyer and Bodhi — the oldest four of whom are current Kewanee students. Today, he enjoys spending time with his partner, Marla.
Spets’s contributions to the Kewanee School District and the community are immeasurable. He has not only taught and coached but also served in many other capacities, always going above and beyond to support the students and the school. The countless lives he has touched and the positive impact he has made will continue to be felt for years to come.