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Photo by Mary Kumbier
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Dexter's Kirk Kumbier committed to swim at Division III powerhouse Kenyon College earlier this month. The Dreadnaught senior standout finished sixth in the state at the Division II final in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:00.96.
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Every successful team needs a leader.
A leader, who when the chips are down, will rally their teammates and inspire them to heights previously unimagined.
A leader, who is looked to when the going gets rough and the waters are choppy.
For Dexter's boys' swimming and diving team, Kirk Kumbier is that type of leader.
A senior co-captain and six-time All-State performer, Kumbier was a force to be reckoned with in the pool this season for the Dreadnaughts.
Like every good leader, Kumbier is fearless, determined and driven when it comes to his sport of choice.
"The thing I love most about swimming is competing," said Kumbier, Dexter's school record-holder in the 100 breaststroke and a member of the Dreadnaughts' record-setting 200 medley relay. "The feel of a perfect race, one so perfect that you can't remember anything except touching the wall and seeing your best time on the scoreboard. I love racing.
"I love setting a goal and then achieving it. That is one of the greatest feelings in the world."
One of Kumbier's goals was earning the opportunity to swim at the next level. Earlier this month, that dream was realized when he committed to Kenyon College in Ohio.
"It's a small liberal arts school with a friendly and cooperative, rather than competitive, academic atmosphere," said Kumbier, who also was recruited by Carthage College, Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University and Denison University. "The average class size is 14. I've visited (the campus) four times now, and each time I visited, the college grew on me."
The college's men's swimming and diving program is one of the country's best. The Lords captured their 28th consecutive NCAA Division III national title earlier this month. The school's women's team, also a powerhouse, recently won its 21st national title this year. Former Chelsea standout Kara Stiles is a member of Kenyon's women's squad.
"Kenyon has an excellent swim program with a great tradition and a fantastic coach (Jim Steen)," said Kumbier, who was selected Dexter MVP last season. "I felt a very strong team bond when I visited."
Kumbier, who has a 3.92 grade point average, said he's undecided on a major, though he's interested in exploring art, math and science at Kenyon, which is located 45 miles from Columbus.
"Some day I'd like to be a teacher and coach swimming," he said.
Until that day, however, Kumbier is focused on making his mark at the next level.
"I hope to contribute to the team right away," he said. "My goal for next year is to get NCAA cuts in my main events the 100 and 200 breaststroke."
Kumbier (5-foot-10, 165 pounds), who started swimming with the Dexter Community Aquatics Club and the Ann Arbor Country Club when he was 5, said he swims because it's a test both physically and mentally.
"I love overcoming the mental and physical challenges that swimming has to offer in practices and competition," he said.
Kumbier, 18, who also participated in water polo for Dexter and was co-captain, MVP and All-Region this past season, said being co-captain of this year's Dreadnaught swimming and diving team was a satisfying experience.
"We had a fun group of guys this year," he said. "Sometimes it was hard to keep people on task, but for the most part I think the team stayed focused throughout the season.
"We had fun out of the pool, playing cards, watching movies and hanging out. When it was time to swim, however, we worked hard. I always tried to lead by example."
While Kumbier's teammates looked to him for motivation, the person who inspired Kumbier was his older brother Eric, a former Dexter swim captain and currently a sophomore at the University of Michigan and a member of the Wolverine's men's water polo team.
"I watched him practice when I was little," he said. "I would walk up and down the side of the pool, just watching, and waiting for my turn to get in the water with him."
Kumbier said Todd Brunty, a coach for DCAC and AACC and Dan Ohm, a coach for the Ann Arbor Swim Club of which Kumbier is a member, also have helped him throughout the years.
"Both have played significant roles in inspiring me to become a passionate swimmer," he said.
That passion led Kumbier to a sixth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.96 at this past season's Division II state meet at Oakland University. As a team, the Dreadnaughts placed 24th in the state.
"This year, I had hoped to improve my times from last year, but I didn't," he said. "The end of the season was real rough for me. There were several deaths of close family and friends and I was sick the week of states. Considering all that happened, I performed well, but I was still disappointed my times weren't faster.
"When you participate in a sport like swimming, where success is measured in hundredths of seconds, you can't let one swim get you down. You have to channel your energy and frustration into your next race or into your training and do your best."
Spoken like a true leader.
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