Kent Kirchner
Kent Kirchner '75 1997 Swimming
Kent Kirchner came to Cleveland State from Solon High School, where he was a state championship swimmer. He would go on to become CSU's finest all-around swimmer since the days of Hall of Famer Bob Busbey, and the days of Hall of Famer Bub Busbey, and perhaps the finest in school history. Ironically, Busbey served as Kirchner's collegiate coach.
In 1971-72, opposing coaches would say that it seemed as if Kirchner didn't like water because he spent so little time in it. That certainly seemed to the case. By the time his freshman season was over, Kirchner had rewritten the CSU record book and owned or shared eight records. He set records in the freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and individual medley at distances ranging from 100 to 1000 yards. His CSU record time in the backstroke was the fastest college division time of the year. At the Penn-Ohio Championships, he was the 400 yard IM champion, defeating the defending NCAA champ with a CSU record time. In the 200 yard IM, Kirchner lost his first collegiate race by just one-tenth of a second. At the NCAA Championships, he was third in the 200-yd. backstroke and 10th in the 400-yd. IM. He capped the year by being selected as the CSU's third swimming All-American as well as the team's Most Outstanding Swimmer.
Kirchner continued his assault on the record book as sophomore. He set CSU marks in the 100-yd. and 200-yd. freestyle as well as the 200-yd. IM. At the Penn-Ohio meet, he won the 200-yd. backstroke with a CSU record time. He also won the 200-yd. and 400-yd. IM. Kirchner was again named All-American, joining Busbey as CSU's only two-time swimming All-Americans. He also earned his second Most Outstanding Swimmer Award.
1973-74 saw Kirchner set records in the 200-yd. backstroke, 20-yd. IM, 400-yd. IM and 400-yd freestyle relay. He led CSU to its first-ever Penn-Ohio team title. He earned the Most Outstanding Swimmer Award for the third straight time and was named CSU's Male Athlete of the Year in '73-74.
Kirchner ended his career by setting CSU records in the 100-yd. backstroke, 200-yd. IM., 1000-yd freestyle and 400-yd. medley relay. At the Penn-Ohio Championship, he captured titles in the 100-yd. backstroke, with a CSU record, and 200-yd. backstroke. He was also part of a CSU record-setting 400-yd. medley relay team. He captured a fourth straight High Point Trophy and received the Captain's Award.
At the completion of his career, Kirchner owned or shared eight CSU records. He had become CSU's second two-time All-American and the lone three-time winner of the Most Outstanding Swimmer Award.
Following his career in the pool, he went into coaching, serving as an assistant with CSU from 1975-78 and the University of Arkansas from 1979-81. In 1982-83, he was named the Association of Mid-Continent University's Coach of the Year when he led Southwest Missouri State to AMCU Championship. In the summer of 1983, he returned to Arkansas as an assistant coach. Kirchner would then serve as head coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks from 1985-89, where he would produce 12 All-American swimmers.
Kirchner is currently the head swimming coach at Kokomo (Indiana) High School, where he resides with his wife Cheryl and their three children, Kale, Kody and Kirby.
