Ben Kirmse

By Jake Grovum
UW-RF Sports Information

In a day and age where the value of hard work seems to be ever diminishing and people seem to always be seeking the easy way out, Ben Kirmse is an anomaly to say the least.  

Hailing from a small town, Wild Rose, Wis., Kirmse, a member of the Falcon cross country team, has always known the value of hard work. As the oldest boy, and the second oldest of his four siblings, the Kirmses have always prescribed to a sense of responsibility, a willingness to do something until it is done right, and above all, knowing what can be accomplished when people work together.

The UW-RF senior has benefited from this attitude in many ways.  

"It'd probably be 'to compete with the big dogs you can't train like a puppy,'" Kirmse stated when asked what his favorite quote was. This philosophy has led him to many experiences that have shaped the man he has become today. Ever since he was young he has been competitive, engaging in fishing competitions with his family and even turning chopping wood into something of a competition. He brings a sense of purpose and determination into everything he does.

Known as 'The Deli Man' by his family, because of his unique style of chopping wood, Kirmse has many memories of outdoors activities with his family. He recalled one day when he and members of his family were out gathering wood on their 10-acre estate, which he will say is not a farm, just in the country.

He recalls the day they found a large amount of wood that was roughly a half-mile away from home. Kirmse and his family proceeded to gather all the wood they could find using wheelbarrows, despite the growing darkness. Kirmse said that it was the best feeling in the world when he and his family could enjoy a fire, knowing that they had banded together to accomplish something.

Kirmse has also used his outstanding work ethic and determination throughout his life. He recalled one particular example from a little league baseball game. When he was 13-years old his team was playing Hancock and Kirmse stepped up to home plate with the bases loaded. "I remember seeing the pitch coming the whole way, and I just swung and put it right over the fence. It was great, my coach got the ball for me and all my teammates signed it."

The success didn't stop there; he also mentioned a high school football game against rival Iola/Scandinavia. "The game was tied (13-13) which was a big deal; the fact that we were even tied with them. It went into overtime and we stopped them. On our possession our quarterback ran an option in for the win. I remember seeing him right in front of me as he ran it in, it was great. Everyone ran on the field like we had just won the Super Bowl; some of the guys even jumped into the pond next to the stadium," said Kirmse who was describing the situation like it had just happened yesterday.

Kirmse has also has had his share of success in college, which he also contributes to hard work and determination. Last winter during the indoor track & field season he was running the 1200-meter leg of the distance medley. The Falcons were underdogs in the event to say the least. "I was kind of hanging back, around seventh place, pacing myself. Then with 150 meters left I started my final kick and by the time I made the handoff I was tied for first." Teammate Jason Phillippi ran the anchor leg and with 50 meters left he started his final kick and ended up winning the race by five meters, according to Kirmse.

When Kirmse isn't hitting grand slams, upsetting teams in football, or winning long distance medleys he can be found fishing. "My brother and I were on Stratton Lake and I caught this fish, it was a 13-14 inch crappie, or this big rock bass. I almost got in the boat, right before it got off the line; I've caught a bunch of other good-sized crappies, they always make for a good meal," he said when asked what his most prized fish was.   

Julie, Kirmes' mom, said that Ben and his brother, Jack, were always competing to see who could claim the title of best fisherman in the family, she added that she was the best. "I taught them everything they know!" she added laughing. She recalled a certain mishap during a day of fishing when Kirmse was two-years old. "We were fishing and Ben's foot got tangled up in a line when there was a fish on the hook! He just ran around screaming about how the fish was chasing him; it was funny to see someone who loved to fish so much so afraid of a fish!" she explained.

Aside from sharing stories about Kirmse's childhood she went on to say that he is a competitive, nice and polite man who would do anything he was asked. She added that family is very important to him and recalled how he was never embarrassed to show affection for his family in front of other people.  

Falcon cross country Coach Don Glover, all but seconded Julie Kirmse's description saying, "He is a hard worker, a leader at practice who pushes people, and a good guy. Everyone likes him."

A person as determined as Kirmse obviously has people he looks up to push him to the next level. "My friends, seeing them overcome adversity or achieve something they have worked for so hard makes me happy for them as well as pushes me to reach that same level of success." He went on to add that his family was his inspiration, that they always showed him the value of determination and teamwork. When asked to describe himself in one word he simply replied, "determined."

At UW- River Falls he is pursuing a health & human performance major and has aspirations of being a personal trainer. He said of all his experiences at River Falls learning about hard work, never giving up, and learning that everything comes down to training are what he will take with him after graduation.

"Hard work is what our team is all about," Kirmse saidd about the Falcons. He has high hopes for this cross country season. He hopes to run in the low 26-minute mark and also has hopes of finishing in the top half at the WIAC meet and doing well in regionals.