Meet the Krakens
Meet Our Coaches
Our Coaches
Head Coach Paul Mahar
Coach Mahar has been an educator, mentor, and coach at Loy Norrix since 2004. He’s been part of competitive swimming for close to four decades. He was born and raised in Battle Creek, Michigan, nicknamed “Swimming Capital of the World,” where he found competitive swimming during his 7th grade year. With support from teachers, coaches and parents, Coach Mahar was given a chance to grow in the sport of swimming. Unfortunately, Coach wasn’t the greatest swimmer of all time in his first season…actually, he was the slowest swimmer on the team–but it started a fire inside him and he never looked back. By the end of his high school swimming career, he had become one of the top swimmers in Battle Creek Central’s swimming history. This has stuck with Coach his whole career; he believes anyone/everyone who puts in the work can have success in this crazy sport we all love. He went on to swim for Bowling Green State University, where he met his future wife, Michelle.
In 2002, Coach decided to get his hands wet in the life of coaching. Fortunately, he had an amazing opportunity to establish, develop, and launch a full community of swimming in Kalamazoo. Coach has developed a winning tradition at Loy Norrix High School Women’s & Men’s programs, created a community education swimming program, developed the Kalamazoo middle school swim and dive program (KUT), and, with the help of fellow coaches, launched a USA Swimming team (SCS) to offer even more team and competition opportunities for all athletes. As a transformational coach, Coach Mahar supports the human first & the athlete second, believing that building relationships is the key to helping swimmers reach their personal goals and interpersonal growth.
Head Coach Morgan Kenbeek
Morgan Kenbeek joined the coaching staff of Kalamazoo United in the summer of 2018 and became a full time coach in January of 2020.
Coach Kenbeek was a varsity swimmer for Loy Norrix HS and graduated in 2017, he swam for the Kalamazoo United Krakens as a high school student and was a part of the SCS Fusion USA team. He swam for and attended Albion College until 2020 when he moved back to Kalamazoo during the pandemic.
Coach Kenbeek began coaching for KU as a volunteer during high school and was invited to join the summer staff while attending college. Since his return, he has joined the year-round coaching staff and increased his role on deck with all of our groups.
Having been an athlete that was a part of the KU Club, Coach Kenbeek takes pride in working for the community and teaching the love for the sport. He is invested in seeing the future of Kalamazoo swimming be bigger than ever.
ASSISTANT COACHES
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ASSISTANT COACH
My name is Grace Mahar and I’m excited to be coaching for our swimming program! I’ve been in the water since I was four years old, starting my journey through KU. I swam on our USA team (SCS) from age 8 to 18. I also swam on our KUT middle school club team, qualifying for the state meet all three years. I continued and finished my swimming career at Loy Norrix High School, where I was a part of the start of our four-year undefeated streak and conference championship wins, qualified for the Division 1 state meet every year, and earned school records in both individual and relay events.
Coaching has been a passion of mine since 8th grade when I began volunteering with KU’s learn-to-swim program. Over the past six years, I’ve also offered private lessons at my own pool and love the opportunity to work with swimmers of all ages and skill levels. I strive to create a positive, encouraging environment where swimmers feel confident pushing themselves and celebrating progress—big or small. One of the things I love most about coaching is building strong relationships and helping kids grow not just as athletes, but as individuals.
I recently completed my sophomore year at Hope College, where I’m double majoring in Social Work and Sociology. I’m looking forward to another great season in the pool!
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ASSISTANT COACH
Hi, my name is Audra Tate. My passion for swimming began at age 6 when I first started competing. I started swimming at KU, the beginning of my sophomore year after having a very successful first year on the Loy Norrix Women's Swim Team. Throughout my high school career, I was proud to be part of a program that remained undefeated all four years. Building on that competitive foundation, I transitioned into coaching my junior year of high school with KU, and have loved every moment since.
To me, coaching is far more than just showing up everyday and telling kids what to swim. It's building relationships and memories with the swimmers. There is nothing more rewarding than watching swimmers overcome challenges and celebrate their progress, whether big or small.
Currently, I am a sophomore at Western Michigan University, where I am majoring in Aviation Flight Science and swimming for the WMU club team while continuing my dedication to coaching KU. GO KRAKENS!
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Hi! My name is Natalie LaPointe, and I am so excited to be joining the KU Swimming family as a coach. I've been in the water for as long as I can remember, I started swimming when I was just two years old and haven't looked back since. Growing up in Illinois, I swam year-round on both summer and club teams, where I developed not only a love for the sport but also a passion for the community that comes with it. In high school, my favorite events were the 50 freestyle and the 100 IM, although I was occasionally talked into swimming the 500 freestyle when my coach bribed me with Jolly Ranchers (despite the fact that I somehow managed to win it most of the time!).
My coaching journey began in middle school as a junior coach, where I worked directly with young swimmers in the water, helping them build confidence and improve their skills. I quickly fell in love with teaching and began working one-on-one with swimmers on technique and stroke development. By age 14, I was coaching for a local swim team before returning to my home team as Head Junior Coach and eventually moving into a coaching role there as well.
Swimming has always been my happy place, and coaching has given me the opportunity to share that with others. My goal as a coach is to create a positive, encouraging, and safe environment where every swimmer feels supported, challenged, and excited to come to practice. I believe some of the most valuable lessons swimming teaches: confidence, resilience, teamwork, and discipline, extend far beyond the pool.
I am currently entering my third year at Western Michigan University, where I am pursuing degrees in Leadership and Business Strategy and Sales and Business Marketing.
I am so excited to get to know all of the swimmers and their families and to help create a fun, supportive environment where every athlete can grow both in and out of the pool.
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Hi, my name is Ashlyn Teal. I started swimming for KU when I was 9 years old. It was my first experience swimming and I fell in love with it almost immediately. I have loved coming back to this team year after year and after every season with the Loy Norrix Women's Swim Team. I started coaching for KU when I was a sophomore in high school.
Coaching for this team brings me so much joy. I love building relationships with the kids and watching them grow. Every smile and conversation shows me that this is more than a job, it's a community.
Currently, I'm a freshman at Calvin University majoring in Biology, Pre-Vet, and I'm also on the Calvin's Swim and Dive Team. GO KRAKENS!!!
OUR GROUP COACHES
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Hi, my name is Matilda Dunfee. I started swimming with Kalamazoo United at age six. I am now a high school junior with KU and Loy Norrix's Swim and Dive team. I started coaching last year and have really enjoyed helping new swimmers get comfortable in the water while having fun!
Swimming has shaped much of my life and I want to share that with the next generation of KU kids. Together we will learn new skills, gain confidence and strength, and build friendships with our teammates in and out of the water.
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Hello everyone! My name is Ella Perl and I am so excited to be a part of your kiddo's swim journey! I am currently going into my senior year of high school and can't wait to see what other adventures I have with this sport! I first jumped into the water at 5 years old and have continued ever since. I have swam for KU, our USA swim team, SCS, and the Loy Norrix Swim and Dive Team. During my three years at Loy Norrix, I have been part of the 6 undefeated seasons and 60-0 winning streak. I started coaching KU during my sophomore year and every moment has been a blast!
I believe that swimming isn't just about water safety and staying fit, but having fun. My time with Kalamazoo United has been filled with so many memories and laughs and I want that for every kid. Having those teammates that you can laugh with during practice or after a race is always my favorite part of the sport.
I hope that every kid that comes through the program can have the same experience and make the most memories out of it! GO KRAKENS!
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My name is Annie Brady. My swimming career started when I first moved to Michigan. My mom did swimming growing up and it was something that interested me. I started swimming by taking once a week swimming practice through the YMCA. I soon grew to love it and wanted to keep going. That’s when I met coach Mahar, and started on the KU middle school team. After that I kept going with KU all the way until my freshman year, and started my first year on the Loy Norrix women’s swim team.
I started coaching fall of 2025 and have loved it ever since. My favorite part is creating relationships with the kids, and seeing them progress through the year. It is always so amazing to see the kids doing their best at swim meets and really showing up for the team.
I am very excited to start my sophomore year of high school, and my 2nd year on the swim team. I plan on coaching all through high school. Go Krakens!!
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Hi, my name is Archie Brady. My swimming career started as a sophomore at Loy Norrix High School. From there I was able to join KU’s family. Because of the amazing coaches I was able to go into my second year of High School swimming stronger and a lot more confident. I began coaching at the beginning of my junior year and I have loved being able to build relationships with the kids I have coached, and the fellow coaches I was fortunate enough to work with. Being able to help these kids begin their swimming journey has been more rewarding than I could have ever anticipated and I have loved every moment of it.
I am currently going into my senior year. I am also going into my second year at Kalamazoo Valley community college where I am getting my associates degree. I look forward to working with many more wonderful kids. Let's go KU!!
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Hello my name is Winter Walsh. I have loved swimming since I was little, but only started competitive swimming when I was 11. I started with KU’s competitive middle school team, KUT, and have kept with KU ever since. I swim with the Loy Norrix Women's Swim Team during the season, and swim with KU on the off season for club and USA practice. I have competed on the high school team with no defeats so far, and I hope to keep that streak continuing until I graduate. I started coaching in the middle of my sophomore year in high school as a volunteer, and transitioned into full time coaching later that same year.
Coaching at KU has been a huge part of my life and they are the reason I am the person I am today, both in swimming and in my day to day life. Because of this I am deeply honored to coach the next great generation of swimmers, and empower them in the same way my coaches have for me.I also greatly enjoy watching the kids I coach grow into better and better people and swimmers.
Currently I am a junior at Loy Norrix High School, I am continuing to further my swimming career throughout my seasons and help my teams at any and all meets and championships, and at MISCA, and States. All while focusing on graduating and moving up in the world to study and become a doctor of veterinary sciences.
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