Monmouth College Athletics

John Chapman’s mixture of strength, technique and determination made him the most successful wrestler on the national stage in MC history.

At the 1991 national meet, Chapman wrestled his way to the championship match at 126 pounds, blanking the No. 2-ranked grappler 9-0 in the semi-finals. In the title match, he trailed by just one point with 10 seconds remaining before falling 6-3. That capped a 26-5 senior season for the Illinois State University transfer and gave him a career record of 62-11 in his two years with the Scots.

In his first year at Monmouth, he established a school record with 36 wins and qualified for the national meet, placing sixth at 134 pounds. He won Midwest Conference titles both seasons. Chapman, who posted a 130-15 career record at nearby Galesburg High School and placed fifth in the state as a senior, has been head wrestling coach there since 2000.