St. Lawrence University Athletics

John Clark ’69, a native of Fulton, New York, was a prominent high school wrestler in Section III becoming his school’s first sectional champion in 1964 at 145 pounds. John became a member of the Saints’ wrestling team as an athlete in 1965 the same year the program was revived at the University. It did not take him long to establish himself on the roster becoming the first ICAC Champion in program history taking the title his sophomore year at 160 pounds. He would go on to earn First-Team honors that same season and would win his second career ICAC title during his senior campaign in 1968-69. After graduation, John was drafted in the Vietnam war and came back to earn his second bachelor’s degree and his Master’s in Education in 1972. Shortly after, he became the Saints head coach during the 1971-72 season.

As head coach of the program, John led the St. Lawrence University wrestling program and the “Iron Five” to the 1988 NCAA Division III Championship and was named the 1988 NCAA Division III Coach of the Year that same season. He also coached his wrestlers to a New York State team championship in 1977 and his teams produced nine NCAA Division III National Champions along with 64 NYS All-State place winners. Thirteen of his teams had top ten finishes in NCAA Championships; four of them finished in the top four. His career 182-54-7 record in dual meets ranks highly among Division III schools.
 
Upon his retirement from coaching at St. Lawrence in 1990, he took on the duties of Athletic Director for eight years and managed an athletic program that included 26 intercollegiate sports. During that time, John was instrumental in taking the Saints from the Empire Athletic Association to the Liberty League.
 
In 2003 John was diagnosed with prostate cancer and following surgery became a spokesperson on cancer survival. Shortly after in 2004, he embarked on a dream of his, to bike, boat, and hike across Canada, something he called a “Journey to Daybreak” in which he biked 3000 miles, traveled 900 miles by sea kayak, and 500 miles on foot in Newfoundland. John would go on to publish a 173-page memoir detailing his trek.
 
John and his wife Donna met at St. Lawrence as students in 1965 and married shortly after graduation. They have raised seven children together and have 17 grandchildren. Clark now owns and operates a bed and breakfast with his wife, Donna, just outside of Canton.