LeQuan Chapman, a senior at Shippensburg University, is a man of many talents. He is a communication/journalism major as well as a student-athlete.
Chapman, who is a track-andfield athlete, is one of the most successful athletes at Shippensburg University. He currently competes in the long jump, triple jump, and the 4x100 meter relay.
Last year, Chapman was named the 2015 PSAC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year, 2015 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Atlantic Region Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, as well as the Named 2015 PSAC Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.
Sports have always been a major part of Chapman’s life, ever since he was in high school. He was a three-letter athlete in track and field, basketball and football, but track and field has always been his true passion.
Chapman is currently studying to be a journalist. He is a part-time anchor for SUTV on campus and has also had internships with ABC 27 in Harrisburg and even Major League Baseball. Chapman is still interested in journalism, which he loves, but he said he would really love to be an athletic director or coach someday in the future.
Chapman’s desire to become an athletic director stems from an experience he had at a Nike conference for the LGBT community. Chapman, who is an openly gay black man, explained that he would love to change the culture of athletics as a director since there are not many people like him in those types of positions.
“We have all these male coaches coaching women’s basketball, but not one female can coach a male,” Chapman said. “It’s things like that where I’d love to be involved if possible in that decision making and work with kids.”
David Brantley, one of Chapman’s teammates on the track team, described Chapman as “one of the best leaders that I’ve had the chance to follow. Great guy overall and he loves to help anyone that needs it.”
To make his dream a reality, Chapman is currently looking into geting his masters and transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University for a dual master’s program in education and MBA that focuses on leadership and sports administration.
If Chapman stays on the track he is currently on, he aspires to make changes in not only sports but in the U.S.
“I feel like I could really make an impact as an athletic director. I’ve never had an athletic director who wasn’t a white male,” he said. “So I definitely feel like there’s some room for some change and a difference.”
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