Clarissa Chun is a pioneer in the sport of women’s wrestling, making an impact at Missouri Valley College, Nationally and internationally.  Chun was one of the first women’s wrestlers at Missouri Valley, helping pave the way for the country’s first women’s wrestling program to offer scholarships.  As a Viking, Chun was a three-time All-American, two-time National champion and helped the team to a National title in 2001.  Chun made an impact on the international stage following her time at Missouri Valley, competing for the USA Wrestling program.  In all, Chun was a five-time US Open champion, four-time Pan-American champion, and a World champion in 2008.  Additionally, Chun represented the United States at two Olympic games.  At the 2008 Beijing Games, Chun finished fifth at 48kg.  Four years later at the 2012 London Games, Chun came back through the Repechage rounds to win a bronze medal at 48kg.

 

Following her competitive career, Chun became involved in coaching, and spent four years with the USA Wrestling program.  During that span, Chun helped develop 17 world medalists, including seven gold medalists.  Chun also coached one gold medalist, one silver medalist and one bronze medalist at Olympic games.  In 2021, Chun was named the first head coach in program-history for University of Iowa women’s wrestling, becoming the first Power Five conference school to offer the sport.  Since the team began competing in 2023, Chun has been named the NWCA Coach of the Year, won two NWCA National Dual championships and won two NCWWC team National titles with a total of nine individual National champions.

 

Chun was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2022, one of only four females to earn the Distinguished Member honor.