Chappars, a 2007 Bellbrook High School graduate, runs track and cross country at Denison University in Granville, 40 miles east of Columbus.
He is carrying a 3.4 grade-point average.
“I’ve always been very good in the sciences so biology and chemistry haven’t been too much of a problem except getting lab time, which can be three or four hours per class,” Chappars said. “The worst part about economics is some of the boring lectures.
“Because I’m part Greek, that’s my fun course. It’s not language, but Greek history and culture.”
One of his goals in life is to run the route of the original marathon in Greece.
The heavy academic load is “to give myself a lot of options in the future where there’s going to be a lot of green businesses. With biology and chemistry, I can work for a lot of companies.
“Economics gives me a good understanding of business. So I’m not limiting myself.”
Better than ever
In high school Chappars was “a pretty good runner, but not even close to where I am now.”
He was second in the Southwestern Buckeye League in cross country as a junior and senior. Both seasons he qualified to the Division II regional.
After adjusting to the college cross country distance of 8,000 meters — about five miles — as a freshman in 2008, he had a breakthough season in 2009.
He was 13th in the North Coast Athletic Conference meet in 26 minutes, 40 seconds. Denison qualified as a team to the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional meet where he was 26th and earned All-Regional honors.
“It was just a matter of learning what it took to be a college runner both mentally and physically,” he said. “My endurance is just starting to get to the point where it needs to be.
“I had to learn how to run a race and how physical it can be. I still have a long way to go, but I was satisfied with my progress.”
Mile after mile
During the school year, Chappars will average 100 running miles or more per week in training. Last summer, he was doing between 60-70 miles, part of the time at the Chappars summer cottage in Charlevoix, Mich. On a whim, he decided to run the Charlevoix Marathon and placed third.
“That was my first marathon and I ran two hours and 46 minutes,” he said. “I was second most of the way and then some guy passed me with 10 yards to go. I don’t know if I’ll do another one while I’m in college, but I can see myself running marathons as I get older.”
Chappars tries to do part of his training between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. each day. His watch always goes off at 4:35 p.m. That was the time a younger brother, Jake, passed away on Nov. 7, 2006 from complications of a heart defect.
“He was my best friend growing up and is still my inspiration,” Chappars said. “When my watch goes off that reminds me of him and makes me work harder if I’m having a bad day.”
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