John Wehmeier
Class of 2003
Belleville
John Wehmeier attended Belleville Township High School and wrestled as a senior. He also participated in football and track and field. He was a citizenship award finalist and a member of the National Honor Society. A 1958 graduate of Belleville, he went on to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. SIU-E did not have wrestling at the time. After graduation in 1962, he moved on to Roosevelt High School in St. Louis and coached a young team from a 1-9 record his first year to 11-7 his fourth and final year. Roosevelt went on to win the Missouri district championship the following year.
John coached at Belleville West High School from 1973-1993. During that time, his teams won 266 matches (266-98-6). They won ten Southwestern Conference Championships, nine city titles, six IHSA regional crowns and one Sectional championship. From 1977 through 1980, his teams won sixty-two straight dual meets. John coached thirty-five state qualifiers, two state champions and nine other place winners in Illinois and two state qualifiers and one place winner in Missouri.
In 1980, John was selected as St. Louis Area Coach of the Year.
John has received the SIU-E Excellence in Teaching Mathematics Award in 1989 and the Famous Barr Co. Golden Apple Award in 1999. In 2000, John received the Emerson Electric Crystal Apple Award in Teaching Mathematics. John was also selected, in 2002, by the Illinois Athletic Directors Association as the District 9 Class AA Outstanding Athletic Director.
John has served as an official in both wrestling and track and field. He is a member of Kappa Delta Pi Honorary Educational Fraternity and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.