Dynamite in a small package. That might best describe John Lambert, who enjoyed an outstanding career on the wrestling mat at Augustana during the mid-1960’s. Operating at the smallest weight class, 123 pounds, Lambert was virtually unbeatable throughout his career. He graduated in 1966 as the winningest wrestler in school history with an overall record of 71-9-2.
His career was filled with accolades and honors and it started early. As a freshman, in the 1962-63 season, he won the NCAA College Division Regional at 123 pounds and he also won the first of what would be four straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin championships. He was the first four time conference champion in Augustana history.
Three times during his career he won the Wheaton Invitational and the other year he was second. In 1966, as a senior, he was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the meet where he enjoyed so much success. He teamed with Fred Johnson to make a very formidable set of bookends in the Augustana lineup. Johnson cleaned up on opponents to the tune of a 70-10-11 record from 1963-67 while handling the 190 pound and heavyweight classes while Lambert was setting the table at the beginning of meets from the 123 pound class.
He never lost a dual meet at Augustana, suffering a pair of ties but never a defeat. That streak actually stretched for five years because he was undefeated in dual meets as a senior at Rock Island High School in 1961-62 as well. He helped lead the Vikings to four straight team titles in the CCIW and a 27-3-3 record in dual meets. As a junior in 1965 he was instrumental in Augustana placing 13th in the NCAA College Division and as a senior the Vikings placed fifth in the nation.
During his junior and senior season he placed second at 123 pounds in the NCAA College Division, losing each time to a pair of two-time NCAA College Division national champions who are both in the National Wrestling Coaches Association “Hall of Fame”. Each of those wrestlers who Lambert lost to competed in the 1964 United States Olympic Trials.
Clearly, Lambert was a competitor at the highest level. When his teammate Fred Johnson was inducted into the Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame in 2002, he mentioned Lambert by name and called him one of the best wrestlers he had ever seen.
After graduating from Augustana in 1966 with a degree in accounting, Lambert embarked on a successful career that included stints as a CPA for Price Waterhouse, CFO and senior vice president of Burger King, CFO and Executive Vice President of Perkins Restaurant and owner of Lambert Consulting. Now “happily retired”, he was also a bank director at one time.
Over the last 10 years Lambert and his wife Carol have taken 12 archeological trips to Central America, Mexico, Peru and Turkey. The father of three daughters (Dawn Tapscott, Kimberly Lambert and Kim Trebac), John and Carol currently reside in Sarasota, Florida.
