--Courtesy of Chapman Athletics--

Owen Tapia came to Chapman to continue his football career and pursue his childhood dream of working in neuroscience. He has excelled both on the field and in the classroom and will use his extra COVID year of eligibility to not only finish his football career but finish the research he began last fall.
 
On the field, Tapia has made remarkable achievements. He has broken and rebroken Chapman’s record for the longest punt and averaged 46.5 yards per punt last season. He is on pace to set the Chapman record for punting average in a career and, year-after-year, Chapman seems to be among the best in net yards per punt.
 
All of these statistical achievements have made Tapia a three-time All-SCIAC selection, two-time All-Region selection and a Third Team All-American last year. His goal on the field is to add another All-American honor and help the Panthers reach and win the SCIAC’s inaugural title game.
 
Off the field, Tapia is finishing up a Biochemistry degree after switching majors from Biology. The original goal of entering the field of neuroscience took a bit of a turn when he took Biology of Cancer last Fall. One of the final projects of the class centered around compassion in healthcare and improving the industry in that regard.
 
His pairing, and resulting friendship, with a terminal cancer patient changed the course of his academic career. Researching more effective tools to fight cancer became a newly discovered passion. His research into the use of pomegranate extract and caffeine to aid in the fight against cancer lit a light bulb that prompted the switching of majors and set a new career path.
 
Tapia has found mentors to aid him in his research, which he plans to finish over the course of this extra semester. It will be just the first step in in what he hopes to turn into a career of researching ways to improve and extend the quality of life of cancer patients.
 
A tremendous punter and driven student, Tapia will wrap up his time at Chapman this December. More accolades will come on the field but the end of his time as an undergraduate will just be first of many accomplishments he will achieve in his professional pursuits.