Westfield State is fortunate to call Stanley Park the home course for the Owls' men's and women's cross country team.
The Owls train and compete on the many trails in the park and wildlife sanctuary, which features as large open field on the upper level of the park which serves as the start and finish area, and a hilly section that leads down to the lower trails.
The course itself has been host to a myriad of cross country events at all levels, with NCAA Division I, II and III teams having competed. Westfield State hosts its annual James Earley Invitational meet, has hosted four NCAA Division III New England Cross Country regional championship meets, the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships on numerous occaisions, as well as the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship meet at Stanley Park. The course was also the host for the NJCAA National Championship meet in 2015, 2017, and 2018.
Stanley Park is located directly across the street from the Woodward Center Athletic Complex and the Jerry Gravel Track.
Stanley Park is also a wonderful recreational facility for the city of Westfield as well as the University. The park is managed by a non-profit organization and consists of nearly 300+ acres of trails, woods, picnic areas, recreational facilities, and gardens, which include the Rose & Flower Garden, Asian Garden, a Rhododendron Display Garden, The Arboretum, Herb Garden, and Woodland Wildflower Garden. There is the Frank Stanley Beveridge Wildlife Sanctuary, the Carillon Tower, and a Duck Pond with a Colonial-era Village that includes an orchard, mill and waterwheel, an old town meeting house, covered bridge, carriage shed, blacksmith shop, and arched bridges all with a backdrop of flowering azaleas and rhododendron.
