WESTFIELD, Mass. - Westfield State Athletics celebrated its 25th Hall of Fame class on Saturday, October 13, 2023 inducting five new members as part of the school's homecoming weekend.
Tom Stewart '88, a track and field and cross country athlete who now serves as the athletic director at Holyoke Community College, was the first inductee of the evening. A native of Oxford, Mass. who now resides in Westfield, Stewart is also the meet director for the IC4A championships and the MIAA track and field and cross country championships.
Among his remarks, Stewart paid tribute to his coach, Jerry Gravel.
"Some of us had chosen Westfield State because of coach," said Stewart, who's 1987 cross country team was the best-ever in the program's history. "We all felt lucky to run for him."
Kerry Arouca '09 was the next inductee. A five time All-American in cross country and track and field, Arouca twice finished second in the nation in NCAA Division III in the 5,000 meters. A native of Hanson, Mass. who now lives in Brockton, she continues to run at a high level, recently running the Chicago Marathon in 3:09, and said that she has a goal to compete in the world's six major marathons.
"Who knows if I would have ever found this passion for running and competing if I didn't go to Westfield State and meet all of you wonderful people," said Arouca.
Andrea (Wasuk) Cohen was an All-American as a senior, led the Owls women's basketball team to the 2009 NCAA Tournament, and graduated as the program's third all-time leading scorer with 1,373 points.
"My four years at Westfield State were some of the best years of my life," said Cohen, a Lenox native who now resides in Bridgewater, Mass. " I met teammates who became lifelong friends … We have cheered each other on through life's ups and downs and my teammates will always be the greatest gift Westfield State has ever given me."
Josh Mathieu '10 was a four-year all-conference football defensive back for the Owls, winning a slew of major awards his senior year, when he was named a first-team All-American after leading the country in passes defended.
A Fitchburg native, Mathieu is currently a police detective in Lunenberg, Mass.
He said, "To all my former teammates throughout the four years, I can't thank them enough either. We had some great times both on the field and off the field … Lifelong memories that have contributed to all my success."
The final inductee of the evening was Dave Jaehnig '09, who scored more than 1,300 points on the basketball court, and graduated as the winningest player in Owls history after a four-year career in which his teams never won less than 17 games.
"Thanks to my teammates over the years who helped me become successful on the court with their hard work in practices and selfless attitudes in games," said the Quincy native who now teaches in Waltham. He said that with all the great memories on the floor, "I remember the events spent with teammates off the court more."
Joanne Parker and her late husband Jim Parker '98 of Westfield were presented with the Jim Hagan Award for service and support of athletics. The Parkers have been great supporters of the Owls cross country and track and field programs, and Jim served as an ambassador for charitable giving to Westfield State through his emphasis on tax-advantaged giving offered through IRA required minimum distributions, and they created an endowed fund for Owls cross country.
The Westfield State Athletic Hall of Fame now numbers 156 individual inductees and five teams. If you know of a deserving candidate for the hall of fame, you can nominate them online at WestfieldStateOwls.com. Click on the link for 'hall of fame' which has information on all of the past inductees, and nomination guidelines.