The 1980 Men’s Track and Field team was perhaps the best all time among the many outstanding Westfield State College track and field teams which have churned out numerous All-Americans. The 1980 squad featured several All-New England performers, one All-American that year, four past or future All-Americans, and five future Westfield State Hall-of-Famers. 

 

Coached by future Westfield State Hall-of-Famer Jerry Gravel, the most significant part of the 1980 season was the Owls’ win at the first-ever New England Division III team championship, run  at the Mass. Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass. that spring. The championship team was led by the efforts of individual champions Rich Minutoli and Bob D’Agnese and 1980 All-American Russ Winchester.  Westfield finished with 103.5 points to win the 23-team championship meet.

 

In the spring season, the Owls won the MASCAC and brought home the New England Division III team championship for the first of only two times in school history (the other being in 1985). The spring team produced 12 All-New England performers in its star-studded lineup that finished 16-2, going unbeaten in their final 13 matchups of the regular season. The All-New England performers for the spring season included:

Russ Winchester  (All-American in the 200m Dash (4th in the Nation), N.E. Div. III Runner-up in   100m/200m Dash); Rich Minutoli (Individual champion in 110m High Hurdles); Bob D’Agnese - Individual champion in 440m Dash; Vin Aurilio - (N.E. Div. III Runner-up in Hammer Throw);  Dan O’Connor (N.E. Div. III Runner-up in 400m Hurdles);  Rich Fisher (N.E. Div. III Runner-up in High Jump); Kevin Crowley (5th in 3000m Steeple Chase)

 

The relay team of Joe Coggeshall, D’Agnese, Al Vater, and Winchester won the New England Division III 400m Relay and broke the record with a time of 41.81 seconds. Another all-star relay team for the Owls that included Scott Anderson, Bill Monahan, O’Connor, and Trevor Watts finished 6th in New England, breaking a school record in the process.

 

Eight school records were broken that spring. Three of which still stand today; Winchester’s 200m Dash, Bob D’Agnese’s 400m Dash, and the Division III 400m Relay team.

 

Winchester was granted All-American honors in 1980 with his record breaking 200m Dash, and then again the following year in the same event. Other past and future All-Americans that were a part of the 1980 squad include Kevin Crowley (Cross Country 1978), Vin Aurilio (Hammer 1979), David Wayne (1600m Relay 1982), and Bob D’Agnese (1600m Relay 1982).