Kathy Norton (’87) was the premiere runner for the highly successful Westfield State women’s cross country and track teams in the mid-1980s. A two-time national qualifier in track, she earned All-America honors by placing eighth in the 5,000 meter run at the 1987 NCAA national championships.

She collected three All-New England certificates in leading Westfield to top 10 finishes in the New England Division III cross country championships. Norton placed 17th at New Englands in 1984, 15th in 1985 and 25th in 1986, narrowly missing qualifying for the national championships all three seasons. Team-wise, the Owls finished third in the 1984 and 1985 New England finals and ninth in 1986.

In 1985 Norton placed first in the inaugural Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) women’s cross country championship in a Stanley Park course record time of 18:39 in pacing the Owls to the team title. She earned all-conference honors in the 1986 MASCAC championships by placing second. Also in 1986, she was 14th overall in leading Westfield to a seventh place team finish in the ECAC Division III championships.

A versatile athlete and team leader, Norton also threw the javelin in track and field and participated in varsity basketball and swimming, both for a year, at Westfield. She was a highly recruited athlete out of Billerica Memorial High School, where she was the second female athlete to earn 12 varsity letters. Norton captained the cross country indoor track and outdoor track teams at Billerica and held cross country course records at Chelmsford and Lowell.

Norton resides in Lowell with her partner, Kate Sullivan. She has worked at UPS for the past 24 years and is the sales manager for Boston. In her spare time, Norton spends the weekends in Maine, competes in local road races and triathlons, and has a passion for travel.