Russ Bosbach (’80) is considered one of the most versatile and talented athletes in the storied history of the Westfield State track and field program. 

Bosbach also was the consummate “team” athlete, sacrificing his personal goals in an era when the Owls developed into a New England power. He was a member of four Massachusetts State College Athletics Conference (MASCAC) championship teams and a senior leader on Westfield State’s first New England Division III championship in 1980. 

In a superb display of his talents, Bosbach competed in five events in the 1978 MASCAC championships. He won the 110 high hurdles and placed second in the 400 hurdles, long jump, triple jump and high jump. 

In addition, Bosbach had an inspirational effort during the 1980 New England Division III championships, when he placed fourth in the intermediate hurdles and third in the triple jump despite taking only one jump attempt because of an ankle injury. 

Bosbach was an All-New England performer nine times and qualified for the 1978 NCAA Division III national championships in the triple jump. He held school records in the triple jump (46-7 ½) and 120 yard high hurdles (15.4). 

In high school, Bosbach was the Class B state champion in both the triple jump and high hurdles while leading Reading to the 1975 state team title. He also captured the All-State triple jump championship and placed second in the New England championships. He was inducted into the Reading High School Hall of Fame in 2003. 

Concentrating primarily on one event, Bosbach excelled at even higher levels following his graduation from Westfield State. He won the 1981 and 1982 USA Track and Field New England championships at Boston College with triple jumps of 47-8 and 48-4, respectively. 

In the Eastern Masters Championships in 1991, he was first in the high jump, second in the high hurdles and second in the triple jump. He competed in the masters indoor national championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston from 1998 to 2002. He triple jumped more than 42 feet at the age of 40 in 1998 to place third nationally. He placed fifth nationally in 2002 with a high jump of 5-6. 

Bosbach remains active in track and field as the official starter for Lexington High School meets. He also has coached at Reading and Acton Boxboro High Schools. 

Professionally, Bosbach is an active volunteer with disabled sports and special needs programs, including the Special Olympics and Access Sport America. For the past 25 years he has been an adaptive physical education teacher: two years at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, 11 years at a private school in West Newton, and since 1997 in the Lexington public schools. 

Bosbach resides in Acton with his wife, Nancy Tarquinio, and two sons: Sam, a junior and UMass Amherst, and Ben, a freshman at Acton-Boxboro High School.