Northeastern University Athletics

Andrew "Hawk" Zamparelli was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in the sport of track.

Zamparelli, whose name intermittently crowded newspaper headlines in Boston sports pages in the late 1930's, was Northeastern's first New England Collegiate Cross Country Champion in 1936 and an outstanding indoor and outdoor miler. Zamparelli won countless 10,000 meter road races throughout New England and became internationally famous while touring Canada with famous Boston Marathoner Johnny Kelly.

At Northeastern, Zamparelli was an instant success. He won the New England Collegiate Cross Country Championships in 1936, the Junior National 10,000 meter championship and the New England Collegiate and AAU 10,000 meter championship. Zamparelli was undefeated in cross country while at Northeastern, and in track ran the mile and two mile at almost every meet. The highlight of his career at Northeastern came when he edged Carrol O'Connor at Franklin Park for the New England Cross Country Championship in 1936. In the Olympic year of 1936, the "Hawk" captured the Olympic Regional Trials in the 10,000 meter run and earned an alternate in the final Olympic Trials.

Zamparelli is a decorated veteran of World War II. He received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with the 311th Infantry, a unit which was active in the Battle of the Bulge. A certain attack on Pearl Harbor had changed the destiny of a young runner from Medford, Mass., who had originally volunteered for a one year hitch in 1941 and did not return until 1945.