VIDEO: WAYNE SPANGLER HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY
One of the most dominant sprinters in the history of the Bridgewater College track and field program, Wayne Spangler played a major role in the Eagles' track prowess in the early 1950s.
A native of Salem, Va., Wayne enrolled at Bridgewater in 1949 and tried out for the track team his freshman year. Despite no prior athletic experience in high school, he secured a spot as the fifth sprinter on the 1950 Bridgewater squad which captured the Virginia Little Six championship and went undefeated through its entire dual meet season. The following year, Wayne helped the Eagles to another Little Six title by winning the 100 yard dash and also placed third in that event at the 1951 Mason-Dixon Conference meet. Wayne then put together a tremendous junior campaign, setting a Little Six record with a time of 9.6 seconds in the 100-yard dash, a mark which still stands as a Bridgewater record. He then shattered another Little Six record with a time of 21.4 seconds in the 220 yard dash. Bridgewater captured its third straight Little Six title that season and also emerged victorious at the 1952 Mason-Dixon Conference outdoor championships with Wayne winning the 100-yard dash and finishing second in the 220. Wayne capped his junior season by winning the indoor 60-yard dash at the Southern Conference Games, defeating representatives from such schools as the University of Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, and the U.S. Naval Academy. He retained his 60-yard title at the 1953 games, and took the 100-and 220-yard events at the state AAU meet that same season.
Wayne earned his undergraduate degree in religion in 1953 and returned to Bridgewater in 1956 to complete his teaching certificate in math and science. After earning his master's degree from George Washington University, Wayne spent 27 years in the school system of Fairfax County in northern Virginia, primarily as a guidance counselor. Additionally, Wayne taught three years in the Air Force Department Schools; a two-year stint in Japan and one year in France.
Throughout his professional life Wayne has been heavily involved in his community and beyond. He and his wife Carol were missionaries to Nigeria from 1965 to 1968, where Wayne continued his love of track by coaching at the Waka Secondary School which won the North East State conference and placed second in the Northern Nigeria regional meet. Closer to home, Wayne has been very involved in local and district Church of the Brethren activities. He has also been quite active in disaster response. In 1997, Wayne was named to the Bridgewater College Board of Trustees.
