It has been said that the truly great athletes have tremendous
success both as individuals and as part of teams. Track and
Field’s William Komm certainly adds truth to that belief.
He made his presence felt from day one, placing third on the
1972 team that was 8-3 with a total of 34 dual-meet points. Komm
continued to contribute and as a sophomore tallied 41 points,
ranking himself second on a squad that finished 9-3. It was that
spring that he set his first school record, heaving the javelin
204-11.
“Bill was a sure bet to win the javelin and to place in
the hammer throw,” noted Hall of Famer and head coach Merl
Norcross. “It was nice knowing that we had points coming to
us just by entering him in the events.”
Komm saw his point total rise to 56 during his junior season of
1974. The Engineers continued to enjoy success as a team, posting
an 11-2 mark in dual meets, while he broke his own school record in
the javelin with a toss of 210-6.
His senior season of 1975 was a magical year for the Crimson and
Gray. WPI recorded its first-ever undefeated, untied track and
field record, emerging victorious in all 12 dual meets. Komm
amassed 58 points, good enough for a second squad loaded with
talent.
“With Bill and other greats like Hall of Famers Robert
Donle and Alan Briggs, it’s no wonder we had such a great
season,” commented Norcross. “We used to call him
Silent Bill—he walked quietly, but carried a big stick: the
javelin.”
“Bill was a silent leader, who worked very hard and led by
example,” said Briggs. “He was an
overachiever.”
Komm graduated from WPI in 1975 with a bachelor of science
degree in electrical engineering and from the University of
Connecticut in 1977 with a master’s degree in electrical
engineering.
He is currently employed by the Raytheon Company as an
electrical engineer. Bill and his wife, Mary Pat, live in
Portsmouth, R.I., with their children, Amy and Andrew.
