Coach Hedges

Head Coach 1959-76

John Elmer “Jack” Hedges was born on June 25, 1925. He was born in Richmond, California, but his family moved to Long Beach and eventually settled in Wilmington where Jack attended Banning High School. A successful high school athlete, Jack broke Banning’s mile record while running in the Los Angeles City Track finals. He graduated from Banning High School in 1943 and attended Compton Community College for one year before enlisting in the Army. During his brief time at Compton, Jack quarterbacked the football team. After his military service in the Philippines during World War II, he returned to California to attend Whittier College in 1946. While at Whittier College Jack participated in track and met his wife of 45 years, Patricia. Jack graduated from Whittier College with a degree in Physical Education.

Jack began his teaching and coaching career at Huntington Beach High School in 1953.  He moved over to Westminster High School when the school opened in 1959, where he taught physical education and math. Jack coached cross country and track at Westminster for 17 years during his 34 year teaching career. Coach Hedges brought Westminster to state prominence in cross country with 3 Large School CIF Southern Section Championships. At a time when there was no official state championship meet, many ranked these teams as number one in the state. Jack’s teams were recognized on a national level by placing 4 of his teams in top 10 of the Track and Field News National Postal Competition with a second place finish in 1966.  Jack was recognized as the CIF SS Large School Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1964 and 1967.

Competing in the Freeway and Sunset Leagues, Jack’s cross country teams won at all levels of completion with 7 straight varsity league titles, 11 junior varsity league titles and 6 frosh league titles. He was named 4 times as the Sunset League Coach of the Year. His teams won 3 large schools cross country titles at the Mt. SAC Invitational where the top schools in the state competed. He was the first to be inducted into the Mt. SAC Invitational Hall of Fame in 1994. In track, Jack was successful in winning a Varsity Sunset League title in 1966 and he coached three CIF SS mile champions in 1965, 1967 and 1974. Also, 2 of these individuals were state champions.

• First inductee into the Mt. Sac Cross Country Invitational Hall of Fame (1994)
• Inducted into the CIF/SS Hall of Fame (2014)
• Overall Varsity Cross Country League Record 106-27, 89-25 in league (43 league wins in a row)
• Overall Junior Varsity Cross Country League Record 108-9 (85 straight league wins)
• 3 Individual League Cross Country Champions
• 10 Individual League Track Champions

The information above represents the highlights of Jack’s successful coaching and teaching career at Westminster High School. He was a Lion at heart and was always encouraging his athletes and students to strive for their best in whatever they did. A large percentage of the athletes he coached continued running at the college level and were members of college championship teams. One runner continued running after college and became a national marathon champion in 1973. Jack instilled his strong work ethic into his athletes. In fact, he was contacted by military representatives because some of his runners that joined the military after high school did so well meeting the military physical testing standards that they wanted to know about his training techniques. A testament to the relationships that Jack established among his athletes and students is the number who contacted or visited with him prior to his passing on July 25, 2013. He was a friend and mentor and had a major impact on the lives of those who were fortunate to call him coach or have him as a teacher.

jACK Hedges’ High School Coaching RECORD

1953-1976

Cross Country Teams

VARSITY TEAMS

TRACK & FIELD NEWS NATIONAL POSTAL COMPETITION

1964 11^th Place

1965 9^th Place

1966 2^nd Place

1968 37^th Place

1969 10^th Place

1970 42^nd Place

1971 49^th Place

1974 45^th Place

CIF MEET

One of 5 Coaches to win 3 or more CIF Championships from 1926-1976

1958 2^nd Place (Huntington Beach – Assistant Coach) Large Schools

1960 5^th Place Small Schools

1962 5^th Place (3A Division)

1963 1^st Place (3A Division)

1964 2^nd Place (3A Division)

1965 1^st Place (3A Division)

1966 1^st Place (3A Division)

1967 8^th Place (3A Division)

1968 9^th Place (3A Division)

1969 4^th Place (3A Division)

1973 6^th CIF Prelims (4A Division)

LEAGUE MEET

Freeway League (1958-1961), Sunset League (1962-1976)

Record Overall 106-27, 89-25 in league (including 43 league wins in a row),

7 league titles in a row

Jack Hedges - League Coach of the Year (4 Times)

1958 1^st Place (Huntington Beach – Assistant Coach)

1959 5-1 2^nd Place ( 2-1 non-league)

1960 4-2 2^nd Place

1961 4-3 4^th Place

1962 6-1 2nd Place (2-0 non-league)

1963 6-0 1^st Place (3-0 non-league)

1964 6-0 1^st Place (3-0 non-league)

1965 5-0 1^st Place (1-0 non-league)

1966 5-0 1^st Place (4-0 non-league)

1967 7-0 1^st Place

1968 7-0 1^st Place (1-0 non-league)

1969 7-0 1^st Place

1970 4-2 3^rd Place

1971 2-4 5^th Place

1972 6-1 3^rd Place (2-1 non-league)

1973 6-1 2^nd Place

1974 2-5 4^th Place

1975 5-2 3^rd Place

1976 2-3 5^th Place

MT. SAC CROSS COUNTRY INVITATIONAL

1963 1^st Place

1964 2^nd Place

1965 1^st Place (New Team Course Record)

1966 1^st Place (New Team Course Record)

1967 2^nd Place

1994 Jack Hedges Inducted into Mt. Sac Cross Country Invitational Hall of Fame

JUNIOR VARSITY TEAMS

League MEET

Record 108-9 (including 85 straight league wins), 11 league titles, 10 in a row (1963-72)

Mt. Sac Cross Country Invitational

1963 2^nd Place

1964 1^st Place

1965 4^th Place

1966 3^rd Place

1967 2^nd Place

Frosh/Soph TeamS

TRACK & FIELD NEWS NATIONAL POSTAL COMPETITION

1968 2^nd Place

1975 1^st Place National Record

League MEET

Record 48-10 (1961-76), 6 league titles

Mt. Sac Cross Country Invitational (Frosh)

1963 1^st Place

1964 2^nd Place

1965 7^th Place

1966 3^rd Place

1967 1^st Place

Varsity Cross Country Individuals

TRACK & FIELD NEWS NATIONAL POSTAL COMPETITION

1966 Mike Solomon 7^th

1966 Neil Sybert 8^th

CIF MEET Top 10 League MEET Top 10

1959 Joe Garrett 5^th Place 1959 Joe Garrett 2^nd Place

1962 Don Garrett 3^rd Place 1963 Carl Trentadue 4^th Place

1962 Dick Garrett 8^th Place 1963 Jim Greenman 5^th Place

1963 Carl Trentadue 7^th Place 1963 Dick Garrett 6^th Place

1963 Dick Garrett 9^th Place 1963 Gordon Cooper 7^th Place

1964 Mike Solomon 4^th Place 1963 Charlie Appell 8^th Place

1964 Jim Greenman 7^th Place 1964 Mike Solomon League Champion

1964 Carl Trentadue 9^th Place 1964 Charlie Appell 3^rd Place

1965 Mike Solomon 6^th Place 1964 Jim Greenman 4^th Place

1965 Neil Sybert 9^th Place 1964 Ken Trentadue 8^th Place

1966 Mike Solomon 2^nd Place 1964 David Rohde 9^th Place

1966 Neil Sybert 4^th Place 1965 Mike Solomon 2^nd Place

1966 Ken Trentadue 7^th Place 1965 Neil Sybert 3^rd Place

1966 Tim Schroll 9^th Place 1965 Tim Schroll 4^th Place

1966 Charlie Parks 10^th Place 1965 Charlie Parks 6^th Place

1969 Don Diston 5^th Place 1965 Bill Inglehart 7^th Place

1966 Neil Sybert League Champion

1966 Tim Schroll 2^nd Place

1966 Ken Trentadue 3^rd Place

1966 Dennis Lyman 9^th Place

1967 John Kilpatrick 4^th Place

1967 Wayne Akiyama 7^th Place

1967 Dennis Lyman 8^th Place

1967 Greg Tittle 9^th Place

1967 Doug Schmenk 10^th Place

1968 Don Diston 3^rd Place

1968 Steve Varga 4^th Place

1968 John Kilpatrick 5^th Place

1969 Don Diston League Champion

1969 Steve Varga 2^nd Place

1969 Wayne Akiyama 5^th Place

1969 Ken Hurst 8^th Place

1969 Ted Mauter 10^th Place

1970 Kevin Coleman 3^rd Place

1972 Merle Peters 8^th Place

1973 Dan Prince 5^th Place

1973 John Alvarez 9^th Place

1974 Dan Prince 8^th Place

Track & Field

Varsity TEAMS

LEAGUE

Freeway League (1960-1961), Sunset League (1962-1971)

Record 27-49

1960 2-4

1961 1-4

1962 4-3

1963 2-5

1964 1-6

1965 4-1 (League Champions)

1966 5-2

1967 1-4

1968 0-7

1969 2-5

1970 3-3

1971 2-6

varsity Track individuals

Individual Track Records

1964 Ken Trentadue

2-Mile National 13 Year Old

Age Group Record (10:03)

1965 Carl Trentadue

State Record in Mile (4:08.3)

1974 Jill Caldwell

State Meet Record (5:02.2)

National Record (5:02.2)

League MEET Top finishers

1962 Don Garrett – Mile Champion

1964 Carl Trentadue – Mile Champion

1964 Ron Platt – 440 Champion

1965 Carl Trentadue – Mile Champion

1966 Mike Solomon – Mile Champion

1966 Neil Sybert – 2^nd 2-Mile

1966 Bill Inglehart – 3^rd 2-Mile

1967 Roy Calbo – 440 Champion

1967 Mike Solomon – Mile Champion

1967 Neil Sybert – 2-Mile Champion

1967 Tim Schroll – 2^nd Mile

CIF MEET Top Finishers

1965 Carl Trentadue – Mile Champion (Meet Record 4:08.3)

1966 Mike Solomon – Mile 4^th

1966 Bill Inglehart – 2 Mile 4^th

1967 Mike Solomon – Mile Champion

1967 Neil Sybert – 2 Mile 4^th

1974 Jill Caldwell – Mile Champion

State MEET Top Finishers

1965 Carl Trentadue – Mile 4^th

1966 Mike Solomon – Mile 8^th

1966 Bill Inglehart – 2 Mile 9^th

1967 Mike Solomon – Mile Champion

1967 Neil Sybert – 2 Mile 8^th

1974 Jill Caldwell – Mile Champion

Mt. SAC TRACK & FIELD Invitational Meet

1965 – Distance Medley Relay (New Record - 10:24)

1966 - 4 by 1 Mile - 17:56.9

1967 – Distance Medley Relay (New Record - 10:21.1)

Individual Achievements post High School

1967 Carl Trentadue – Member of USC’s Indoor NCAA Champion Track Team

1967 Carl Trentadue – Member of USC’s Outdoor NCAA Champion Track Team

1968 Carl Trentadue – Member of USC’s Outdoor NCAA Champion Track Team

1968 Neil Sybert & Bill Inglehart – Members of Golden West Community College’s National Record 4 by 1 Mile Relay Team

1969 Mike Solomon – Member of Kansas University’s Indoor NCAA Champion Track Team

1970 Mike Solomon – Member of Kansas University’s Indoor NCAA Champion Track Team

1970 Mike Solomon – Member of Kansas University’s Outdoor NCAA Champion Track Team

1971 Doug Schmenk – Member of Cal State Fullerton’s NCAA Division II National Cross Country Championship Team

1973 Doug Schmenk – National AAU Marathon Champion

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