Jesse Carl Trentadue
1963-64
Class of 1965
Bio:
Jesse Carl Trentadue started his running career at Westminster High
School in 1963. Leading the Lions to their first Sunset League title by
finishing 4th and the CIF/SS 3A championship in which he placed 7th that year. During the 1964 track season Jesse
captured the Sunset League mile title and competed in the CIF/SS Championships
in the Class ‘B” 1320. In the 1964 cross country season, injuries sidelined Jesse
during the league championships, in which the Lions successfully defended their
title, and he returned in time for the CIF Championships placing 9th
and the team placing 2nd. The 1965 track season saw Jesse defending
his individual league mile title and the Lions winning their only team title.
He won the CIF/SS meet in a state record 4:08.5 and advancing to the state meet
and placing 4th. His mile
time survived as the CIF/SS record until 1972.
He still hold the mile and half mile records at Wesminster.
He was inducted into the WHS Hall of Fame in 2014. Jesse competed at the University of Southern
California. At the time freshman where not allowed to compete at the varsity
level. In the 1967 indoor season, SC won the team title and Jesse was and All American
and an individual NCAA champion with the 4x880 team (pictured below). Outdoors,
Southern Cal placed 2nd in AAWU and won the NCAA’s. The 1968 season
included indoors and individual 4th in the 880 and a 4th
in the Distance Medley with Craig Grant, Geoff Vanderstock
and Ole Olson, earning All American honors. Outdoors, Jesse placed 3rd
in the 880 at the PAC-8 meet and USC won the PAC-8 team title, at the NCAA’s
Jesse placed 5th in the 880 in his semi-final and didn’t advance to
the final. USC defended their team title. The 1969 indoor season saw Jesse
placing 4th in the 880 and placing second with the distance medley
team of Howard Becker, Ole Olson and Monty Turner, earning All American honors.
Doctor John Dahlem wrote: Jesse “Carl”
Trentadue was an outstanding runner for Westminster High School during the
1960’s under Hall of Fame coach Jack Hedges. Jesse has remained close to his
high school running mates and has been very helpful with the historical work of
the CIF-SS. At the Hall of Fame induction of Coach Hedges, Jesse donated to the
CIF-SS history archives his 1st place medal (Class A) from the 1965 CIF-SS
Track and Field Championships. His time that night has remained one of the
all-time fastest times in CIF-SS history and would today, 50 years later, place
him among the top American high school milers. Jesse went onto a successful
career running for USC and today is a well-respected lawyer in Utah. Jesse
stated, “I have NCAA medals and an AAU Championship medal but, in my opinion,
none mean more or are as beautiful as the CIF-SS Championship medals. They were truly works of art.”
1963
(3-A) CIFSS Champions - Westminster Cross Country Team
Jesse
stated, “I have great affection and appreciation for the SS. But for SS track and field my life would have
been totally different and not in a good way.
I grew up in a Southern Appalachian coal camp with little prospects in
life. Fortunately, we moved to Orange
County just before my 15th birthday and I met Coach Jack Hedges during my
junior year.”
U.S.C. Championship Two Mile Relay Team - 1967
(All CIF-SS past Champions L/R Jesse, Richard Joyce, Dave Buck & Dennis
Carr)
USC’s N.C.A.A. Indoor Track Champions - 1967
(Standing right next to teammate O.J. Simpson)
( Paul Wilson, Bob Seagren, Craig Grant, John Link, Dick Joyce, Bill
Fosdick, Greg Heet, Coach Vern Wolfe, Bill Fosdick, Lennox Miller, Ass’t Coach Ken Matsuda, Dave Buck, Paul Kerry, Earl
McCullough, Roger Wolff and Dennis Carr, O.J. Simpson
and Carl Trentadue)
