Eldon Irl Jenne (May 29, 1899 – February 4, 1993) was an American

track and field athlete Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping even ...

who competed in the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

and a high school athletic coach.

Athletic career

Jenne attended Coupeville High School in Coupeville, WA where he played football, baseball, and basketball. He later attended

Washington State University Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant uni ...

, where he excelled in the pole vault. In 1920, he was a member of the United States track and field team at the

Antwerp, Belgium Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, finishing seventh in the pole vault competition. In 1921, Jenne tied for the individual pole vault championship at the

NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship refers to one of three annual collegiate outdoor track and field competitions for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for athletes from institutions that make up ...

. He was Washington State's first Olympian and is a member of the Washington State University Sports Hall of Fame.

Coaching career

Following the end of his athletic career, Jenne returned to Portland to coach football, basketball, baseball, and track at Washington High School. In 1928, he coached the boys' basketball team to the Oregon state championship, defeating future

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

football coach

Prink Callison Prince Gary "Prink" Callison (August 15, 1899 – June 17, 1986) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of OregonMcCann, Michael C. (1995). Oregon Ducks Football: 100 Years of Glory. Eugene, OR: M ...

's Medford High School team. Jenne's football teams amassed an overall 61–16–14 record with seven Portland city championships, one state championship, with only one losing season. Jenne also served as head football and basketball coach at

Pacific University Pacific University is a private university in Forest Grove, Oregon. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is west of Portland. The university maintains three other campuses in Eugene, Hillsboro, and Wood ...

. He led the

Portland Interscholastic League The Portland Interscholastic League (PIL) is a high school athletic conference in Portland, Oregon that is a member of the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA). It consists of high schools in the Portland Public Schools district. Competition ...

's athletic program from 1938 until his retirement in 1965. In 1983, he was named to the

Oregon Sports Hall of Fame The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall. Operated by the Oregon Sports ...

for his achievements in coaching. Jenne died in

La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

in 1993.

Head coaching record

College football

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenne, Eldon 1899 births 1993 deaths American male pole vaulters Athletes (track and field) at the 1920 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Pacific Boxers football coaches Pacific Boxers men's basketball coaches Washington State Cougars men's track and field athletes High school baseball coaches in the United States High school basketball coaches in Oregon High school football coaches in Oregon High school track and field coaches in the United States Washington High School (Portland, Oregon) alumni Sportspeople from Portland, Oregon Track and field athletes from Portland, Oregon Coaches of American football from Oregon Baseball coaches from Oregon Basketball coaches from Oregon