W. O. Trine

Will Orian "Dad" Trine (1869 – July 13, 1907), best known by his initials, was a professional runner and collegiate track and basketball coach and trainer who was instrumental in the development of the early athletic programs at the University of Oregon at Eugene and Oregon Agricultural College (OAC, today's Oregon State University) in Corvallis, Oregon.

A native of Oregon, Trine became a prominent competitive sprinter in California before turning to coaching when the popularity of that spectator sport began to dwindle in the 1890s. He was a coach of track, basketball, a conditioning coach for football, and director of athletics for OAC.

Biography Early years

Athletic in build and fleet afoot, Trine began running in the 1880s while at the Santiam Academy in Lebanon, Oregon. The academy was a private school, founded in 1854 by the Methodist-Episcopal Church.

Professional runner

After graduation, Trine ran professional footraces, with a top time credited of 9 and 4/5 seconds in the 100 yard dash. His top time in the 220-yard dash was 22 seconds.

In one 100-yard sprint held in Modesto, California, on December 28, 1889, Trine collected a $500 purse in a heads-up race with Charles Gibson. Trine was slated to run again the next day in the same city against W.A. Ross in a 200-yard sprint for a prize of $1,000. He would return again in that capacity annually until 1901.

In 1903, following the resignation of the physical director of Oregon Agricultural College, Jacob Patterson, Trine was appointed his successor. Officially titled the "Director of Athletics," Trine was touted as one of the most efficient trainers on the coast" at the time of his hiring.

In addition to his main job as physical director at OAC during the academic year, Trine worked as a coach for other clubs and schools throughout Western Oregon, including coaching the Multnomah track team in 1905, as well as brief stints at Oregon Normal School, Willamette University, and Pacific University. Late in July 1905 he underwent surgery at St. Vincent's Hospital that removed his chin, with doctors believing at the time that the disease had been isolated and removed and that Trine's survival prospects were good.

Works

W.O. Trine, "Rules for Athletes That Will Not Be Amiss: To Those Who Work on the Track," [Eugene] Morning Register, April 15, 1896, p. 1.