George Oja

George Oja was a multi talented athlete who excelled in cross country, basketball, track and baseball at a time when Astoria High School competed in the Metro League, which was one of the most competitive large schools leagues in the state of Oregon.

In cross country, George qualified for the State Championships his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. In 1960 he placed third in the Metro League District Championship.

In state competitions at Willamette University,he raced to 15th place his junior year and 11th place his senior season. By today’s designations, these places would earn him second and third team all-state honors.

As a forward on the basketball team “Jumping George,” as he was nicknamed, helped lead the Fishermen to third place in league play his junior year. He was named Honorable Mention All-Metro League. In 1961, his senior year, George was named team captain. He helped lead the Fishermen to fourth place in the “tough” Metro League. For his efforts, George was named Second Team All-Metro League.

In his senior year, George not only played baseball, but helped the Fishermen track team by running the 440-yard dash, high jumping and long jumping. At the Metro League District track championship, he placed fourth in the long jump with a leap of over 20 feet.

Following graduation, George attended Pacific University where he played basketball and ran track. In basketball, he was a starting forward all four years for the Boxers. As a three-year letter winner on the track team, he set a school record of 4:20.00 for the mile run.

After teaching two years at Astoria High School and 12 years at Blue Mountain Community College, George began a teaching and coaching career at Linfield College. He coached cross country and track and field until 1993 and retired from teaching in 2003. During his coaching tenure, the Wildcats won a conference track championship and in 1983 won a conference cross country championship scoring an amazingly low 17 points.

George pursued his distance running talents and in the early to mid-1970s he won the Nike Marathon in Eugene placed second at the Sauvie’s Island Marathon and tied for third at the Trail’s End Marathon in Seaside. In 1973, George was ranked 18th in the United States in the marathon and was named outstanding distance athlete by Amateur Athletic Union.