Inducted in 2002
Born: July 4, 1938 in Brooklyn, NY
Resides: Baldwinsville, NY
College: Syracuse University
When you think of track and field in Syracuse, the name Oscar Jensen is synonymous with success. He has coached for over 45 years, splitting his time between Liverpool, Baldwinsville and Marcellus High Schools. His combined winning percentage for cross country, indoor and outdoor track exceeds 90%. He began his Liverpool High School coaching career in 1963 and amassed incredible records of: 207-99-1 in cross country with three Section III Championships and one New York State Championship in 1991. An 804-500-19 in indoor track record with eight Section III Championships with fourteen league titles. In 1984 Oscar received the Blind Men and Criers annual “John Arcaro Coaches Award” given to the high school coach who have been recognized for outstanding success in their sport. He currently serves on the national rules committee for High School Track & Field.
Since the early ‘80’s, Oscar has been active in the USATF, the governing body of Track & Field and Cross Country running. His experience as a physics and biology teacher, coach and power lifter made him a valuable staff member of USATF coach's certification schools, where he specialized in biomechanics and throwing events. He has served on a number of national, state and local committees.
He retired from Liverpool in 1996 after having coached six New York State Champions. Retirement lasted only two years as he began similar coaching duties at Baldwinsville. His coaching honors have been numerous and he has been a coach for USA Track and Field events many times since 1988, traveling around the world representing our country. A 1960 graduate of Syracuse University, Oscar has been chairman of Section III boy’s indoor and outdoor track since 1970 and currently OHSL chairman for boys cross country, indoor and outdoor track. He was a mainstay of the Empire State Games scholastic and open track competition for seventeen years and was inducted into the Liverpool High Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.
His service to USATF led to a number of coaching staff positions, including the 1994 World Championships in Lisbon, Portugal, the 1998 World Cup Championship in Johannesburg, South Africa and the 1999 World Youth Championship in Bydgoszcz, Poland
Received the 2002 National High School Athletic Coaches Association "National Coach of the Year" award in boy’s track and field.
In 2003, Oscar was inducted into the Niagara Track and Field Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Niagara Track and Field Hall of Fame Awards luncheon in Rochester, N.Y. He also received the USATF's Coaching Lifetime Achievement award. Oscar's coaching career was read into the Congressional Record 1996, at which time he received a citation from Onondaga County Executive Nick Pirro, who declared May 31st as "Oscar B. Jensen Day".