Taking over as head coach of University of Hawai‘i track and field program prior to the 2001 season, Carmyn James has turned the Rainbow Wahine squad into a recognizable figure in the Western Region, laying the foundation of a reborn program and later guiding UH through the transition into the Big West Conference.
During her tenure with the Rainbow Wahine, James has coached eight athletes who made 19 appearances at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, including high jumper Amber Kaufman, who in 2010 became the school's first track and field National Champion in 26 years, winning the Outdoor title at Oregon's Hayward Field. That same season, Kaufman tied for first place at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas, becoming the first UH athlete to win a Regional event.
Kaufman finished her career as a five-time All-American, Indoor and Outdoor school record-holder and three-time NCAA medalist – also earning silver at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships and bronze at the 2009 Outdoor meet.
The most recent UH National Championships performance came from honorable mention All-American thrower Alex Porlier Langlois, who finished 19th in the shot put at the 2015 NCAA meet.
In 2009, James led UH to its best-ever finish at the both the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships and the NCAA West Regionals. At the WAC Championships, UH scored 105.5 points to finish fifth while at Regionals, the Rainbow Wahine placed 11th, which was best among WAC schools.
Three athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2009 and all three - Kaufman, Annett Wichmann and Emily Sheppard placed in the top 10 of their respective events. Kaufman placed third in the high jump, making her the first UH medal winner in over 20 years. Under James’ tutelage, Wichmann appeared in seven NCAA Championships and became the school record holder in both the pentathlon and heptathlon.
James took over the revival of the Rainbow Wahine track squad in 2001, rebuilding the program after a 16-year hiatus. She started from scratch after taking the job in October 2000 and oversaw a multi-million dollar resurfacing project for the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, the installation of an indoor track and field program, and in May 2006, her Rainbow Wahine served as hosts for the first time to the outdoor WAC Championships at the Ching Complex. In addition, on her watch the Ching facility underwent a 2015 multi-million-dollar renovation, transforming into a multi-purpose track and athletics stadium.
In addition, James maintains oversight of the women’s cross country program, which reached its highest conference finish in 2016 since joining the Big West – producing a fifth-place finish in the UH-hosted Big West Championships at Kahuku Golf Course. In that race, sophomore Camille Campos earned the highest finish for UH in a conference meet since 2003, reaching the chute in seventh place.
During the 2001 cross country season, Cheryl Smith became the school’s first WAC champion and later finished 15th at the NCAA Championship to earn All-America status. The following year, Victoria Chang earned a spot in the NCAA Championship by virtue of a 12th place finish at the NCAA West Regional.
Since laying the foundation for the resurgence of the track and field program, the Rainbow Wahine have been steady producers of postseason opportunities. Since 2003, UH athletes have made a total of 85 NCAA Regional/Preliminary Round appearances. UH boasted a school-best nine qualifiers in 2008 and '10. Under James, the program has produced 14 All-America honors, while her athletes currently have ownership of 42 of the Hawai‘i’s school records.
James came to Hawai‘i as an accomplished head coach from the University of British Columbia where for 12 years her squads consistently placed among the top 10 schools in the country. She also served on the Board of Directors for Athletics Canada and as the president of the Canadian University Coaches Association. As the head coach and later president of the Vancouver based Kajaks Track & Field Club, James gained valuable skills leading one of Canada’s finest sport Clubs and a strong core of outstanding international coaches and athletes. This club traditionally contributes many members to international teams.
Besides coaching at the varsity and club levels in Canada, James was appointed to many provincial and national team staffs. Her results became evident and as a result of her outstanding leadership skills, James became the first ever female to be named head coach of a Canadian National team, a position that she served three times. Twice she was in command of the Espoire Team ("23 & Under" in 1992 and "Under 25" in 2000) and in 1995 she led the Senior Team to the World Championships in Sweden where Canada had one of its best ever performances.
Off the track and away from the boardroom, James spent much of her free time coaching coaches at the local, national and international levels while teaching track & field at the University of British Columbia in Human Kinetics.
Within the National Coaching Certification Program of Canada and the International Amateur Athletics Federation, James served as both a course conductor and master coach to coaches in Advanced Track & Field. As a result of her sport science knowledge, unique coaching experiences and public speaking ability, James often addresses conferences throughout North America, the Caribbean, and Oceania.
James was a member of the Board of Directors for the North American, Central American, and Caribbean Coaches Association from 2001-05 and recently was one of 14 coaches chosen from around the world to attend the inaugural IAAF Chief Coach Academy in Loughborough, England.
Since her arrival, James has become an avid surfer and pursues this passion only minutes from UH on the waves on Waikiki. She can be found on her rest days at sunrise with her trusty 10-foot long board named "Sparky."
The James File
Education
University of British Columbia, 1988
MPE, Coaching Science
University of British Columbia, 1984
BPE, Math
NCCP Level 4/5 Coach, 1994
Coaching Experience
University of Hawai‘i
Head Coach, 2000-present
University of British Columbia
Head Coach, 1988-2000
Canadian National Team
Head Coach - 2000 North American, Central American, Caribbean (under 25) Championships; 1995 World Championships; 1992 Espoire Match (Canada vs. Northern Ireland)
Jumps Coach - 2000 NACAC Under 25 Championships; 1998 Commonwealth Games; 1995 World Championships; 1994 Commonwealth Games; 1992 Espoir Match (Canada vs. Northern Ireland); 1991 Pan Am Junior Championships; 1987 Pan Am Junior Championships; 1987 World Championships
British Columbia Provincial Team
Head Coach, 1997 Canada Games; 1990 Western Canada Games
Kajaks Track & Field Club
Head Coach, 1988-1993
Jumps Coach, 1985-2000
Awards
-2008 Honolulu Quarterback Club Sportsperson-of-the-Year
- First female to be named head coach of a Canadian National Senior Track & Field Team (1995 World Championships)
- CIAU Coach of the Year (1993-94)
- 3M Coaching Award of Excellence (1992-93)
