University of Hawai‘i track and field throws coach Josh Aydlette completed his third season with the Rainbow Wahine in the 2017 season, after guiding a pair of UH student-athletes to the eighth and ninth UH NCAA West Preliminary Round appearances in his short time with the ‘Bows.
Rounding out the 2017 campaign, underclassmen Karen Bulger and Alexis Brenzil competed in the Regional under Aydlette’s charge. In addition, freshman hammer thrower Haleigh Sudbeck became the first UH student-athlete to qualify for the USA Track and Field Junior National Championships since 2012.
Under Aydlette’s guidance, Alex Porlier Langlois set new school records in both the indoor and outdoor shot put. From 2015-16, Porlier Langlois made four event appearances in the NCAA Preliminary Round in both shot put and discus, finishing ninth in Austin, Texas (2015) in the shot put to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. – she finished 19th nationally and was an honorable mention All-American.
In addition, Aydlette’s UH throwers have seen success at the conference level, earning nine league medals – including Porlier Langlois’ 2015 shot put Big West gold.
Joining the staff of Carmyn James, Aydlette came to Manoa from his alma mater, Charleston Southern, where he was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2011. He spent 10 seasons with the Buccaneers as throws coach for both the men’s and women’s teams.
During his time at CSU, Aydlette’s throwers broke 20 school records and earned 35 Big South all-conference honors. One of his last protégés, Clarence Gallop, placed second at the USA Track and Field Junior Outdoor Championships and finished 24th at the IAAF Junior World Championships over the summer in 2015. Gallop also finished second in the hammer throw at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships, setting a CSU school record in the process.
Two more of Aydlette’s men’s throwers, Rob Grabill and Richie German, competed at the USATF Junior National Championships in 2010 and ’11, respectively, while women’s thrower Joshlyn Noga qualified for the 2012 USATF Junior National Championships.
Prior to CSU, Aydlette was the throws coach at Roanoke College in Salem, Va., where he spent two and a half years. While there, three of his athletes won conference titles, one broke a conference record, and five school records were set. A total of 19 all-conference awards in men's and women's track were achieved under his watch.
Aydlette was recently named to the Big South’s All-Decade team. As a standout thrower for the Bucs, he went undefeated in the weight throw against Big South opponents during his career. He won five Big South championships in total and was named to the all-conference team 13 times. Aydlette was the first athlete in Big South Track & Field history to win the same event at the conference championship in all four years of his eligibility.
Aydlette still competes in the Scottish Heavy Athletics, where he finished seventh at the 2007 World Amateur Championships.
He is married to former Jessica Dowdy and they have a daughter, Lily. An athlete in her own right, Jessica threw for Radford University and also competed in the Scottish Heavy Athletics, where she finished fifth in the World Championships, won the National Championship in the Caber Toss in 2006, and owns a World Record in the Sheaf Toss.
