Leslie Coons begins her first season on the coaching staff of the Rainbow Wahine track and field program.
The Southern California graduate was an accomplished athlete, who was once the top-ranked junior javelin thrower in the nation. She also competed for the University of South Carolina and San Diego Mesa College.
Coons was UH's Hawai'i Statewide Nursing Consortium Coordinator and Student Support Specialist before joining James' staff. Her previous coaching experience includes one year as throws coach at San Diego State in 2001 as well as 12 years at San Diego Mesa College (1997-2009), including the last four years as head coach.
Coons is a two-time American and NCAA record holder in the hammer throw and five-time collegiate All-American selection. She received the Ramona Pagel Award for field athlete of the year in 2001, the Arnie Robinson Award for field event athlete of the year in 1996 and '99, and was a two-time B.J. Stupak U.S. Olympic Scholarship Award recipient.
The San Diego, Calif., native competed in five U.S. Olympic Team Trials – four times in the hammer and once in the javelin. She was an alternate for the 2004 Olympics in the hammer after placing fifth at the U.S. Trials in Sacramento, Calif. Coons was a Top 10 ranked U.S. hammer throw for six years, including No. 2 in 1996 when she placed third at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Atlanta, Ga.
Collegiately, Coons was the captain of the Southern California team that won the 1996 Pac-10 Championship and went on to represent the Trojans at the outdoor nationals in Eugene, Ore., that season. She was awarded the Dean Cromwell Award for Most Outstanding Field Athlete of the Year during her senior season. She competed in the hammer, javelin, shot put, and weight throw in college and was Southeastern Conference champion in the javelin at South Carolina in 1993.
Coons has coached numerous athletes who’ve won state and conference championships, including the California state hammer throw record holder and Hawai‘i state discus champion. She was also a volunteer coach for Alexander’s Lighting Express as well as a personal trainer and physical therapy assistant.
Coons spent one year with UH’s strength and conditioning program, assisting track and field, basketball, and volleyball athletes. She is USA Track and Field Level 1 coaching certified. She holds two master’s degrees from UH in 2011 in educational administration and from Azusa Pacific in 2004 in education with an emphasis in physical education. Coons earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern California in 1997 in social science and history.
