Head Coach, Leslie Coons
Leslie Coons began her coaching career at Mesa College in San Diego, California during the 1996-1997 track and field season. Ms. Coons served as a volunteer coach who specialized in the throwing events. While a volunteering at Mesa College, she was ultimately hired as an assistant coach at San Diego State University for the 2002-03 track and field season. Possessing as undergraduate degree in Social Science History, her continuing personal desire for excellence, compelled Coach Coons to further her education, and she subsequently earned her Masters of Science in Education at Azusa Pacific University in 2004.
The track and field coach graduated from Junipero Serra High School and enrolled at Mesa College in the fall of 1991. Ms. Coons athletic skills eventually resulted in her earning a full athletic scholarship. While at Mesa Ms. Coons became the State Champion in the shot put in 1993 and runners up in both the discus and javelin. Another highlight in her athletic career at Mesa was in becoming a member of the US Junior team as a freshman. As a member of the Junior Team, Ms. Coons competed in the javelin throw at the USA v. Canada meet held in Winnipeg. She placed second in the event. Ms. Coons also competed as a member of the World Junior Team meet held in Seoul, Korea, where the competitor placed 18th in the world in the javelin throw.
Leslie Coons continued her college career as a junior with a full scholarship to "the other USC", the University of South Carolina, where she was the first All-American in school history when she won the SEC Conference Championships in the Javelin throw. During her time at South Carolina she became a four-time NCAA All-American in the javelin, hammer, shot-put, and the 20 pound weight events. Missing her friends and family she returned to California on a full athletics scholarship to the University of Southern California.
As team captain at the University of Southern California, Leslie Coons broke the American and NCAA records twice in the hammer throw while serving as a member of the first team in USC's history to beat UCLA's Women's Team and become PAC-10 Champions. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science/History she returned to Mesa College to assist in providing other athletes with similar opportunities that she herself had been afforded, Ms. Coons returned to Mesa College with the intent of helping athletes achieve their academic and athletic goals.
In Leslie Coons first year as an assistant coach at Mesa College under Arnie Robinson, and Assistant Coach Manny Bautista, the women's team won State Meet in 1997. In the past two years Ms. Coons has served as Head Coach at Mesa College, and is currently in her tenth year of coaching for the college.