Joe Williams (wrestler)

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Joe Williams
Personal information
Full nameJoseph E. Williams
Nationality
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Weight74 kg (163 lb)
Sport
Country United States
SportWrestling
StyleFreestyle and Folkstyle
ClubSunkist Kids Wrestling Club
College teamIowa Hawkeyes
CoachBill Weick
Dan Gable
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place
2001 Sofia
 76 kg
Bronze medal – third place
2005 Budapest
 74 kg
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1999 Winnipeg 76 kg
Gold medal – first place 2003 Santo Domingo 74 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Iowa Hawkeyes
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Gold medal – first place 1996 Minneapolis 158 lb
Gold medal – first place 1997 Cedar Falls 158 lb
Gold medal – first place 1998 Cleveland 167 lb

Joe Williams (born November 26,

World Championships (2001 and 2005), and finished fifth at the 2004 Summer Olympics
.

A graduate of the University of Iowa, Williams has also served as a member of the wrestling squad for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and eventually worked as an assistant head coach for three consecutive seasons. In 2012, Williams launched his own youth wrestling academy in North Liberty, Iowa, where he has been currently appointed as the managing director and head coach.[3]

Career

College

Williams started his sporting career as a member of Mount Carmel High School's wrestling team under head coach Bill Weick.[4] From there, he won four-straight Illinois state wrestling titles, and finished high school with an impressive 152–1 overall record, including 95 career falls and a single violation from an illegal slam on his freshman season. He was also named 1992 and 1993 Illinois High School Athlete of the Year by Chicago Tribune.[5]

In 1994, Williams attended the

NCAA All-American.[7][8] Additionally, he ranked tenth for the most number of triumphs recorded in Iowa, and ended his career on a 39-match winning streak.[7]
At the end of 1998 season, Williams graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology and communication studies from the University of Iowa.

Freestyle wrestling

In 1999, Williams joined the U.S. world wrestling team, and eventually earned his first berth at the World Championships, where he finished fourth in the 76-kg division behind eventual bronze medalist Adem Bereket of Turkey.[9] On that same year, Williams dominated the field by edging out Cuba's Yosmany Romero for his first career gold medal at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.[10]

While competing internationally, Williams achieved seven U.S. national titles (1999, 2001–2005, 2007), and obtained a World Cup series trophy in 2003.

World Championships (2001 and 2005).[12][13]

Williams qualified for the U.S. wrestling team on his major debut in the

Murad Haidarau, who was immediately disqualified by the officials for an off-mat skirmish with quarterfinal opponent and eventual Olympic champion Buvaisar Saitiev of Russia.[17][18]

Shortly after the Games, Williams compensated for his Olympic defeat with a bronze-medal effort at the

Baku, Azerbaijan, losing the bronze medal match to Iran's Reza Yazdani.[20]
In early 2008, Williams announced his retirement from competitive wrestling.

Coaching

Williams initially joined his alma mater's team staff as a strength and conditioning coach in 2001, until he was immediately promoted into the position of a full-time assistant coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling program. After three seasons, he left his staff position from the campus to concentrate on making the U.S. Olympic team for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

While serving as an assistant coach in 2003, Williams was accused of indecent exposure to the girlfriend of former Hawkeye wrestler Jason d'Agata inside her apartment in Iowa City, Iowa. Having denied intentionally of exposing himself, he pleaded not guilty to the Iowa District Court for his charges in 2005, before being acquitted by the jury one year later.[21]

After his sporting career ended in 2008, Williams moved back to his home state of

Liberty High School in North Liberty, Iowa.[22]

Personal life

Williams' brothers Steve and T.J. also shared the same sporting discipline with him, as the former competed for the Hawkeyes at the University of Iowa, where he picked up two NCAA titles (1999 and 2001), while the latter earned two junior national titles as a college wrestler.[23] On May 2, 2002, Williams' older brother Steve was visiting from Chicago, when he collapsed and died of a massive asthma attack outside the wrestler's former home in Coralville, Iowa.[24]

Williams currently resides in North Liberty, Iowa with his two sons Kaleb and Wyatt.[3][24]

References

  1. ^ "Joseph E. Williams". nwhof.org. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Joe Williams". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "You Can't Take Iowa out of the Wrestler". University of Iowa. 24 January 2014. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  4. ^ Abbott, Gary (28 January 2007). "Bill Weick elected as Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame". USA Wrestling. The Mat. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  5. ^ Bagnato, Andrew (8 June 1996). "Joe Williams Won Four State Wrestling Titles At Mt. Carmel And Was Tribune Athlete Of The Year, Pretty Heady Stuff To His Younger Brother, T.j." Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  6. ^ "Williams Makes Most of a Dream". University of Iowa. 18 September 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  7. ^ a b c "Iowa Hawkeyes Wrestling: Four-Time All-Americans" (PDF). University of Iowa. p. 52. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  8. ^ "Joe Williams is Iowa Wrestling's honorary captain versus Gophers". NorthIowa Today. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  9. ^ Abbott, Gary (10 October 1999). "Neal wins gold, McIlravy silver, Gutches bronze; USA is 2nd at FS Worlds". USA Wrestling. The Mat. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  10. ^ Abbott, Gary (28 July 1999). "U.S. wins six Pan American Games freestyle gold medals". USA Wrestling. The Mat. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  11. ^ "U.S. wrestlers sweep World Cup opponents". USA Today. 7 April 2003. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  12. ^ "U.S. Women Beat Brazil, Go for Gold". Los Angeles Times. 9 August 2003. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  13. ^ a b "Russian wins sixth wrestling title; U.S. nabs bronze". USA Today. 27 September 2005. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  14. ^ Abbott, Gary (15 July 2004). "Olympic Games preview at 74 kg/163 lbs. in men's freestyle". USA Wrestling. The Mat. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  15. ^ "U.S. Olympic wrestling team". ESPN. 23 May 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  16. ^ Abbott, Gary (29 August 2004). "Sanderson wins gold medal while Abas and Kelly win silver medals at Olympic freestyle wrestling competition". USA Wrestling. The Mat. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  17. Athens 2004. BBC Sport
    . 15 August 2004. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  18. ^ Garcia, Marlen (29 August 2004). "Williams' hopes end in 2 seconds". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  19. ^ "Williams pins bronze at wrestling championships". ESPN. 27 September 2005. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  20. ^ Sesker, Craig (20 September 2007). "Joe Williams, Doug Schwab, Joe Heskett each place fifth at World Championships". USA Wrestling. The Mat. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  21. ^ "Jury finds former Iowa coach not guilty of indecent exposure". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  22. ^ "3-time NCAA champ Joe Williams, Tom Van Dyke to lead Liberty wrestling". Iowa City Press-Citizen. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  23. ^ Huff, Rick (2 May 2002). "Steve Williams, 1973-2002". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  24. ^ a b "Highs, lows for wrestler Joe Williams in 2002". Quad-City Times. 20 June 2002. Retrieved 26 June 2014.

External links

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