Joe Williams is a 10-time national freestyle champion and a two-time Pan American Games champion. One of American wrestling’s more decorated athletes, Williams is a 3x NCAA Champion for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and finished fifth at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and has a pair of world bronze medals to his credit.

WRESTLING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

10x National Freestyle Champion 6x US. Senior National Freestyle Champion 5x World Team Member 4x World Cup Champion 2005 U.S. Senior National Freestyle Champion 2005 World Team Member 2004 Fifth Place in Olympic Games 2004 U.S. Senior National Freestyle Champion 2004 Olympic Team Member 2003 U.S. Senior National Freestyle Champion 2003 World Team Member 2003 World Cup Champion 2003 NYAC International Open Champion 2003 Pan American Games Champion 2003 Third Place in Cup of Independence (Uzbekistan) 2003 Olympic Qualifier Champion (Slovakia) 2002 U.S. Senior National Freestyle Champion 2002 Freestyle Wrestler of the Year – USA Wrestling 2002 U.S. National Championships Wrestler of the Year 2002 World Cup Champion 2002 World Team Member 2002 First Place Kiev Grand Prix (Ukraine) 2002 Third Place Yasar Dogu Tournament (Turkey) 2001 Third Place World Championships 2001 World Team Member 2001 World Cup Champion 2001 Takhti Cup champion (Iran) 2001 Manitoba Open Champion (Canada) 2001 U.S. Senior National Freestyle Champion 2001 Freestyle Belt Award Winner – USA Wrestling 2000 World Cup Champion 2000 Second Place US National 2000 Third Place Olympic Trials 2000 Kiev Grand Prix Champion 1999 Pan Am Games Champion 1999 U.S. Senior National Freestyle Champion 1999 Manitoba Open Champion 1999 Fourth Place World Championships Sunkist Open Champion 3x Collegiate National Champion 2x Big Ten Champion 10x Midlands Champion Junior National Freestyle & Greco Champion 4x Illinois High School State Champion Outstanding Wrestler NCAA Tournament (1998) Student Athlete Advisory Board (1997, 98) Represented The University of Iowa at NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference 2x Mike Howard Award Winner (1996-97, 1997-98) John H. Sill “Most Dedicated Wrestler both on and off the mat” (1997-98) Marshall Stewart Memorial Award “for athletic ability and academic excellence” (1997) Mike J. McGivern Sr. Award “Most Courageous” (1997-98) University Freestyle Champion (1995) Named to IWCOA Hall of Fame (1999) Wrote “Competitive Edge” article in Training & Conditioning Magazine July /August Vol. XI No.5

Honors & Awards

1998   

Won 3rd NCAA title, named outstanding wrestler of NCAA tournament, Big Ten Wrestler of the month for March, became Iowa’s 14th four-time all-American, ranked #1 by AWN and Intermat/WIN all season, won Sill award for dedication, and shared Team MVP with Mark Ironside and Jeff McGinness.

1997   

Won 2nd NCAA title, Won third consecutive Midlands title, becoming only the sixth wrestler in the 33-year, 6,500-wrestler tournament history to do so. Shared Team MVP with Mark Ironside, Lincoln McIlravy and Mike Mena.

1996   

Won 1st NCAA title, won 1st Big Ten title, finished with best team record 36-1, won McGivern team award.

1995   

Reshirted was undefeated at 15-0, placed first at Midlands while wrestling unattached.

1994   

Complied a 30-7 record as a true freshman, wrestled part of the season unattached before moving into the line-up, finished seventh in NCAA meet, won 14 of 15 matches.

High School   

Named to Wrestling USA’s all America team and 13 member Dream Team, first team all-American by AWN, four-time Illinois state champion, named Chicago Tribune’s 1992-1993 Illinois High School Athlete of the Year, finished prep career with 162-1 record.  Only loss was a disqualification resulting from an illegal slam as a freshman, had 95 career falls.  Coach was Bill Weick.