Illinois Matmen Forums - Throwback Thursday: Joe Williams

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Throwback Thursday: Joe Williams

4x Illinois State Champion, 3x NCAA National Champion, 10x Midlands Champion, an Olympic and World Team Member, and the list goes on...

So we ask, is Joe Williams the best to ever come out of Illinois?

I think so. On his feet he was the best every, the way he could just pick guys apart. He wasn't big on turning or riding guys, but he was real good off the bottom. He was so dominate it would be hard to argue against him.

Is his opponent Joe Bee who drowned in Lake Charleston in 1996? How sad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by exwrestler155 (Post 411154)

Is his opponent Joe Bee who drowned in Lake Charleston in 1996? How sad.

Yes, I believe it was the same person. If I remember correctly, Joe drowned by trying to save someone. RIP.

It would be tough to say anyone was better; I just wish he would have medaled in the Worlds or the Olympics.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mckbln (Post 411156)

It would be tough to say anyone was better; I just wish he would have medaled in the Worlds or the Olympics.

Joe medalled at Worlds in both 2001 and 2005, earning bronze both years. He also placed fourth at Worlds in 1999 and fifth 2007 (at 84 kilos), with another fifth at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

I don't think that there should be any debate about Joe Williams as the best to come out of Illinois to date. No one else in this state's history has had anything close to his total level of success. Second to him in terms of total career has to be Larry Kristoff, but then it's a rather sizable drop-off from that point on at this point.

It's also funny to see how "skinny" Joe looked as a high school senior in relation to his time spent as a Hawkeye and on the senior level.

Joe was most certainly the greatest wrestler to come out of Illinois. I had the pleasure of wrestling him everyday for two years. I think there may have been a few more talented kids but none had it all like Joe. Tony Davis and Stevie were as talented as I've ever seen. I would probably put Joe in the top ten US high school wrestlers in history.

Sean

Joe is sort of like Michael Jordan in that "the best" title is hard to debate. He certainly is also the best Harvey Twister, and we have had a lot of great wrestlers come through our room.

Probably the real question is who is the next best out of Illinois (and the Twisters) because Joe has the top spot locked up?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR TWISTER (Post 411227)

Probably the real question is who is the next best out of Illinois (and the Twisters) because Joe has the top spot locked up?

Larry Kristoff, Carbondale HS - wrestled two years in high school (Carbondale started their program in 1959, when Larry was a junior) and was the IHSA runner-up in 1960 at heavyweight.

In college, Larry was two-time NCAA DII champ in 1963 and 1964, the first two years for DII. In 1963, he was the DI runner-up to Jim Nance of Syracuse, by a 2-1 score. In 1964, he lost his first match to Bob Hopp of Purdue. This was a time when wrestle backs had only those who lost to finalists. Hopp placed fourth that year.

During/after college, he won 12 senior level titles in the U.S., as well as earning silver at the Worlds in 1966, 1969 and 1970 and bronze in 1965 and '67. For the Olympic Games, Larry placed seventh in '64 and fifth in '68.

After all of that, he coached SIUE for 30 years (1969-'99) and racked up three consecutive team titles (1984-'86) and 18 top-10 team finishes. He had 111 All-Americans (including eight four-time AAs) and 11 of those guys went on to AA in DI.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triton College Wrestling (Post 411259)

So, is this agrument for best coach, best wrestler, or he who has done the most for IL wrestling?