On Wednesday, May 29, 2024, Quakertown senior Ike Williams was recognized for committing to compete in wrestling at Clarion University.
Ike Williams – Clarion University (Wrestling)
Major: Business
Reasons for choosing Clarion: “Great team fit”
What was the progression that led you to competing in wrestling at the collegiate level? “It was a sudden decision when I realized that I had too much more to give to the sport than being done after high school.”
Coach Kurt Handel says: “Ike Williams wrestled since kindergarten, and he was a four-year starter for our program. In my opinion, he’s been one of the most underrated wrestlers in our lineup the past few years. It has been a pleasure being Ike’s coach the past four years. Here are a few of Ike’s individual accomplishments. Right out of the gate, he was a solid freshman and went 1-2, but his career really kicked off his sophomore year. He made a tremendous impact on our lineup – he was 25-14. In his junior year, he was 35-17. His senior year, he went 28-12 for a career record of 89-53, just a few matches short of that 100-win mark, which is a milestone in the sport of wrestling. More than half his wins were falls, so he’s in the top 20 in program history in pins. There are so many other really interesting accomplishments. Ike was a three-time all-league first team place winner. He was a two-time district and regional place winner, a two-time state qualifier. This past year, he helped the team earn a fourth place finish in the state postseason tournament.
“Tremendous accomplishments for a tremendous athlete, but a really cool part also is that Ike was a tremendous team member. He never lost a league match in his four years with us, so he’s actually 24-0 and has four league titles as a team. His teams have won district tournaments, regional championships, which haven’t been won since ’86. The past three years, his dual meet team qualified for the state championships. It’s a pretty awesome list of accomplishments. It’s stuff that right now he might think about as ho hum, but it’s pretty awesome. An interesting piece for me and what makes Ike so special is his ability to think through situations. Like many seniors, he had an idea of what he wanted but didn’t know what his best option would be for the future moving forward, but he didn’t panic. Especially during the wrestling season - as a senior, you’re always asked, ‘What do you want to do with yourself?’ That’s a monkey on your back that you have to figure out. Ike took his time. He was stuck between two pathways, and in speaking with people – family, friends, teammates and coaches, he chose Clarion University, which is great option for him. Congrats, we look forward to your success on and off the mat in the coming years.”
About Ike:
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite movie: Step Brothers
Favorite music: Rap
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