The following release information was issued by the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and information and photo courtesy of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame…
WACO, Texas – Olympian, and former UCLA and Texas standout, Christa Williams is a member of the nine-member class announced for induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame announced by the Board of Trustees.
The newest group of inductees includes two NFL football players, two college football coaches, two track and field coaches, an Olympic softball player, a Negro League & Baseball Hall of Famer and a former Texas State Representative.
Williams earned a gold medal as a member of Team USA at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and was three-time All-American at UCLA (1997) and Texas (1998, 1999).
Joining Williams in the 2024 class are Jamaal Charles, Andy Cooper (deceased), Judge Roy Hofheinz (deceased), Barbara Jacket (deceased), Mike Leach (deceased), Colt McCoy, Jackie Sherrill and Bubba Thornton.
The 63rd Annual Texas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet presented by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, will be held in the BASE at Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, April 13, 2024.
Christa Williams
Christa Williams – Softball-Born in Houston and raised in Pasadena, Texas. Williams was a softball pitcher who was a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (1996 & 2000) and two-time ISF World Champion (1995 & 1998). As a freshman at Dobie High School, she led the Longhorns to their first state championship in 1993. In 1995 she pitched a perfect game against Plano East, claiming the Longhorns’ second state title After transferring from UCLA in 1997, Williams landed at the University of Texas (1998-’99) where she earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and NCAA Regional Tournament MVP (1998). She was a three-time NCAA All-American (1997, UCLA and ‘98 & ’99, UT). She helped lead Texas to the 1998 NCAA WCWS. After nine seasons coaching at Friendswood High School, in 2023 she was named head softball coach for Kingwood High School in Kingwood, Texas. Other Honors included: Gold medalist at Pan American Games Qualifier (1994), where she threw a perfect game and no-hitter and finished with a 3-0 record, 0.00 ERA, and 45 strikeouts; gold medalist at ISF Junior Women’s World Championship (1995), Gold medalist at Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia (1996), Gold medalist at ISF World Championships (1998), Gold medalist at U.S. Olympic Cup (1999), where she pitched a complete game shutout against Australia in Championship Game.
KPRC News Link: Kingwood Hires Olympian for Softball
