Joel Williams - Track and Field Coach - UNC Asheville Athletics

Joel Williams

Title:
Head Track & Field Coach
Email:
jwilliam@unca.edu
Phone:
251-6595

Joel Williams begins his sixth season as the head coach of the track & field program in 2026 and his 18th season with the program. He oversees the sprints/hurdles/relays group and develops their strength training programs.

2025 season - The 2025 outdoor season was one of the most successful seasons for the program with Williams at the helm. Shemarr Session earned Big South Indoor and Outdoor Male Track Athlete of the Year and went on to win the indoor championship in the 200m and set the school record in three indoor events and two outdoor events. Session along with DaMarr Harvey went on to represent Asheville at the NCAA Championship East First Round with Session representing Asheville in the 200m and Harvey representing Asheville in the 100m. Session became the second freshman in program history to represent Asheville on the national stage.

Harvey won the Big South Championship in the 100m and 200m at the outdoor championships in 2025 and became the third individual to represent Asheville on the national stage back-to-back years.

Also earning Championship honors in 2025 was Jan Malek and Aneta Kucerova who each won the 3,000m steeplechase at the outdoor championships, marking the first time in program history Asheville swept this event at the conference championships. The men's team finished third at the conference championships and the women's team finished sixth.

2024 season -  Harvey was joined on the national stage in 2024 by Brianna Moore who represented Asheville in the long jump after winning the event at the Big South outdoor championships. She won the event at both the indoor and outdoor championships and became the second female to represent Asheville in the long jump on the national stage. Alison Graf was named Newcomer of the Year at the 2024 Indoor Championships. Moore and Dylan Major were named Scholar Athlete of the Year.

2022-2023 season - Claudia Prieto and Solomon McDonald highlighted Asheville in 2023 with both individuals advancing to the NCAA East First Round. Prieto in the long jump, holds the school record for long jump for both indoor and outdoor seasons and was named Scholar Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row for both indoor and outdoor. McDonald won the Big South men's indoor shot put championship and set the school record at 18.46m for outdoor season. He finished runner-up in the event at the Big South Championships and went on to represent Asheville on the national stage for the second year in a row.

2021-2022 season -  Claudia Prieto and Solomon McDonald represented the first individuals to represent Asheville on the national stage with Coach Williams as head coach, as McDonald became the first individual to advance in the shot put since 2003 and Prieto became the first individual in program history to advance in the long jump. Prieto was named Scholar Athlete of the Year for both indoor and outdoor seasons, and was the only individual for the women to earn All-Conference honors during indoor season and was one of three women during outdoor season to earn all-conference honors as she was joined by Maya Stanley Javelin (3rd) and Mallory Haney Heptathlon (3rd). Solomon earned third and Jack Choiniere finished second in the shot put at the Big South Championships.

2020-2021 season -  In Williams' first season as head coach, the men's team finished fourth and the women's team finished fifth at the outdoor championships, marking the highest finish for the women's team since 2013 and the highest finish for the men's team since 2000. Twenty-one individuals entered program records with India Appleton setting the school record in the outdoor 5,000m in 17:05.96.

"Head Coach by the Numbers"

Nine Annual Award Winners
19 Conference Champions
83 All-Conference Selections
36 School Record Holders
Eight NCAA Championship Appearances

As an assistant coach, Williams coached over 30 All-Big South selections during his tenure along with three Olympic/World Championship athletes. Williams coached former Bulldog and 110m hurdler Milan Ristic, who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2015 & 2017 world championships. In 2016, Ristic set a Serbian national record of 13.39.

Before Asheville, Williams coached at Watauga High School. Watauga captured three straight state girls’ outdoors titles (1995-97) and won the 1997 girls’ indoor championship.

Former Watauga athletes whose careers Williams influenced achieved noteworthy success post high school:

Brenda Taylor: 2001 NCAA 400mH Champion (Harvard); 7^th place for team USA in the 2004 Athens Olympics-set PR 53.36 at the USOT-time was #5 in the world. Taylor also earned a bronze medal in the U.S. 4x400m at the 2003 World Indoor Championships. Williams created her post collegiate strength program.

Lindsay Taylor: For Watauga HS, high jumped 5-11.5 PR, finished 2nd at USATF Junior Nationals, 4th at Pan Am Junior Championships-ranked 3rd in the U.S. in 1997 by Track & Field News. In college (Brown) was 2x heptathlon qualifier at NCAA championships.

Abraham Morlu: Competed for Liberia on 4x100m relay team at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and the 2001/2003 World Championships.

Williams is a 2004 graduate of Appalachian State with a B.S. in Health Promotion, Exercise Science and Sociology.

Conference Champions:
Indoor
Milan Ristic 2012 60m hurdles (7.91)
Milan Ristic 2013 60m hurdles (7.79)
Matthew Harding 2017 800m run (1:52.57)
Matthew Harding 2018 800m run (1:51.14)
4x400m relay 2020 3:15.42
Adam Hessler 2023 5,000m run (14:31.18)
Solomon McDonald 2023 Shot Put (18.10m)
Zac Weas 2023 60m hurdles (7.95)
Zac Weas 2024 60m hurdles (8.11)
Jalen Anderson 2024 200m dash (21.20)
Shemarr Session 2025 200m dash (20.82)
Sarah Gentry 2012 800m run (2:11.40)
Sarah Gentry 2013 800m run (2:12.38)
Distance Medley 2013 Relay (12:05.85)
Meredith Foster 2014 High Jump (1.70m)
Claudia Prieto 2023 Long Jump (6.03m)
Brianna Moore 2024 Long Jump (5.86m)

Outdoor
Milan Ristic 2012 110m hurdles (13.99)
Milan Ristic 2013 110m hurdles (13.78)
Matthew Harding 2017 800m run (1:49.92)
4x400m 2021 Relay (3:14.63)
4x400m 2023 Relay (3:11.52)
Zac Weas 2024 110m hurdles (14.24)
DaMarr Harvey 2024 200m dash (20.71)
Jan Malek 2025 3000m steeplechase (9:02.47)
DaMarr Harvey 2025 100m dash (10.28)
DaMarr Harvey 2025 200m dash (20.82)
Natalie Pearson 2010 200m dash (23.25)
Natalie Pearson 2011 100m dash (11.61)
Natalie Pearson 2011 200m dash (23.78)
Sarah Gentry 2012 800m run (2:11.99)
Sarah Gentry 2013 800m run (2:10.21)
Sarah Gentry 2013 1500m run (4:32.81)
Emma Bussard 2013 3000m steeplechase (10:38.77)
Claudia Prieto 2023 Long Jump (6.12m)
Brianna Moore 2024 Long Jump (6.14m)
Mallory Haney 2024 Triple Jump (12.15m)
Aneta Kucerova 2025 3,000m Steeplechase (11:00.42)

Coaching certifications:
IAAF (now World Athletics) Level 5 Sprints/Hurdles
USATF Level 3 Coach in Sprints/Hurdles
USATF Level 2 Throws, Sprints/Hurdles
USATF Level 1
USTFCCCA Sprint, Hurdle and Relay Event Specialist
USTFCCCA Combined Event Specialist
USTFCCCA Speed Specialist
USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Coach
USA Weightlifting Level II Advanced Sports Performance Coach
USA Weightlifting Level I-Club Coach (Now Sports Performance Coach)