The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball Texas-Ex Williams inducted into National Softball Hall of Fame
10.28.2018 | Softball
Longhorns legend Christa Williams was a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On Saturday night in Oklahoma City, Okla., former Texas softball and Team USA standout Christa Williams was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame as part of the organization's 38th-annual induction ceremony.
She joined the hall as part of a 2018 class that included: Dick Brubaker (Fast Pitch Player), Crystl Bustos (Fast Pitch Player), John Daniels (Sponsor), Ricky Huggins (Slow Pitch Player), Todd Joerling (Slow Pitch Player), Bill Silves (Umpire) and Charles Wright (Slow Pitch Player).
A two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time World Champion, Christa Williams was one of the best pitchers to come out of the Houston area. Having already pitched the United States to a WBSC Junior Women's World Championship in 1995, Williams was the youngest member on the inaugural U.S. Olympic Softball team in 1996 when the sport debuted in the Atlanta Olympic Games. During the event, she went a perfect 2-0 in the circle, allowing no earned runs while striking out 15 batters in her Olympic debut. She followed with another 2-0 showing in the circle for the United States at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, as the United States claimed their second Olympic Gold Medal. In addition to her international accolades, Williams also made a name for herself at the national level, twice earning USA Softball All-American honors at the Women's Major Fast Pitch National Championship.
During her standout two-year collegiate career on the Forty Acres (1998-99), Williams posted a sterling 50-15 overall pitching record with a miniscule 0.71 ERA to go with 27 shutouts and 678 strikeouts over 452.2 innings of work. She was a two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American and was twice honored as a NFCA All-Midwest Region and All-Big 12 First Team choice. Despite spending just two years with the Longhorns program, Williams continues to rank second in career ERA, tied for third in career shutouts, fourth in career strikeouts and sixth in career wins, appearances and innings pitched. She was enshrined as part of the UT Hall of Honor back in November of 2007.