ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The College Gymnastics Association announced the finalists for the 2022 Nissen-Emery Award and Josh Williams (Cypress, Texas) of the Navy gymnastics program was one of eight talented seniors recognized by the organization in their announcement on Thursday. Awarded to the nation's most outstanding senior collegiate gymnast since 1966, Williams, a leader in Navy's rings, floor exercise and vaulting units, is just the fourth Midshipmen in program history to achieve the status of finalist and the first since 2012.

The field of finalists for the 2022 Nissen-Emery Award consists of Williams, Hamish Carter of Illinois, Mathew Davis from Army, Charlie Giles and Evan Kriley from Nebraska, Vitaliy Guimaraes of Oklahoma, Jesse Tyndall of Ohio State and 2020 Olympian Brody Malone, who competes collegiately at Stanford.

A four-year starter for the Mids, Williams has been a top performer for the program on a variety of apparatus as he has earned conference and national accolades throughout his career. As a freshman in 2019, Williams won the rings title at the ECAC Championship. The following year during a COVID shortened campaign, he was recognized as a CGA All-American as he was ranked sixth in the nation on the rings at the time the season was cancelled. Williams' most recent campaign saw him qualify for and compete in the event finals of the NCAA Championship on both the floor exercise and the rings. Through six competitions as a senior in 2022, the Texas native has posted the third-best scoring average on the rings with a 13.950 and the 30th-best scoring average on the floor exercise at 13.267.

For his efforts in the classroom at the Naval Academy, Williams is a three-time CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete.

Williams joins the unique group of Eric Swanson (1973) Peter Ditullio (1983), Andrew Faulk (2012) as finalists, who have suited up for the Midshipmen during their collegiate careers.

The award winner will be announced at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships this April in Norman, Okla.

Since 1966, college gymnastics' highest honor, the Nissen Award, has been presented annually to that year's outstanding senior collegiate gymnast. From 1966 through 1989 the award nomination, selection and presentation process was managed by the Nissen Company. IBM sponsored the award in 1990. USA Gymnastics sponsored the award from 1991-97. In 1998 Dr. Robert W. Emery, the 1969 winner, agreed to help the College Gymnastics Association finance the redesigning of the Award and establish an endowment that would indefinitely cover the annual expenses associated with it.

The "Heisman Trophy" of gymnastics, the Nissen-Emery Award is inscribed with the following motto: "The true champion seeks excellence physically, mentally, socially, and morally."