Perhaps the most dominant U.S. wrestler during the last three years has been Joe Williams, a 2001 World bronze medalist and four-time World Cup champion. Williams has dominated his U.S. rivals, and has beaten some of the world's top contenders. His season has not been perfect, losing a bout overseas on a headbutt in the semifinals, and dropping a close battle to a tough Russian at the World Cup. Williams was the Outstanding Wrestler at last year's U.S. Nationals.    Williams has all the tools to be a champion, including strength, speed, technique and now experience. He won three NCAA titles for Iowa, and has continued that success in his international career. Williams grabbed the reigns at this division with the retirement of 2000 Olympic champion Brandon Slay, who has not competed since the Sydney Games. Slay trained last fall contemplating a comeback, but has decided to remain on the sidelines. Williams was also the No. 1 man the year before Slay's emergence, when Williams was fourth at the 1999 World Championships and a Pan American Games champion.    Emerging as the top challenger for Williams has been Casey Cunningham of the Sunkist Kids, a young star who has considerable freestyle talent and has gained confidence over the past year. Cunningham was second behind Williams in the World Team Trials, and has won tough events such as the Dave Schultz International. Cunningham was a NCAA champion, an age-group national freestyle champion, and has spent some time as a USOTC resident athlete, all the ingredients to success on Team USA.    Among the top challengers on the Team USA charts are former Junior World champion Donnie Pritzlaff of the Dave Schultz WC and past Cadet World medalist Joe Heskett of the Gator WC. Cunningham dominated Heskett in the Dave Schultz finals this year. In that event, Heskett scored a close win over Pritzlaff. Their rivalry goes back to college years, when Pritzlaff stopped Heskett in the NCAA finals twice.    Byron Tucker of the Sunksit Kids, ranked No. 2 just two seasons ago, has proven freestyle abilities but has not been competing lately. Ramico Blackmon of Team Excel, a U.S.Nationals champion in 2001, is always a finalist threat. Blackmon is one of the athletes that moved up in weight once the weight divisions were adjusted by FILA, and has not been as dominant at this new weight class.    Kirk White of the Dave Schultz WC, fourth at the 2002 U.S. Nationals, has looked good in international events this season. White won a silver medal at the Pan American Championships this year, and was fourth at the World Cup competing for the World Select team. Chris Ayres of the New York AC, a former star at Lehigh, holds a No. 6 ranking from last year's World Team Trials.     2003 NCAA champion Matt Lackey of the New York AC was eighth at last year's U.S. Nationals. Lackey won the 2003 University Nationals, as well, defeating Tyrone Lewis of the Gator WC in the championship finals and claiming the Outstanding Wrestler award.    Veteran Brian Dolph of the Dave Schultz WC, if he continues competing, will be a very tough draw for anybody. He was sixth at last year's U.S. Nationals, but did not compete in the wrestle-backs after losing in the championship bracket. Dolph beat Williams in the 2000 Olympic Trials, then lost to Slay, but has not competed consistently since then.    Others who could crack into the top levels include Josh Koscheck of the New York AC, Andy Hrovat of the Cliff Keen WC, Rick Springman of the Dave Schultz WC, Yoshi Nakamura of the Dave Schultz WC, Jason Ramstetter of the Dave Schultz WC and Charles Daniels of the U.S. Army. Koscheck, a past NCAA champion at Edinboro, has been a U.S. Nationals placewinner in the past. Hrovat was very successful on the age-group levels.    2002 U.S. Freestyle Nationals results at 74 kg/163 lbs.  1st - Joe Williams, Coralville, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) dec. Casey Cunningham, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), 9-1  3rd - Ramico Blackmon, Monument, Colo. (Team Excel) dec. Kirk White, Boise, Idaho (Dave Schultz WC), 6-5  5th -Donny Pritzlaff, Madison, Wis. (Dave Schultz WC) won by inj. dft. Brian Dolph, Ridley Park, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC)  7th - Joe Heskett, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) dec. Matt Lackey, Urbana, Ill. (New York AC), 11-2