Athletic Hall of Fame induction in June

A committee of approximately 15 Odessa former athletes, coaches and supporters has held seven meetings since March of 2015, endeavoring to compile a list of candidates for an Odessa Athletic Hall of Fame. Thus far, the group has established its mission statement and rules and regulations for eligibility for the hall of fame. A list has been created to date of 89 athletes, 15 coaches, nine contributors and various teams (state tournament winners in football, tennis, track and field and volleyball).

The committee is chaired by current Odessa athletic director Bruce Todd. Former Odessa athlete Jon Heimbigner is the vice chair and his expertise in establishing halls of fame in the Spokane area is helping the committee with many logistical matters.

One weak area that the committee would like help with from the public is the distant past. The committee is going through annual yearbooks

and The Odessa Record is researching sports references in it archives, but it also needs help from the public in finding people from the very early years of athletics in the Odessa schools. Anyone with knowledge of a family member who excelled in sports or of people who have been instrumental in some way related to athletics in the Odessa schools is asked to contact either Jon Heimbigner at 509-701-5741 or Bruce Todd at the Odessa schools, 509-982-2111. The public is also free to suggest any additional names to the list that has already been compiled.

The initial group of candidates has been narrowed by the committee to 34 individuals and will be narrowed further to 15 who will make up the first class of inductees. No teams will be included in this initial round of inductees but will be added next year. Committee members are still gathering and confirming biographical information on the individuals nominated so far. The first class of inductees will be announced at the Odessa Alumni Banquet to be held June 18 in the Odessa Community Center.

Space for a display case in the Odessa High School gym has been approved by the school board. The case will be a shadow box two to three inches deep and 4x8-feet wide mounted on the wall. Gold-aluminum plates will be affixed to a black laminate material and will include the picture, year, name, classification and a short biography of the person selected. The case will hold about 100 plates. The initial inductees will also be presented with plaques at the alumni banquet.

According to Heimbigner, the case, including installation, is expected to cost no more than $2,000; the plates and plaques for each person named to the hall of fame ought not to exceed $100. Since the numbers of those inducted are expected to decline as time goes on, annual costs will also decline. The Odessa-Harrington Athletic Booster Club is donating money to cover some of the costs, Heimbigner said, but the public is also being requested to make donations. Committee members themselves have already made donations to the hall of fame’s treasury to help get the project off the ground.

Again, anyone wishing to donate, nominate candidates or help with research is asked to call Heimbigner (509-701-5741) or Todd (509-982-2111) as soon as possible. Volunteers wishing to help research The Odessa Record’s archives can contact the paper at 509-982-2632.