ARTICLE BY ODESSA AMERICAN

Legends in football, baseball, basketball, golf and track comprise the inaugural class of the Odessa Athletics Hall of Fame, the Odessa American announced.

Odessa American Publisher Patrick Canty said the hall of fame selection committee – composed of newspaper staff and community members — reviewed more than 100 nominations from the community and selected the following individuals to be inducted Oct. 14, at the Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center:

• Paul Chavez, Odessa College golf coach.
• Johnny Gentry (deceased), former Ector High School track star.
• Julian Pressly, legendary baseball coach at Odessa High School and Odessa College.
• Angela Braziel-Smith, former Permian High School, Texas Tech University and WNBA basketball star.
• John Wilkins, legendary Permian High School football coach and former Ector County Independent School District athletic director.
• Roy Williams, football standout for Permian High School, the University of Texas and the NFL.

"We are so excited to announce this inaugural class," Canty said. "These individuals are true examples of why the sports landscape in Odessa is so special — so rich and diverse.

"The hall of fame selection committee was simply blown away by the number and quality of nominations from this community. We wish we could induct all the nominees into this year's hall of fame class. But that would result in an induction ceremony that would last for days."

Canty stressed that all nominations not selected this year will be carried over into future years for consideration.

Chavez has been golf coach at Odessa College since 1996 and has led the team to three NJCAA national championships. Under his leadership, OC golf teams have also notched three national runner-up honors and four third-place finishes.

He was inducted into NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2007, the Western Junior College Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Golf Coaches' Association of America Hall of Fame in 2017.

Chavez also coached Team USA in the World University Games in 2004 (Thailand, bronze medalists), Turin, Italy (2006, silver medalists) and Switzerland (2014).

Pressly's name has been synonymous with Odessa baseball for decades. In fact, Odessa High School's baseball field is named in his honor.

A member of the WJCAC Hall of Fame, Pressly led teams at Odessa High School and later Odessa College to hall-of-fame records. Under his leadership, OHS baseball teams tallied 162 wins, six district titles, while advancing to regional quarterfinal, state semifinal and state championship games.

During his tenure as coach of OC's baseball program, the team compiled an impressive 163 victories in five seasons and won their conference championship each season.

Pressly has belonged to the Odessa Chuck Wagon Gang since 1960 and has served on the OC board of trustees since 2002.

The Odessa Athletics Hall of Fame is presented by the Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center and is a community celebration organized by the Odessa American and the Texas Press Association.