Odessa College will induct six people into its first Athletics Hall of Fame class at the 2026 OC Honors Hall of Fame & Scholarship Gala on Nov. 12. The honorees come from women's basketball, men's basketball and rodeo.
The college said the group includes Doreatha Conwell Waitman, a two-time NJCAA All-American, and Coach Ken Hefner, whose teams won two NJCAA national championships. Larry Johnson, a two-time NJCAA Player of the Year at Odessa College, later played in the NBA. Coach Dennis Helms has 724 career victories across NJCAA programs. Ty Murray is a nine-time professional rodeo world champion. Coach Jim Watkins led the college's rodeo program from 1984 to 2009.
Individual tickets cost $350 and can be bought online through the college's ticket page. A cocktail meet and greet with the honorees starts at 6 p.m. for platinum and diamond sponsors. The gala and induction ceremony start at 7 p.m. The evening includes dinner, stories, special guests and silent and live auctions. The Odessa College Foundation said ticket sales, sponsorships and auction contributions support scholarships for students.