Inductees

In his classic play Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare wrote, “Some are born great… others have greatness thrust upon them.”

But over the years, part of the quote has fallen by the wayside. The complete quote reads, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, others have greatness thrust upon them.” Achieving greatness was the norm for Westran softball under head coach Kelly Odneal.

Located in Huntsville, Westran High School enjoyed quite a run in softball from 1984 to 1999. The program reached 13 Final Fours in that stretch. Highlighting it all were state championships in 1987, 1996 and 1999. Additionally, the program had five state runner-up finishes in the era (1984, 1986, 1993, 1997, 1998). Westran placed third in 1985, 1988, 1989 and 1991, and fourth in 1995.

That sustained level of success is more than enough for the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted teh Westran High School Softball Era of 1984-1999 as part of the Class of 2022.

“That level of greatness was what Westran softball was all about to us, so to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a testament to how hard we worked and the countless hours we all, the coaches included, put in,” former Lady Hornet Mindy Brown (1986-89) said. “We built a legacy.”

And that legacy began with the arrival of Odneal. The former state championship-winning baseball coach at Sturgeon, Odneal arrived at Westran in 1984 and immediately went to work with the softball program, using the same coaching style and tactics that made him successful on the baseball diamond.

“They had experienced very little success at softball before I arrived,” Odneal said. “But that first bunch of girls was competitive and liked to win. We were able to implement the program of skill, strategy and discipline that had won me state titles in baseball.”

And that hard work and dedication paid off immediately for the Lady Hornets, as they reached the state championship game before their season ended with a 3-2 loss.

“That was the highest finish of any team in any sport in Westran history,” Odneal said. “The standard was set!”

Over the course of the next 16 years, Westran dominated Missouri high school softball and became a fixture at the state Final Four in Columbia. Brown said those trips to the Rainbow Softball Center were a major career highlight.

“Many people don’t even get one trip to the State Tournament, much less to go all four times of your high school career,” Brown said. “That feeling of walking into Rainbow and knowing you are the best of the best was something that can’t be described.”

We don’t have enough space to list all Westran’s accomplishments over those 16 years, but perhaps this one stat is the most impressive: only three squads failed to reach the Final Four. Meaning, every senior class save for those three ended their season at the state’s most important tournament.

Odneal also remembers all too well those teams that ended the season with a loss.

“I remember the tears of sadness,” he said. “My heart still hurts for them, especially the seniors.”

Westran softball wasn’t fun for just the players and head coach. Both Odneal and Brown talked about the school and community support the program enjoyed.

“Our community and school district backed us 100 percent in all aspects,” Odneal said. “People came from all around to enjoy the playing style of the Lady Hornets.”

“Our little town packed the stands everywhere we went to support us, and the softball program just brought people together,” Brown said. “It’s fun to hear people still talk about those years today.”

Obviously, it takes not only strong community and school support for a program to sustain success in the way Westran did, but it also takes strong buy-in from the players and coaches. That commitment was unwavering for over a decade-and-a-half.

“It was very hard to commit yourself to this program, but the reward was immediate,” Odneal said. “The teams were coached with the same intensity and discipline that I coached the baseball teams.”

Brown concurs, noting that players would have been more than willing to give up a treasured high school tradition for their program.

“Most years, the Final Four tournament fell on Westran’s Homecoming weekend,” Brown said. “We would play our game and then rush back to get ready for the homecoming dance. Truth be told, most of us wouldn’t have really cared if we missed homecoming. That’s how much we loved playing softball.”

That love, hard work, and dedication helped Westran achieve greatness … for 16 years.