ODESSA ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME: Track star’s records stand today at OHS

By Sue Brown

Texas Press Association

Kerry Evans, A standout track star from Odessa High, was born and raised, along with her brother Kinney Evans, in Odessa by her parents Jackie and Paul Evans.

Kerry gives her folks so much credit for helping her achieve her athleticism.

“As a child I played everything. If it was offered, I was on the team. I was always a sporty girl,” said Evans.

As a youngster attending elementary at Pease, her parents drove her everywhere to practices and games. She played volleyball, basketball and track and was voted Most Outstanding Athlete in sixth grade.

In the summer she mostly played softball and soccer. During her junior high years at Bowie Junior High, she decided that track was the sport that she loved after setting the city record in the 110 and 220 yard dash.

She still holds that record today.

These early sports events help to hone her track skills. Evans still holds the women’s high jump record at Odessa High School. She was also a two-time state qualifier in the 200 meters and placed 5th both years. She also anchored the 4×100 meter relay that also qualified for state. Evans also holds the record for the 200 meter (23:58) at Wayland Baptist University.

Among her achievements are four NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) National Track Champion; (10) NAID Track and Field All-American; (3) Junior College National Track Champion, (9) Junior College Track and Field All-American; Member of the United States Junior College Track and Field team to Korea where she was voted Most Valuable Runner in June 1985.

At Eastern Oklahoma Junior College she attended three years and ran for two, her coach Glen Stone played a big role in getting her to where she could compete at her best.

She transferred to Missouri Baptist University where she ran and ultimately graduated. John Creer, her coach at Missouri Baptist, was influential in her track career as well.

Evans had plans on being a track coach and did so at Missouri Baptist, Lindenwood University and a year at Odessa College. She realized that it would be a difficult lifestyle to raise a family, so she opted to work at her family’s carpet business for the next 22 years.

She still lives in Odessa, where she is married to Paul Hart and is a certified personal fitness trainer/health and life coach. Knowing so many people has helped her to build a clientele for her business.

She is the proud mother of two daughters – Kali Holcomb, 26, who played softball at Angelina College and Bowling Green University; Kyndi Holcomb, 24, who was a cheerleader at The University of Texas at Austin and a son, Cade Holcomb, 21 a stepson Nick Hart (31) and a three-year-old grandson, Levi Hart.

Evans was nominated by her cousin who is also a great friend, Brandi Hayes. Hayes had this to say about her athletic cousin.

“Kerry is one of the most accomplished women athletes to ever come out of Odessa. Her accomplishments speak for themselves but what I can tell you is that she is so humble about all of them. Most of all she was really proud to represent her school and her hometown.”

Evans hopes that Odessans realize that she liked her home town enough to come back to live and raise a family. “The city’s been good to me,” she said.

GET YOUR TICKETS

Don’t miss the Odessa Athletics Hall of Fame banquet scheduled at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Odessa Marriott.