Athletics Hall of Fame

2023 Inductees

The Athletic Hall of Fame honors OKWU Eagles who have achieved excellence athletically, academically, and through high personal character. Inductees are graduates of OKWU, five or more years removed, who have participated on an OKWU varsity athletic team for at least two years.

Wendell Thompson
Champion of OKWU Athletics

Wendell Thompson created the OKWU Croquet program in 2009 with the goal of imparting his love of the game to a new generation. He led the team for 11 seasons before retiring in 2022. In that time, the team won 5 national championships, routinely defeating schools like Penn State, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the University of Florida.

What’s the secret of OKWU’s success? According to Coach Thompson, it’s simple. “I’ve taught the students to do jump shots,” he said. “That was our big secret. The other teams hadn’t even heard of jump shots. And they were totally befuddled.” Prior to starting the croquet program, Thompson served OKWU as the school librarian for 34 years.

Dr. Brian Lee
Outstanding Athlete

Brian Lee (’94) came to BWC to play for Coach Dan Wood and would go on to become one of the most decorated players in OKWU Soccer history to that point. During his four-year career, he started every game, tallying 22 goals and 7 assists while playing as a central defender. He was named team captain for his final three seasons, chosen by his teammates and coaches to serve in that leadership position.

As a junior and senior, Lee received national attention as NAIA and NCCAA All-American, and in 1993 he was selected as the NCCAA Men’s Soccer Player of the Year, now known as the Kyle Rote Jr. Award. In 1993, he led the team to a 3rd place finish at the NCCAA National Tournament.

Will Price
Outstanding Athlete

Will Price (’16, ’18 MBA) finished his OKWU Baseball career as one of the most accomplished players in NAIA history. In four seasons, he set OKWU records for hits, doubles, home runs, and RBIs, and he finished in 2nd place on the NAIA’s all-time RBI list, coming up just one RBI shy of the record. He helped the Eagles make the NAIA World Series twice over his career, and in 2017 Price was the Rawlings NAIA Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American.

As a senior, Price had a .460 batting average to go along with 28 home runs and 101 RBIs. In his final college at-bat, at the NAIA World Series, Price smashed a home run.