Pierce O’Donnell ’16 was always easy to spot when playing
sports for the Owls—you just had to look for the most intense
competitor out there.
O’Donnell, a Laguna Lifer, had an Upper School athletics
career that defined leadership, unmatched energy, and a strong
work ethic. When in a game, he could be found with a determined
scowl on his face, dishing out high fives that left his teammates’
hands stinging.
Bound for Harvard, he was honored as the year’s Outstanding
Male Athlete just before graduation. He was a three-sport varsity
athlete in each of his four years, and while he possessed athleticism,
the accomplishment wasn’t necessarily due to physical gifts.
“As a 115-pound freshman nicknamed ‘lead-foot,’ I knew I had
ATHLETE
SPOTLIGHT
PIERCE O’DONNELL ’16
This past June, Pierce O’Donnell left Hope Ranch bound for Harvard
University, but not before making a tremendous impact on our athletics
program. Below, Blake Dorfman ’02 shares what made him such a
special gift to not one, but three Laguna sports teams.
to scrap as hard as I could for everything I wanted,” he said.
His basketball coach, Sal Rodriguez, saw that attitude right
away. “I remember his first practice as a freshman, he was just
super aggressive,” said Rodriguez. “He was all over the place and
out of control and shot almost every time he got the ball, but as
a ninth grader, he was just throwing himself around for rebounds
and beating up on seniors. I thought, ‘this kid’s gonna be okay.’”
“Okay” is an understatement. By his senior year, the “out of
control” freshman had become a refined basketball player, making
the All CIF third team and putting up some big numbers,
including 35 points in one half of a CIF playoff game.
After leading a deep playoff run in basketball, the senior
switched gears—and positions—for the volleyball season.
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