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. 

 

26     LAGUNA BLANCA MAGAZINE

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