‘It is truly heartbreaking': Maisey O'Donnell was a two-time state champion diver for Concord-Carlisle, and so much more

Boston Globe

23-04-2025

She was quiet and kind; a two-time state champion and straight-A student who never bragged about it. She displayed a show-don't-tell example of excellence.
'She was the model that every coach would want for their program,' Chirico said Wednesday.
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O'Donnell, 18, died Tuesday from injuries suffered in a
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Their SUV collided with a tractor trailer that was making a U-turn in a paved median on Highway 98, about 10 miles west of Panama City, Fla. The driver of the trailer was uninjured. The Florida Highway Patrol was investigating the crash as of Wednesday afternoon.
O'Donnell was an All-American diver for Concord-Carlisle. When the Globe's All-Scholastic teams are published in early May, she will be honored as the Athlete of the Year for girls diving for the
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In February at MIT, Maisey O'Donnell won the MIAA North sectional diving crown for the second straight year.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
As a sophomore at the state meet, she flubbed a major part of her routine, losing by 2 points. As a junior, she won by 2 points. At the state meet at Boston University last month, she scored 457.6 points, 45 ahead of second place.
'For a swimmer,' Chirico noted, 'that would be like lapping the field. She probably could have sat down on her last dive and said, 'I'm done. Try and catch up.' '
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Chirico, a diving coach for more than 45 years, is a judge for NCAA meets and the national director for AAU Diving. He said O'Donnell, who planned to attend Williams, was one of the best divers in the country and would have been a star in college.
'She was already at the Division 3 national level,' Chirico said. 'I'm pretty sure she would have made the NCAA nationals [as a freshman]. She wouldn't have been far away from making the finals.'
Maisey O'Donnell came 2 points shy of winning a state title as a sophomore, then came back and claimed it as a junior and senior.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
Williams is a swim and dive power. The Ephs' women finished sixth at the NCAA's Division 3 national championships in March, and have won 21 of the last 24 NESCAC titles.
There are some 60 men's and women's swimmers on a college team, with a handful of those spots reserved for divers. A selective school like Williams is looking for the ideal mix of academic and athletic prowess.
Williams coach Steve Kuster said O'Donnell — 'an outstanding diver, a committed student, and most importantly, a truly wonderful person' — had precisely the right attributes.
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'We were incredibly fortunate to get to know her through the recruiting process and were so excited about the energy, talent, and character she was going to bring to our team this fall,' Kuster said. 'It is truly heartbreaking and our hearts go out to her family, friends, teammates, and all who loved her.'
Maisey O'Donnell was planning to dive at Williams, and her diving coach said she was more than ready to compete at the national level.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
O'Donnell competed the last five years for Boston Area Diving, one of New England's premier clubs. They traveled across the country for meets and spent countless hours in and around the pool.
Chirico called the loss 'heartbreaking, tragic, and senseless.'
'The little kids looked up to her not only because she was good, but she was kind,' Chirico said. 'A lot of people who reach the higher levels are not like that. They're focused on themselves, and she wasn't.
'We're a family. Our diving family was hit hard. I've heard from parents that some of the kids cried all day yesterday about it.
'We will all miss her terribly and will never forget her.'
Matt Porter can be reached at