San Diego Athletics

• 2024 Western Sprints All-Freshman Team

SOPHOMORE (2024-25)

• MPSF All-Academic Team
• Competed in 13 races for the Toreros
• Coxswained USD’s first-ever Henley Royal Regatta races in England, upsetting defending champs Oxford Brookes by just two feet in the first round (July 2)
• Began his sophomore campaign as the coxswain with a victory in the Collegiate 4+ race in the Head of the Charles Regatta (October 18-20)
• Recorded a third place finish in USD’s “A” boat during the Collegiate 8+ race in the Head of the American Regatta (October 26) 
• Logged a third place finish and a runner-up finish in San Diego’s “A” boats in the Open 8+ race and the Open 4+ race, respectively, during the San Diego Fall Classic (November 10)
• Registered a win in the 1V8+ boat against Santa Clara in the Redwood Shores Invitational (March 1-2)
• Finished fourth in the grand finals in the 1V8+ race during the San Diego Crew Classic (March 29-30) following in a victory in the heats the day before
• Placed second in the finals before a victory in the heats in the 1V8+ boat during the WIRA Championships (April 26-27)

• Coxed in nine races across seven regattas
• Earned Western Sprints All-Freshman team honors
• Led two boats to wins during his freshman campaign at the Head of The American (Oct. 28) in the “A” group of the Men’s Open 8+ and at the San Diego Fall Classic (Nov. 12) in the “A” entry of the Men’s Open 4+ 
• McDonnell also guided three boats to second-place finishes: Collegiate 4 at the Head of The Charles where the team recorded a program-best finish at the event, the world’s largest rowing regatta (Oct. 22) in the “A” entry of the Men’s Open 8+ of the San Diego Fall Classic (Nov. 12) and in the 1st varsity eight at the WIRA Championships (April 27-28)

• Attended Lake Minneola High School in Lake County, Fla.
• Academically, graduated in the top 3% of his class, was top-25 with the 13th-highest GPA
• Earned Academic Honor Roll recognition and was an AP Scholar
• Guided a boat to a top-8 finish in the Men's Varsity Eight at Youth US Rowing Southeast Regionals
• Played Club for Matt Outlaw at the Lake County Rowing Association

• Born to Elizabeth McDonnell and Richard McDonnell in Belleville, Ill.
• Also competed in boxing, track and field, cross country, baseball, soccer, karate, gymnastics and cross-training
• Favorite book is 'How to Give' by Seneca
• Favorite food is sushi