O’Donnell heading Bluffton
By George Starks

ARCANUM - Amidst rumors during the winter sports season, Arcanum senior Abbey O’Donnell made it all official Wednesday.

O’Donnell, a three sport athlete (volleyball, basketball and track), will be heading to Bluffton University in the fall to play basketball for the Lady Beavers.

O’Donnell helped lead the Trojans to a second place finish in the Cross County Conference as well as a strong sectional run in the tournament before bowing out in the sectional finals to Versailles.

Now, she will take her talents to the next level.

“It’s exciting to know that I get to play four years of college ball,” said O’Donnell. “I’m not sure that I will be playing right away. Nothing is set in stone. Bluffton was one of the first schools that offered me the opportunity to play college basketball.”

According to O’Donnell, Bluffton was the right pick for a very good reason.

“When I went to Bluffton, it was just like home,” said the Arcanum senior. “Arcanum’s small and everyone knows everyone and our team’s a family. When I went to Bluffton, it’s a small community and everyone knows everyone. It’s a family, just like Arcanum. So I’m more comfortable going somewhere where it’s more like home. Besides, purple’s my favorite color too.”

Having coached O’Donnell for three of her four high school years, Rachel Fearon weighed in on her star athlete’s decision.

“I’m very proud of Abbey,” said Fearon. “I’m excited to see that I have a player that wants to continue to play basketball for four more years. Once you get past high school, a lot of kids are ready to say they’re done. This tells me that she really enjoyed herself and really likes the game. I think she’ll do well there.”

With the skills O’Donnell possesses, Fearon talked about O’Donnell in general.

“Abbey will take a lot to Bluffton from here,” said Fearon. “First of all, her personality is going to be missed tremendously. If someone is having a bad day, they know they can count on her to bring them up. When it came down to crunch time, we knew we could count on Abbey. Going back over the years, there were multiple times when we called upon her in key games and she did.”

Having O’Donnell as a sophomore in her first year at the helm, Fearon has seen the growth in her in a short period of time.

“When I walked in the gym for the first time and saw her, I thought of Gumby, the little cartoon character,” said Fearon with a laugh. “We have worked through it, and her physical and mental abilities have grown, and that growth has made her an overall better player.”

When Fearon and O’Donnell first met, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight.

“When she first came in, we really didn’t click. We butted heads a lot,” said O’Donnell. “Rachel’s not afraid to tell you what to do and how to do it. I learned a lot and have a lot of respect for her. I know I need to work as hard as I can every time I walk onto the floor.”

When comparing the two team’s styles, O’Donnell saw a lot of resemblance.

“The girls there are really nice and they play quick ball like we do. I just hope I blend in there,” said O’Donnell. “The coach personally walked us around the campus, and he always stays in touch with us. He doesn’t yell at the girls, but you know when you do something wrong because he gives you that look.”

O’Donnell said she got an academic scholarship plus a Bluffton Opportunity grant. She plans to have a double major. One in pre-med with the second in biology. O’Donnell is the daughter of Angela and Tim O’Donnell.