Zack Pierce, Colorado College, Men's Lacrosse

ZACK PIERCE OF COLORADO COLLEGE, a senior on the men’s lacrosse team from Denver, Colo., has been selected as the SCAC Character & Community Male Student-Athlete-of-the-Week for the week ending June 3, 2012.

Pierce has distinguished himself as one of the top defensive players in the history of Colorado College men’s lacrosse, and his accomplishments in one of the country's toughest academic environments have been every bit as impressive.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Pierce plans to make a career out of defending the environment after he graduates later this month with a combined major in history and political science.

Pierce is best known for defending the turf at Washburn Field in what has been the most successful era of men’s lacrosse the college has ever seen. During his career, he played in 58 of 60 contests as the Tigers posted a 48-12 record (.800) and won three consecutive Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season titles.

In his recently completed 2012 season, Pierce led the team with career highs of 68 ground balls and 37 caused turnovers. Thanks largely to his efforts, CC ranked 21st in Division III averaging 38.93 ground balls per game and 24th with a .606 faceoff percentage.

Pierce was named the 2012 SCAC Defensive Player of the Year, as well as a first-team all-conference selection and Colorado College MVP.

In addition, the Denver native has received nearly every academic award for which he's been eligible. Owner of a 3.66 cumulative grade-point average, he is a member of the Mortar Board Honors Society, Pi Gamma Mu (the National Social Studies Honor Society), and Pi Sigma Alpha (the Political Science Honors Society).

In 2010, Pierce received the Asian Language Scholarship Award after he earned a 4.0 GPA while studying Mandarin, history and economics during a year in Shanghai, China. While there, he fulfilled an internship with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), using his seven years of studying the Mandarin language to help translate, edit and compose WWF publications.

Pierce also served as an intern with Trout Unlimited in Washington D.C., where he conducted legislative and policy research in support of the organization’s Save Bristol Bay Campaign, focusing on mining and permit issuance.

Closer to home, Pierce has been involved in many community service projects during his four years at CC. He served as a men’s lacrosse representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, participating in the organization’s Parents' Night Out, National Student-Athlete Day and various other fundraisers and events. For two years, he participated in the North Boys Enrichment Program, mentoring students at a local middle school.

As a member of Mortar Board, he helped with community service projects such as a fundraiser for First Book, a non-profit organization that connects book publishers and community organizations to provide access to new books for children in need.

This spring, Pierce was one of the primary organizers of the Third Annual Quony Cup, an all-campus soccer tournament commemorating former men’s soccer and lacrosse player Chris Quon, who died unexpectedly in 2009.

The 2012 event also paid tribute to one of Quon’s teammates, Evan Spirito, who lost his battle against cancer last fall. Sponsored by the SAAC, the tourney raises funds for the American Cancer Society, the Christopher Quon Foundation and the Evan Spirito Memorial Foundation.

At the annual SAAC banquet, Pierce was named recipient of the Chris M. Quon Award, which is presented annually to a student-athlete who embodied Quon’s devotion to community service and campus leadership, as well as excellence in both the classroom and athletic competition.

After graduating later this month, Pierce plans to work at a Wyoming dude ranch as a fishing guide. He then plans to spend six weeks in Mongolia next fall before traveling in South America for several months. He eventually will return to Denver and pursue work in the world of environmental policy and environmental conservation. Next spring, he plans to begin the application process for law school where he hopes to focus on environmental law.