Brussels’ William Pierce won the triple jump competition at the DODEA-Europe track and field championships in Kaiserslautern, Germany, May 19, 2023, with a leap of 46-05.25. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

When William Pierce first moved to Brussels in fifth grade, he was more concerned with surviving academics than anything else.

His family placed him in a local school, and Pierce didn’t know a lick of French and needed to pick it up quickly just to do his homework. This experience came after years in Stuttgart, Germany, going through the German school system.

Two years into his time in the Belgian capital, Pierce switched to Brussels American School and never looked back.

“I don’t think I could have ever imagined being a part of the Brussels American School community and being able to travel not just to different schools but different countries to compete in sports and the things that I love to do,” Pierce said. “That’s been a huge opportunity and something I don’t think a lot of people get to do.”

Five years as a Brigand ended this spring with numerous school records, six European titles and the 2023 DODEA European boys Athlete of the Year.

Of those six European championships, four came this season. Pierce led the football team to the Division III football title in the fall, won the 175-pound weight class in the European wrestling championships and then defended his long and triple jump titles from 2022 last month.

Brussels’ William Pierce gets past a pair of Spangdahlem defenders on his way to a touchdown in the DODEA-Europe Division III football final in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Oct. 29, 2022. Brussels won 64-48. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

He completed his Brigand career with seven school track and field records, including the three jumping events.

“William is an amazing athlete physically, but how he handles himself mentally is what makes him so special,” Brussels track and field coach Dirk Vander Hulst said via email. “We are all so lucky to have him as one of our own, a true Brigand athlete.”

Described as “special” by Brussels football coach Kevin Fremgen, Pierce showed it throughout the football season.

He scored 26 touchdowns – 22 on the ground and four on kick returners – and eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season as a running back. At linebacker, Pierce had four sacks, two interceptions and 35 tackles over eight games.

In the championship game, his power and speed proved too much for Spangdahlem. Pierce ran rampant for 387 yards and six scores on 23 carries, with five touchdowns of more than 40 yards.

“Few athletes that I have been around put in the work that is needed like Will does,” Brigand football coach Andrew Langenstein said via email. “He thrives on being told what he can improve in, is passionate about how he can be better, and gracious in how he treats both victory and defeat.”

In wrestling, Pierce entered the year as the runner-up at 175 pounds and was looking to take the next step, only to slip up on the first day of the finals. He lost his third match via pin to Hohenfels’ Joel Workman, and the top of the group was tight with the duo and Naples’ Matteo Toliver.

Pierce bounced back, winning his final two pool-play matches, including a pin of Toliver, and then defeated Vilseck’s Garrett Hyten to advance to a rematch with Workman in the final. The Brigand senior got his revenge with a pin at 1 minute, 15 seconds.

William Pierce of Brussels, top, beat Joel Workman of Hohenfels to take the 175-pound title at the DODEA-Europe wrestling championships, in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 11, 2023. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

“I thought to myself, ‘What am I wrestling for? Am I wrestling to be this big, burly champion or am I wrestling just to enjoy the fact I’m wrestling my senior year and I get to have fun doing a sport I love?’” Pierce said of his mindset to turn around the tournament.

After all that success came Pierce’s bread and butter sport: track and field. It is shown by the school records he holds, his 10 medals across four years and the fact he threw 38 feet, 4 inches in the shot put with just four days of practice.

He entered the European championship meet looking to break European records and came within inches of doing so in two events. Pierce’s long jump of 23 feet, 1 inch was seven inches short of the DODEA record set in 1974. Then, in the triple jump, his 46-5.25 was fewer than six inches away from that longstanding mark as well.

Pierce also took second place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.58 seconds.

At the end of the European meet, Pierce was named the most outstanding male athlete in field events.

“To be awarded the most outstanding athlete of the meet for field events, that was the cherry on top,” Pierce said. “I feel like winning an event or two is a strong accomplishment on its own, but then to be recognized by the coaches around for your performance and for the hard work that you put in is more special.”

Pierce will carry on with track and field in college at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. His major is undecided, although he said he wants to focus on international relations after spending most of his life overseas.