Windham High School alumnus Drew Mathieu recently finished his second year on the golf team at St. Joseph’s College and his hard work and commitment have begun to pay off early during his collegiate athletic career.
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| Windham High graduate Drew Mathieu, now a sophomore at St. Joseph's College, observes his ball placement before putting at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at the Biddeford-Saco Country Club in Saco. PHOTO BY DAVID BATES PHOTOGRAPHY |
Mathieu also helped the Monks win the 2022 Southern Maine Cup for the first time since 2015.
“Drew is a leader and a competitor,” said St. Joseph’s College golf coach Jason Riley. “He leads by example - always shows up on time ready to work and is proof that with hard work you can achieve anything. He pushes himself and his teammates to improve every single day. He is hungry to succeed both on the course and in the classroom.”
Currently a double major in both finance and accounting, Mathieu is on an accelerated program to finish his undergraduate coursework by the end of his junior year. He will complete a graduate program in accounting during his senior year and will graduate with both a bachelor’s in finance and accounting and a master’s in accounting.
He is interested in working for a financial accounting firm with hopes to one day potentially become a chief financial officer.
In middle school, Mathieu was a cross-country runner. However, in the summer between eighth grade and the start of his freshman year of high school, he fractured his ankle.
Although unable to train for the high school cross-country team, he still wanted to play a sport come fall of his freshman year. With his ankle in a cast and using a chair for support, Mathieu took up golf, brought some golf clubs into his back yard and practiced hitting balls.
“This initial time when I began to play golf took off into a passion and a love for the sport,” said Mathieu.
He went from barely being able to hit the ball 150 yards with a driver to being a very solid player in his final two years of high school.
Mathieu says his accomplishments in his freshman year on the St. Joseph’s College team are a result of his dedication. He had confidence in himself which ultimately, allowed him to end his freshman year with great success.
Winning awards like GNAC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year are nice validation for him towards the hard work he’s put into the sport but are also a building block to understand where he can take his game next.
“Each day you wake up is an opportunity to improve whether it be as a person or as a player,” said Mathieu.
He’s already accomplished a lot in his collegiate athletic career, and Mathieu knows there is always room to improve. He would like to lead his team to two more GNAC Championships, and to also garner medals in both those championships. He would also like to place at Nationals in spring 2023.
“Drew always brings his best to practice and always keeps everyone positive and energetic,” said teammate and St. Joseph’s College sophomore Alex Beecher. “Drew is a very competitive person so it's always fun to practice with him; he helps push you to play better. The team can rely on him because he consistently posts good scores. He brings a lot of life to the team and ... a good attitude to any occasion.”
According to Mathieu, his biggest piece of advice to an aspiring high school golfer is to overcome the mental challenges the game brings. It’s easy to get frustrated and give up on a round, but if you want to play at the college level, one shot can be the difference between a win and a second-place finish.
Windham High School’s golf program allowed Mathieu to elevate his game to where he could compete collegiately. He would like to thank Windham varsity golf coach Adam Manzo and Windham junior varsity golf coach Brody Artes for their continued efforts in the program. Mathieu would also like to thank head golf pro Nick Glicos at Martindale Country Club in Auburn for the years he helped improve his game. Mathieu would like to thank his dad, mom, little brother, and whole family for their continued support over the years.
When Mathieu is not on the green, he likes to ski, hike and spend time outdoors. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends. As he continues to add to his collegiate success, he will always be rooting for all Windham athletics. <
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