Athlete Profile: Lacrosse Star, Mariah Matheis

By Kyra Hammer

Lacrosse is one of the many popular sports at Darien High School. As you may all know, girls lacrosse is starting up again and experienced player, sophomore Mariah Matheis, amongst many others, couldn’t be more eager to get back on the field. Matheis’ talents were noticed early on by many colleges and she recently accepted an offer from Georgetown University. So the BWSB asked Matheis some questions about the game and how she first got started.

Blue Wave Sports Blog: When did you start playing lacrosse?

Mariah Matheis: I started playing in 2^nd grade. I played house lacrosse and went to clinics at the Academy of Sports.

BWSB: Why do you like it?

Matheis: I just really love the speed of the game and how it’s a team sport. I also love high-scoring sports because it makes the games so much more exciting!

BWSB: What position do you play?

Matheis: I played midfield up until 8^th grade, and then I switched to attack.

BWSB: What teams have you been on?

Matheis: From 3^rd grade to 6^th grade I played on house teams, and I loved playing with so many different people and being on different teams. Throughout middle school I was on the A travel teams, and for my freshman year I was on JV and got brought up to Varsity for post season. Over the summer, I play for the Connecticut Chargers which is so much fun because I get to play on a team with all of my friends from Darien as well as friends from other towns.

BWSB: How much training do you do?

Matheis: In the winter, I train with the lacrosse team at Body Tuning, and I also go to Bluestreak to work on speed and footwork. I also love going over to the high school to shoot around or do some wall ball.

BWSB: Is there anything negative about lacrosse?

Matheis: I wouldn’t say there is anything negative about lacrosse, but there are definitely challenges you have to face with everything in life. Personally, a challenge that I have had to face is my size. Luckily, lacrosse is a sport where if you are quick enough and have strong stick skills, size doesn’t matter.

BWSB: Traveling?

Matheis: Yes, there is definitely a lot of traveling! Over the summer I have tournaments all over New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, and last summer we had a tournament in Virginia. I have also gone to many camps that require long hours in a car or plane rides. During the recruiting process I think I traveled more in 3 months than I have in the past 3 years. Between camps and visits it really is a lot of traveling but it is truly worth it and I have valued every second of it. It’s crazy but I couldn’t picture it any other way!

BWSB: Why did you decide on Georgetown?

Matheis: After spending a ton of time between visiting different schools and getting to know coaches and players, I felt a really strong connection with all aspects of Georgetown. I really love the team, the coaches, and the spirit of the school. It was really important to me to find a place where I could get a great education on top of playing great lacrosse, and I think Georgetown fits that mold perfectly. Also, it’s located right in DC and has a great town basically right on campus, and I love being in places where there is a lot going on with a lot of different things to do. I am extremely excited and comfortable with my decision.

BWSB: What was the process like?

Matheis: The recruiting process was so much fun and very exciting. It was an honor to meet so many different coaches and players, and to visit all of the schools and see what they are all about. By visiting different schools, it gave me a much clearer understanding of what I wanted in a school and what was important to me. I also loved meeting new people at all of the recruiting camps and clinics; it was such a cool way to make friends from other parts of the country. Having a coach like Lisa Lindley who is so connected with college coaches and easy to communicate with made the process much less stressful than it could have been – she was extremely helpful throughout the whole process.

BWSB: Does this decision put any extra pressure on you?

Matheis: I wouldn’t say that my commitment puts any extra pressure on me, but it absolutely motivates me to keep working hard to maintain good grades and to keep improving as a lacrosse player. I am really looking forward to my next few years of high school and am going to continue to keep pushing myself both in the classroom and on the field so that when I get to Georgetown, I am fully prepared academically and athletically.

Check out the athletics page on the DHS website for the dates of all the lacrosse games to come.

Photo Caption: Matheis, far left, cheers with her teammates

Photo Credit: Stamford Advocate