ERIE, Pa. – Drew Deimel played for the Golden Knights from 2008-11 and qualified for the NCAA Championships twice in his career. Today, Deimel continues to play golf competitively while also working at HBKS Wealth Advisors.

The Erie, Pa. native came to Gannon from Cathedral Prep in 2008 and quickly left his name in the record books. The highlight of his career was becoming a two-time national qualifier after finishing 18th at the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championships and 11th in 2011. Diemel averaged a 74.8 over 78 career rounds and became just the fourth men's golf student-athlete to earn a spot in the Gannon Hall of Fame in 2018.

Following his college career, he moved to Florida to play on the Professional Golf Tour where he got to learn from professionals and test his skills on a high level. During that time, he also started to learn about the finance industry and how he could use golf to help him moving forward in his career. On the personal side of life, he also recently married Lauren Uht last summer, who graduated from Gannon.

Deimel took time to catch up with the media relations staff and here is some of what he had to say:

The weekly Alumni Spotlight series is brought to you by Jimmy John's of Erie. Visit your local Jimmy John's at 515 State Street or 821 W. Erie Plaza. A new Alumni Spotlight will be released each Thursday at gannonsports.com.

Johnson: First, what have you been up to since graduating from Gannon?

Deimel: I actually went down to Florida to try the Professional Golf Tour. There's some Mini Tours down in Florida that you can play on and then throughout the Mini Tours there's bigger tournaments that you want to try to—it's called qualifying school to get on the PGA Tour. I went down there for two years and played bunch and learned so much more about the game of golf. I did pretty well. There's four stages to qualifying school and I got past the first one and then the second one, I didn't get through. I tried that twice.

I learned a lot about the game and myself. I was able to meet a lot of the PGA pros down there and stayed in Hobe Sound, Florida, which is next to West Palm. I stayed right at the Medalist (Golf Club) and watched Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler from 10 to 15 feet hitting balls a couple times a week because I stayed right on range in one of the condos. That was really cool to see what the PGA was and the players. I was able to meet a few of them and they just tell you to keep on going. It's a real grind. It's a very tough investment because you would need about 100,000 dollars per year in order to play because you have to fly to Texas, North Carolina, Florida and California. I did fly out to California and got a few golf lessons with (Dave) Stockton, who was the putting coach for Phil Mickelson and Rory McIIroy. It was really cool.

When I was down in Florida my boss, Chris Sorce, he was following me throughout the years. In 2007 at Cathedral Prep, I started my own car cleaning business and ran it through my local country club and gathered a lot of relationships at very early age. I ran that business all the way through college as well. So, when I was down in Florida, he always knew I knew a lot of people and Chris Sorce is part owner of where I work now, which is HBKS Wealth Advisors. He was kind of tracking me at the time, which I didn't know because I had built a relationship with all these high networking clients already and so when I was down in Florida—he has an office down there. I would play golf and then swing over to his office where he would teach me more about the firm and he just said when you're done playing golf, I would like to hire you.

Johnson: How much has being a former student-athlete helped you throughout your career?

Deimel: I've always been driven. It's always been nice to have sports and academics to keep you on the right path and my small business. It's always been about building relationships and at Gannon I built a lot of relationships with professors. At a lot of the big schools you don't have the ability to do that. It's ironic because some of my former teachers are actually my clients.

Johnson: Would say you enjoy the relationship building part the most about what you do right now?

Deimel: Everything I grew up doing, I still do today. I still clean cars on the side. I utilize golf in business. I probably play three to five times per week in the summer. I'm always on the golf course and utilizing the golf course in order to attract clients. I teach them golf lessons, offer to clean their car, whatever it takes to get them in the door. My whole strategy is based on relationships and it's always been through Cathedral Prep, Gannon and golf.
 
Johnson: Kind of transitioning into your playing days now, what brought you to Gannon being an Erie native?

Deimel: Cathedral Prep and Gannon have a great relationship. From being at prep, having my small business and growing relationships at a young age, I kind of just wanted to stay here and grow it rather than start somewhere else and lose those relationships. I'm glad I went to Gannon. It's a great school and I look forward to giving back in the future.

Johnson: You were also inducted into the Gannon Hall of Fame in 2018, what did that moment mean to you?

Deimel: I'm an easy going guy. I just played the game and wasn't big on stats or the measurements of the golf club. I would just go play the game. I was shocked when I found out I was going to be in the Hall of Fame. It's for sure life changing because I'm probably one of the youngest to be in the Hall of Fame.

Johnson: You went to the NCAA Championships twice in your career, what was that like?

Deimel: It was cool because you fly in and get to play these different courses and I'm not used to playing those courses in Alabama. The winds are up and I wasn't used to playing many of those courses. It was really cool to place 18th junior year and 11th senior year in the nation for Division II. That gave me the motivation to go try and be on the PGA.

Johnson: I assume you continue to play golf today? Do you still play golf at a competitive level or do you just play for fun now?

Deimel: I still play very competitive golf. Everything I've done there's nothing I regret, especially going down to Florida and talking with a sports psychologist. He really changed my outlook on the game. It's just nice because I have learned so much and have been able to bring it back to Erie and teach others along the way through the golf game or business. It was just a really fun experience. I play in a lot of events in Pittsburgh, locally, play in US Mid-Ams—whatever it is, I play competitive a lot. It's nice because I'm competitive and also play client golf.

Johnson: Golf is kind of a lifetime sport that you can continue to play past your college days.

Deimel: You can and that's what a sports psychologist told me is that it's a sport you can play forever. Just to give you an example, a typical golf round takes like four and a half hours, when I was with the sports psychologist, he told me that golf is only played two minutes and 30 seconds in a four and half hour round of golf.  That's how competitive and mental the game is. That's what really helped me along the way—everything else is just thinking.

Johnson: This might be hard for you to answer, but what are some of the favorite golf courses you have had the chance to play?

Deimel: I would say Oakmont Country Club (Oakmont, Pa.). They host the U.S. Open there so your scores aren't going to be very low, but the first time I played it, I shot a 69. I think at the time I was 17 so that's something I'll always remember. My local one, Kahkwa Country Club (Erie, Pa.), I've been a member there for my whole entire life. I can play that course every day and not get sick of it. I also like Merion Golf Club (Haverford, Pa.). That's where they also played the U.S. Open a few years ago. I had the chance to play it just before U.S. Open and I shot a 67 there. I do also like Pikewood National Golf Club (Morgantown, W. Va.).

Johnson: Finally, what advice would give current athletes as they navigate their collegiate career and as they head out of college?

Deimel: I would just tell them to stay focused and keep doing the best you can with sports and academics. You don't know exactly where you're going to go with any of this and just stay open minded because you think you might be here or be there doing this profession or whatever. Stay open-minded, stay driven and go where life takes you. You don't have too much control over it. I never thought I'd be heading to Florida and never thought I'd be financial advisor, but god has a path for everyone and stay open-minded.