Nick Feldman, a name synonymous with excellence in high school wrestling, has carved an impressive path in the sport. The current #1 wrestler in the country at 220 lbs, #11 on the Class of 2022 Big Board - although I expect that to improve when David Bray updates the ranking - and the #14 P4P high schooler, Nick Feldman, is a National Prep champion out of powerhouse PA high school Malvern Prep.
The Friars finished in third at both Ironman and National Preps behind historic programs in Blair and Wyoming Seminary.
Feldman walks around right at about the 220 mark and projects as a heavyweight in college.
Notable Achievements
St. Nicholas Feldman of Quarryville, Pennsylvania, is a three-time National Preps champion for Malvern Preparatory School. Feldman is a two-time FloWrestling Who’s Number One champion and a two-time champion and three-time place-winner at the Beast of the East tournament. He is a two-time champion, three-time finalist and four-time place-winner at the Powerade tournament and a two-time finalist at the Ironman tournament. Feldman is also a champion, two-time finalist and three-time place-winner at the Escape the Rock tournament.
Among Nick Feldman’s 38 victories this past winter for Malvern Prep was a major decision against Kolby Franklin of Wyoming Seminary for his second Ironman championship in December.
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Feldman hopes to also focus on his freestyle wrestling moving forward.
Malvern Prep rising sophomore Nicholas Feldman, who entered his high school career ranked #20 in the Top Incoming Freshman Report, ended his first Fargo trip as a Cadet double All-American.
In fact, according to Jason Bryant’s Fargo Almanac, Team Pennsylvania has won the Cadet Greco-Roman National Team title a total of 15 times, which is the most by any State and seven times more than second place Illinois.
His career prep record is 136-17, including 38-0 as a senior and 18-0 as a junior.
College Prospects
The junior has narrowed his potential school list down to eight teams.
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Nick Feldman's School List (in alphabetical order)
- Cornell
- Franklin & Marshall
- Michigan
- Navy
- North Carolina State
- Purdue
- Ohio State
- Virginia Tech
Feldman will put his #1 ranking on the line against Oklahoma State commit Kyle Haas October 3rd in Austin, TX, at Who’s #1.
Does it Still Make Sense to Go to College?
Considerations for Each School
While it might surprise some people to see Franklin & Marshall on a top recruit’s school list, Feldman grew up less than 25 miles from Lancaster, PA, and F&M’s campus. He has been working out in that wrestling room since he was in eighth grade.
Another very generally compelling factor for recruits is an Ivy League education. Cornell, the only Ivy on Feldman's list, will most likely go with Lewis Fernandes at heavy for the next four years. Fernandes was a New Jersey state champion and went 26-4 in his greyshirt season with Finger Lakes. The four losses came to Gerg Kerkvliet, Demetrius Thomas, Gannon Gremmel, and Gary Traub. Assuming Feldman takes a greyshirt season as well at Finger Lakes, that has his eligibility overlapping for one season with Ferandes.
If Ohio State can pick up Feldman they could have a solid closing 1-2 punch in Feldman and #4 in the class of 2022 and #1 at 195 Seth Shumate at 197. Shumate, who is taking on Tate Picklo at Who’s #1, actually defeated Feldman in the Ironman finals at 195 last season. Could former rivals become teammates and training partners?
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Speaking of rivals, Michigan will need to reload after Mason Parris uses all of his eligibility. This could be anywhere between two and four years, however, depending on how Parris uses his redshirts.
Last, but certainly not least, Purdue. The Boilermakers are coming off a 2020 where they put together a top-15 recruiting class including Indiana state champion Dorian Keys. While Purdue hasn’t had an All-American at heavyweight since Jake Vercelli took fourth in 2002, coach Tony Ersland is doing great things in West Lafayette.
Last month I wrote an article about how Cary Kolat and Navy have been picking up recruits left and right this offseason. They already have two top-50 recruits from the class of 2022 in Nick Vafiadis and Evan Tallmadge. The Midshipmen are also bringing in two potential Pennsylvania heavyweight recruits from the class of 2021 in Ryan Catka and Jake Lucas. At this time, Feldman would be a higher ranking recruit than both of them.
Another school having a successful recruiting season is NC State. In the past couple weeks Pat Pop and co. have picked up big time commitments from Stevo Poulin and Joey Milano in the class of 2021 and Dylan Fishback and Finn Solomon in the class of 2022. The latest pickup for the Wolfpack could pose a conflict for Feldman, however. #2 at heavyweight and also a competitor at this year's Who's #, Chase Horne, just committed. Unless Feldman can go 197, one will be sitting on the bench.
Virginia Tech also presents another lineup conflict in Ryan Catka’s older brother, Hunter. A two-time PA state champion and Cadet World Team member, Hunter was a highly sought after recruit and is expected to be very good in college. However, Nick's father was an All-American for the Hokies in 1994, finishing 7th at heavyweight. The legacy component is always compelling.
Character and Dedication
The son of Joshua and Connie Feldman, he placed fifth in the National Preps tournament as a freshman .
Feldman admits he can be super competitive within a family that includes an older sister and two younger brothers, who also wrestle.
He volunteers as a coach and camp counselor for Beat The Streets Wrestling Lancaster and the Lancaster Alliance Wrestling Camp while also volunteering with Malvern Youth Wrestling. Feldman also served as orientation leader and tour guide for Malvern Preparatory School.
An honors student all four years, he was the recipient of the Malvern Prep Athletic Director’s Merit Award in 2022.
“My freshman year, a teammate and myself would take a train out of Lancaster City to Malvern,” he recalled. “I would be getting up at 5:30, go to school and practice and get back home at 9:30 in the evening. They were long days and tough for the first two years. I got my driver’s license my junior year, which made it a lot easier.
“Malvern has really helped shape me and really made me the man I’ve become.
“He took me to my first club practice when I was five years old and I loved it,” said Nick. “I kept saying I want to go back so we kept going to practice for two years before I competed in my first wrestling tournament. I just remember loving it. When my brothers were born, they (eventually) also came into the room and we wrestled at home (when they grew up).
“He helped me develop mental toughness and telling me what it takes to be a champion,” Nick said. “He was writing me lifting programs when I was 11 years old. He was in the Navy and gone many times.
“When he was on deployment, my mom (Connie) was taking me to the gym and practice.
“Last year was tough for a lot of guys,” he said. “I had my goals written down and many tournaments got cancelled.
“It was kind of a mindset that I told myself, ‘You need this.
“Anybody can say they want to be a national champ,” he said.
“Those are shoes I hope I can fill someday,” said Feldman, the nation’s top high school heavyweight from Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania. “I hope I get to that level because I have really modeled my style after Kyle.
“We’re extremely excited to add Nick Feldman to the list of Junior Dan Hodge Trophy winners as the most dominant wrestler in the country,” said WIN Publisher Bryan Van Kley. “In addition, he’s a great representative of the sport. His family’s commitment to make the long commute to Malvern Prep shows their level of dedication to Nick’s career and their love for the sport.
