Over the past year, Malvern Prep wrestling coach, Nate Lautar, has had many a conversation with his Athletic Director, Jim Stewart, working through COVID-19 protocols and constant schedule changes.
Friday, the duo had a conversation of a different tone, as the two discussed if, how and when to commemorate Malvern’s historic wrestling season.
The prior Sunday and Monday, the Friars claimed the team title at the National Prep Open thanks to a school-record six champions and 12 total place-winners. Days later, Malvern found itself at No. 1 in the country in Matscouts’ national rankings on rofkin.com.
“Malvern has never had a No. 1 team in the country at any sport,” Lautar said.
The Friars pulled a Michael Jordan at nationals, going six-for-six in the finals. Jack Consiglio (106 pounds) started things off with a dominant tournament where he surrendered just one point in four bouts.
Spencer Barnhart (126) then shook off an early five-point deficit to knock off Wyoming Seminary’s Daniel Sheen, 8-6, for his first national title.
Malvern Prep’s Jack Wehmeyer (Nate Heckenberger – for MediaNews Group)
The early momentum held till Malvern’s powerful upperweights — Jack Wehmeyer (182), Caden Rogers (195), Nick Feldman (220) and Cole Deery (285) — asserted their power with titles to close out the tournament.
“We’re a big family and the kids support each other,” Lautar said. “Jack (Consiglio) went out and got a win for us, and then when Spencer got thrown to his back and battled back to beat a national prep finalist from last year, and a kid who he lost to last year, that lit a fire under our bellies. All our kids were matside, cheering everyone on, and then Jack (Wehmeyer) won in overtime, and then of course Nick won, it was like, come on Deery, we gotta go six-for-six.”
Feldman, who committed to Ohio State during the season, is ranked No. 1 in the country at his weight and No. 5 in the pound-for-pound standings, on Matscouts. Joining him as nationally-ranked wrestlers are No. 11 Consiglio, No. 9 Rogers, No. 6 Deery and No. 4 Wehmeyer, who defeated No. 5 TJ Stewart of Blair Academy, in the finals.
Considering the Friars hadn’t officially competed in months, staying in prime condition, mentally and physically, adds to the impressiveness of their performance.
Malvern Prep’s Nick Feldman. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
“That was the biggest struggle for us,” Lautar said. “A few weeks ago we were at an (offseason) duals tournament and I don’t think we wrestled really well and I was getting frustrated. The kids weren’t coming in, they weren’t going hard. They didn’t think there would be National Preps. They thought it would get cancelled, so we had to sit them down and let them know, this is happening, there are no asterisks. Everyone will be watching because there’s nothing else going on so we had to put on a show.”
A trio of Friars placed fourth, Tommy Link (113), Nik O’Neill (120) and Andrew Connolly (195), while Reed Fulmer (145) took sixth and Josh Viarengo (138) and Owen Quinn (160) finished seventh.
Malvern Prep’s Coltin Deery. (Nate Heckenberger/For MediaNews Group)
Malvern’s ascension to the top-ranked team in the country will be tough to maintain, but it should be in the mix next year with almost the entire roster back. Victor Bucci, Viarengo and Owen Veitmeier are the only graduates, though Rogers and Deery will be fifth-year athletes, thus ineligible for PIAA competitions.
The Friars barely got a chance to fully demonstrate their talent, wrestling in just two individual tournaments, and winning them both. Along with nationals, Malvern won the Powerade tournament, in January, topping the PIAA’s premier team, Waynesburg Central, by 20 points.
“Our kids were beyond excited,” Lautar said of his team winning nationals. “This is what they worked for, through all the trials and tribulations with COVID and everything else. This was our year and we made the most of every opportunity. We did the right things and we trained the right way and everyone stepped up to the challenge.”
