Name: 2 Lacrosse Stars From Parkland Announce College Pick – Parkland Talk
Uploaded: 2024-01-04T19:36:15-05:00
Description: Parkland remains a hot spot for some top lacrosse players, with two more players announcing their college picks.

2 Lacrosse Stars From Parkland Announce College Pick

Alexis Iardella and Jackie Feldman. {St. Thomas Aquinas Yearbook and Carol Throop}

By: Matt Rothman

Parkland remains a hot spot for some top lacrosse players, with two more players announcing their college picks.

Alexis Iardella, the daughter of Marjory Stoneman Douglas Head Coach Scott Iardellla, committed to St. Leo University in Florida.

“It truly feels amazing to be committed, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to play at the collegiate level,” Alexis said. “All the hard work, practices, and training have paid off. It was a long journey to get to this point, but I had faith in the process.”

Alexis started playing lacrosse in 5th grade with the Parkland Redhawks. Despite being apprehensive about playing lacrosse, she fell in love with the sport by the end of her first year before playing travel lacrosse with the Madskillz and also with Limitless Elite ’25. Alexis has played varsity lacrosse for two years for St. Thomas Aquinas and scored 15 goals in 27 games while picking up six assists.

She is also volunteering with the Parkland Redhawks girls youth program.

“This is such a great way for me to see the game from a different perspective and help new players, Alexis said. “I really enjoy helping since this is where lacrosse started for me.”

When deciding where to play in college, Alexis felt right at home and got to meet with the coaching staff and the players. She could feel the team’s energy and wanted to be a part of their culture.

Still, with a year and a half left before college, Alexis hopes to improve her leadership skills both on and off the field.

“It feels like it’s the right time to be more vocal as an experienced upperclassman, Alexis said. “To me, leadership is a quality that should always be developed, not only in sports.”

2 Local Lacrosse Stars From Parkland Announce College Pick

Alexis Iardella. {St. Thomas Aquinas Yearbook}

Goaltender Jackie Feldman is committed to Princeton University. She says it didn’t feel real after committing, but she is eager for the future.

“I was so incredibly excited, and I still am,” Feldman said. “It is a goal I have been working towards for my whole lacrosse career. To see all of my hard work pay off in a big way was so fulfilling. I was overwhelmed with emotion. To say I was excited is an understatement.”

Feldman began playing lacrosse in 2017 for the Parkland Redhawks and was asked to volunteer to play goaltender during her second year. Shortly after, she tried out and made the Madskillz middle school travel program out of Delray Beach and ultimately made the Florida Select squad with coaches John Mcclain, Jess Volpe, Dustin Thompson, and Dave Crone. She competes against some of the top players from the country and has also made some lifelong friends.

During her sophomore season on the varsity team, Feldman made 83 saves while the team made it to the State Championship game after winning 11 games.

Feldman joined the National Athletic Honors Society and the French Honors Society off the field. She also started the St. Thomas Aquinas chapter of a national organization called Morgan’s Message to eliminate the stigma surrounding athletes coping with mental health.

Feldman felt committing to Princeton was an easy decision. Since she started the recruiting process, Feldman wanted to find a school with a rich history of success and a strong academic school. With nearly 18 months before college, Feldman hopes to become a better athlete.

“In order to do so, I’m focusing on increasing my quickness while improving my balance, strength, and flexibility,” Feldman added. “I also want to continue to develop my hand speed and hand-eye coordination along with my versatility outside of the goal.”

Feldman will join a team that won seven games a season ago but will play her junior year along with Iardella on February 24th against Lake Mary High School.

Jackie Feldman. {Carol Throop}

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Author Profile

Matt Rothman

Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student. He also works for the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Arizona covering high school sports.