Erik Norgaard

Apex North Instructor

Erik Norgaard has been a part of The Apex Wrestling School’s staff since the mid-2000’s era. He joined the Apex program after completing a storied New Jersey scholastic and collegiate wrestling career.

As a high school student-athlete wrestling for Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey, Norgaard was an NJSIAA state champion in 2000. His title in 2000 followed a finals appearance and second-place finish in his junior year, and a fifth-place finish his sophomore year. Norgaard was also a multiple time Bergen County, District, and Regional champion, Bergen Record Athlete of the Week, and top collegiate wrestling recruit his senior year.

Norgaard continued his wrestling career at Columbia University. At Columbia, he was selected a team captain, was a multiple-time New York State collegiate champion, had several victories over opponents ranked in the top ten of NCAA Division I rankings, and was ranked as high as in the top fifteen himself.

Norgaard completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and History at the Ivy League institution, and continued on to earn an MBA from Rutgers University’s Business School. He currently works as an equity research analyst for Schafer Cullen Capital Management.

Erik currently lives in Riverdale, New Jersey with his wife, Edyta, and his son, Emilian, and daughter, Elaina.

Norgaard’s proudest moment as a wrestling coach: “There are quite a few. From an individual standpoint, I was very proud to be a part of Mickey O’Malley and Lenny Richardson’s state title runs. From a team standpoint, it was awesome to be a part the Apex dual team that won the ‘Pop n Flo’ team dual tournament in 2011. Overall though, getting the student-athletes we train on the right track to achieve their fullest potential and dreams brings me a tremendous feeling of pride as a coach.”