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    Purdue inks solid trio for Class of 2012

    WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team and head coach Scott Hinkel continued to try and keep Indiana's best talent instate this week, picking up signed national letters of intent from three of the state's best in Kyle Ayersman, Devon Jackson and Tanner Lynde. All three have impressive high school credentials heading into their senior seasons and they feature a combined record of 416-22 over the last three years.

    “We're very excited about this group,” said Hinkel. “They bring an enormous amount of talent to our team and we feel they all have the ability to be incredibly successful at Purdue. I don't think I can express how happy we are with this year's class.”

    “It's very important that we try and keep our state's best close to home,” Hinkel continued. “We've had a lot of success with Indiana guys, and when we sign guys like Kyle, Devon and Tanner we'll continue to have success.”

    Ayersman is a Boilermaker legacy, following in the footsteps his uncle Jeff Ayersman who wrestled for the Old Gold and Black from 1986-89, and heads into his career with a long list of rankings and accomplishments. He's already won a pair of Indiana state titles at Lake Central High School, taking the 112-pound crown in 2010 and the 119-pound championship in 2011, and has a career record of 141-2. He also placed third as a freshman in high school at 103 pounds. He was named the No. 78 overall recruit in the country by InterMat Wrestling and their No. 12 prospect at 126 pounds, and has been tabbed 14th in the nation at 126 pounds by The Open Mat after earning mention in their Top Prospect Report for potential 125-pounders. IndianaMat.com recognized Ayersman as the No. 2 senior in the state heading into his final season and the top-ranked wrestler in Indiana at 126 pounds.

    “It's fantastic to see Kyle coming to Purdue,” said Hinkel. “His uncle was one of my teammates in college, and I've been close to his family for a very long time. I've always wanted Kyle to come here and wrestle for the Boilermakers.”

    Jackson becomes the second Yorktown High School product to sign with the Boilermakers in the last four years, following current Purdue sophomore Kyle Mosier to West Lafayette. He's on pace to become the Tigers' career leader in over 10 statistical categories, heading into his final campaign with a career mark of 142-7, and has been an Indiana state runner-up in each of the last two seasons. He placed second at 135 pounds last season, and was the silver medalist at 130 pounds in 2010. Jackson also qualified for the state championships as a freshman at 112 pounds. Ranked one of the nation's best at 138 pounds this season by several publications, Jackson is No. 8 at InterMat Wrestling, No. 11 at The Open Mat and No. 15 in W.I.N. Magazine. He's also been named the No. 7 senior in the state by IndianaMat.com and the top Indiana wrestler at 138 pounds. Jackson has had a wealth of successes in national tournaments and competitions, earning a pair of All-America honors at FloNationals, four All-America awards at the Scholastic Disney Duals and most recently runner-up honors at the Super 32 Tournament. He was eighth at FloNationals as a sophomore and third as a junior, and he owns a flawless 39-0 record at the Disney Duals, including a perfect 11-0 mark and the Outstanding Wrestler Award last season.

    “The sky is the limit for Devon,” said Hinkel. “He has so much natural talent and his ability to pin people at any time makes him a very dangerous opponent. I know he will be a tremendous asset to the Boilermaker lineup for years to come.”

    Last and certainly not least, Lynde is the second Boilermaker in the last three seasons to commit from nearby Delphi High School, joining previous and future teammate Braden Atwood. Set to wrestle at 182 pounds in 2011-12, Lynde has a career mark of 133-13, including a pair of Indiana state placewinning performances. He was third last season at 171 pounds, suffering his only loss of the season in the state semifinals, and fifth in 2010 at 152 pounds. He qualified for the state championships as a freshman as well, competing at 140 pounds. W.I.N. Magazine tabbed Lynde as the nation's No. 17 grappler at 182 pounds, while IndianaMat.com has him as the top 182-pounder in the state and on the watch list of Indiana's top seniors.

    “Tanner has been around our program and room for several years now and we're excited about being a part of the next step in his life and wrestling career,” said Hinkel. “He's an exceptionally talented wrestler and we see great things for him here at Purdue.”

    The Boilermakers continue their season this week, hosting Indianapolis Friday at 7 p.m. for the home opener.
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