WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue wrestling team has six individuals ranked in the first preseason poll of the season, earning the No. 22 team tournament ranking via InterMat. Boilermaker junior Kendall Coleman highlights the list, earning the No. 9 ranking in the nation at 157 pounds, and Purdue will start the season with a top-25 preseason tournament ranking for the third straight season.
This year's set of preseason rankings marks the fourth straight season that includes at least six Boilermakers, earning seven in 2019 and 2020, and six in 2018, and the seventh time in the eight seasons under head coach Tony Ersland that Purdue has had at least four preseason-ranked wrestlers.
"We continue to build and keep trying to sustain success," said Ersland. "I think that preseason rankings are a reflection of what you've done, but not what you aim to do, and that's what is more important.
"This year's preseason rankings have to have been especially difficult," Ersland continued. "You had guys who missed the entire season due to decisions their institutions made, guys who opted out, guys who missed matches due to COVID, true freshmen who wrestled and may redshirt this year and more scenarios I'm probably not even thinking of."
Joining Coleman in the rankings are seniors Devin Schroder, Parker Filius and Max Lyon, fellow junior Thomas Penola and sophomore Gerrit Nijenhuis. Schroder and Penola garnered the next highest marks for Purdue, being tabbed No. 13 and No. 14, respectively, at 125 and 197 pounds after both reaching the Round of 12 at the 2021 NCAA Championships. Nijenhuis earned a top-25 mark at 165 pounds, securing the No. 19 ranking, while Lyon is No. 20 at 184 pounds and Filius is No. 21 at 141 pounds.
This is the fourth straight preseason ranking for Schroder at 125, and the third straight for Lyon and Filius. Coleman's No. 9 mark is his second top-10 preseason ranking in a row at 157, while Penola is in the preseason top-20 for the second straight year. Nijenhuis secures national recognition to begin the year for the first time.
Purdue is scheduled to start its 2021-22 practice schedule on Oct. 10, with its first regular-season contest marked for Nov. 6 against Rider University and Drexel University on the road.
This year's set of preseason rankings marks the fourth straight season that includes at least six Boilermakers, earning seven in 2019 and 2020, and six in 2018, and the seventh time in the eight seasons under head coach Tony Ersland that Purdue has had at least four preseason-ranked wrestlers.
"We continue to build and keep trying to sustain success," said Ersland. "I think that preseason rankings are a reflection of what you've done, but not what you aim to do, and that's what is more important.
"This year's preseason rankings have to have been especially difficult," Ersland continued. "You had guys who missed the entire season due to decisions their institutions made, guys who opted out, guys who missed matches due to COVID, true freshmen who wrestled and may redshirt this year and more scenarios I'm probably not even thinking of."
Joining Coleman in the rankings are seniors Devin Schroder, Parker Filius and Max Lyon, fellow junior Thomas Penola and sophomore Gerrit Nijenhuis. Schroder and Penola garnered the next highest marks for Purdue, being tabbed No. 13 and No. 14, respectively, at 125 and 197 pounds after both reaching the Round of 12 at the 2021 NCAA Championships. Nijenhuis earned a top-25 mark at 165 pounds, securing the No. 19 ranking, while Lyon is No. 20 at 184 pounds and Filius is No. 21 at 141 pounds.
This is the fourth straight preseason ranking for Schroder at 125, and the third straight for Lyon and Filius. Coleman's No. 9 mark is his second top-10 preseason ranking in a row at 157, while Penola is in the preseason top-20 for the second straight year. Nijenhuis secures national recognition to begin the year for the first time.
Purdue is scheduled to start its 2021-22 practice schedule on Oct. 10, with its first regular-season contest marked for Nov. 6 against Rider University and Drexel University on the road.