Perkins signs with Benedictine

By Jacob Meikel

A Lafayette senior put pen to paper on Thursday morning to sign his National Letter of Intent that will continue his wrestling career at the college level.

Jackson Perkins will join the wrestling program at Benedictine College after signing his NLI while joined by his family and his head coach Josh Walters inside of the library at Lafayette High School.

“Ever since I started wrestling, I was like, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Perkins said. “This is where I want to be, and I can’t wait to compete at the college level.”

Perkins reached the pinnacle in February when he walked away a state champion in the Class 2 190 pound ranks, ending his senior season the best way he possibly could have. Now that he’s committed to a college program, he’s happy to know his state championship match won’t be the last time he’ll ever compete. Perkins welcomes the challenge of competing at the next level.

“Just the way better competition, way more fun matches, it excites me,” Perkins said.

Perkins becomes the latest Fighting Irish to commit to a wrestling program. Last year, it was Jay Greiner who signed his NLI to join University of Chicago to continue his wrestling career after claiming first place in the state Class 2 165 pound ranks and capping off his season at 59-0. Perkins and Greiner leave the Lafayette program in a better place than they found it.

“It’s grown greatly. [Jay] and his dad coming in, they did amazing things for this program and then I came in, we both were state champs and I believe it just builds on having other people motivated to place at state, go to state or win it,” Perkins said.