All-Time Leader Welcomes Lane into the Club

 

This is Nebraska Wrestling

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By Randy York

Nebraska's all-time leader in career wrestling wins last Sunday graciously welcomed the newest member to his alma mater's 100-win club, even though he was hoping Tucker Lane would lose. Lane, after all, had to beat Northern Iowa's heavyweight at the NU Coliseum to become the 20th member of Nebraska's exclusive club. In any other match, Tolly Thompson would pull for Lane, but not when he's going against a wrestler Thompson coaches in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

"I didn't like him beating up on my heavyweight (6-to-1). I wanted my guy to win, but I'm happy for Tucker," said Thompson, in his eighth overall season with the Panther wrestling program. "Tucker's a good wrestler. He's capable of doing about anything at the NCAA Tournament. He can win a national championship. I've seen several of the top heavyweights out there, and he can beat them."

Even if he doesn't, Thompson sees nothing but blue skies smilin' at Tucker Lane, already a graduate student and a Husker Academic All-American.

"I don't think Tucker's career has gone like he thought it would," Thompson said. "We all want to win four conference titles and four national championships, but life takes us different ways. Everything Tucker's learned at Nebraska will help him for the rest of his life. When you lose, you can build up some serious doubt. Failure forces you to go back and fight through things. You persevere and become stronger and more confident in everything you do. I've been right where he's been. I may have won 157 matches at Nebraska, but I learned more from those 21 losses than I learned from any win.

"Nebraska's wrestling program has probably taught Turner more hands-on life skills that you'll ever get from most books," Thompson said. "Everything he's going to do in life is going to stem from what he's learned these last four years. I don't know him, but I've heard he's bright and competitive. I'm proud of getting another heavyweight into that 100-win club. Gary Albright and I were the only heavyweights in there. Unless he's wrestling our guy, I hope Tucker can go out on top."

Nebraska's All-Time 100-Win Club

1) Tolly Thompson (1993-97) 157-21; 2. Bryan Snyder (1998-02) 136-11; 3. Bill Scherr (1980-84) 133-18; 4. Jordan Burroughs (2006-11) 128-20; 5. Brad Vering (1997-01) 124-26; 6. Jason Kelber (1987-91) 123-30; 7. Corey Olson (1989-93) 115-28; 8-9. Jeff Coltvet (1984-89) 113-48-4 and Ryan Tobin (1994-98) 113-50; 10. Gary Albright (1981-86) 112-19-4; 11-12-13-14. Craig Brester (2006-10) 109-21; Jason Powell (2000-04) 109-24; Jim Scherr (1980-84) 109-25-4); Brad Canoyer (1994-98) 109-43; 15. Jason Kraft (1993-97) 107-53; 16. Stephen Dwyer (2006-10) 106-35; 17-18. Travis Pascoe (2001-05) 101-37 and Chris Nelson (1988-02) 101-37-3; 19. Temoer Terry (1994-98) 100-24; 20. Tucker Lane (2008-12) 100-40.

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