LINCOLN — For Nebraska heavyweight wrestler Tucker Lane, a senior season that almost didn't happen brought a healthy dose of perspective.

The grappler from Redvale, Colo., ended last season in frustrating fashion, one victory shy of becoming an All-American at the NCAA championships for the second straight year. With a balky knee that would require surgery and his college degree already in hand, Lane said, he seriously considered stepping away from the mat after another near-miss in a college career that had not reached the heights of his dominant prep showings.

Lane came to NU after winning three state championships at Nucla High and wasn't used to losing. He reached the NCAA tournament in each of his first three seasons, but also suffered double-digit losses. His pursuit of perfection nearly drove him out of the sport.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself in the past because I was very successful growing up," Lane said. "I only lost a handful of matches my entire life before I got to college, and when I came here I really wanted to just win every time I got out there."

Lane decided he didn't want to end his wrestling career on a sour note, coming back for one final year with the understanding that a win or a loss wouldn't make or break his day. The result: a 13-2 record and a No. 10 ranking in what is shaping up to be his finest season.

"I see a guy who's really enjoying his senior year," Nebraska coach Mark Manning said. "In the past, Tucker put a lot of pressure on himself to be at the top and maybe tried to rush his success rather than just enjoy the process of getting there and letting it come to him. ... He just put a lot of extra emphasis on winning rather than just enjoying the process of working out, training, just getting better and being around the guys."

Lane said one key to his refocusing has been recognizing the final milestones that come during a senior season: the last preseason training camp, the last Christmas workouts, the final road trips with his teammates.

That mind-set has allowed Lane to provide leadership on a very young roster. Of the Huskers' 28 wrestlers, 22 are freshmen or sophomores, and Lane is one of only two seniors. Many of those teammates arrived in Lincoln fresh off dominant prep careers like Lane, and will struggle to adjust to college competition. He'll know where they're coming from.

"It's hard to be relaxed when you're stepping out on the mat and the whole crowd is just watching you, judging you based on your performance," Lane said. "Those were things I thought about too much in the past: What will the coaches think if I look bad, or what will my parents think if I look bad? That's just stuff I'm trying to block out this year."

So far, it seems to be working. Heading into a pair of matches Thursday at the Sun Devil Duals in Tempe, Ariz., Lane is just nine victories shy of becoming the 20th wrestler in school history to reach the 100-win mark. He already has victories over both of Thursday's expected opponents, beating returning Arizona State All-American Levi Cooper and Boise State's J.T. Felix at the Cliff Keen Invitational on Dec. 2.

He'll have another chance to earn conference and national accolades when the 14th-ranked Huskers enter their first season in the grueling Big Ten Conference next month, where Lane could face three heavyweights ranked in the top 10.

But if All-America honors again escape his grasp, it won't be what Lane dwells on when he remembers Nebraska. Wrestling has taken him across the country, helped him earn his way through college and provided interesting discussion fodder during interviews for law school.

"It's my last year, and I know I can't have any regrets," Lane said. "I try to stay loose and joke around. Trying to help the guys on the team make the same mistake I have in thinking that wrestling is the biggest thing in the world and that you live and die by each win and loss.".

Contact the writer:

402-444-1201, sports@owh.com

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