Southern Columbia senior and 2014 PIAA Class AA state runner-up Kent Lane has committed to Lehigh University to wrestle for Coach Pat Santoro and the Mountain Hawks.
Lane said he had his choices down to either Lehigh or Bucknell.
"I liked everything about Bucknell, and everything about Lehigh," Lane said Monday.
Ultimately, the Lehigh wrestlers may have had an effect.
"They have a new facility and the guys on the team are really driven guys," Lane said. "Last year's recruiting class was good and this year's looks just as good."
Lane is coming off his best high school season when he finished 28-2 and won Southern Sectional, District 4 and Northeast Regional titles before losing in the 138-pound state final to Brock Zacherl from Brookville.
Lane's only other defeat last year was in the finals of the Escape the Rock Tournament in which he competed with a torn meniscus. Lane had surgery immediately after the tournament, missing the last month of the regular season.
As a sophomore, Lane had a 40-3 record and won sectional, district and regional titles before finishing sixth at the PIAA tournament. As a freshman, Lane compiled a 33-7 record and advanced to the state tournament.
Lane is a former USA Wrestling Cadet Freestyle All-American and is a two-time placer at the Flonationals tournament. He leads a strong returning lineup at Southern Columbia, which also features 2014 PIAA Class AA state finalists
Todd Lane, Blake Marks and Billy Barnes.
Lane is ranked the No. 11 overall recruit in Pennsylvania as ranked by PA Power Wrestling. He is currently ranked No. 5 in the country by Flowrestling at 138 pounds. Lane enters his senior season with a career record of 101-12 and he projects to compete for Lehigh at 141/149 pounds.
Lane is also excited about the upcoming season at Southern. The transfer of Barnes, who wrestled at Williamson, makes the middle of the Tigers' lineup almost impregnable.
"It's going to be really good for us. The competition in the mat room is going to be unbelievable," he said.
Lane said he's unsure about a major at this point.