Gardner Shatters Two Records; Heads To Pac-10 Title Match
March 2, 2008

Tanner Gardner is now the program's all-time win leader.
Eugene, Ore. - In one fell swoop, senior 125-pounder Tanner Gardner shattered two Stanford records, becoming the winningest wrestler in program history and its single-season pin leader all at once. Gardner posted his second pin of the day to advance to his third consecutive Pac-10 title match, leading the Cardinal squad in the first day of action at the 2008 Pac-10 Championships in Eugene, Ore.

Gardner tied both records in his opening match, securing his 18th pin of the year and his 138th career win with a win by fall over Cal State Fullerton's Andre Gonzalez (1:52). In the championship semifinal, he slapped another opponent to the mat to smash both records, putting Marcos Orozco of UC Davis on his back in 4:03. With the win, Gardner secured a spot in tomorrow night's 125-pound title bout and guaranteed himself a fourth trip to the NCAA Championships.

Gardner (37-1), the top-seeded wrestler in the tournament and the nation's sixth-ranked 125-pounder, will wrestle Arizona State's Anthony Robles in the championship bout tomorrow. Gardner is looking to become Stanford's first repeat Pac-10 Champion in more than two decades. His 139 career wins top the former career record set by Matt Gentry in 2005, while his 19 pins this year best the single-season record set by Chris Horpel more than three decades ago.