KJ Fenstermacher wasn't sure which result disappointed him more: the loss in December or the fact that he wouldn't get a rematch at districts. In the end, the Liberty freshman found a way to make history anyway.

Fenstermacher won the District 11 Class 3A wrestling title at 113 pounds on Saturday, becoming the first Liberty freshman ever to claim a title. He also was named the outstanding wrestler of the Class 3A tournament.

Fenstermacher's victory was part of a satisfying weekend for the host Hurricanes, who had two district champs, seven regional qualifiers and their highest finish in the team standings in 32 years.

"This is pretty crazy," Liberty coach Jody Karam said after his team placed second to Nazareth. "They have far exceeded our expectations. If you would have told me in November that we'd finish second at districts, I'd have thought you were crazy."

Critical to that finish were senior Jake Gunning, who won the 220-pound title, and Fenstermacher, whom Karam called probably the most advanced freshman he has coached. Fenstermacher (36-3) has spent the entire season at 113 pounds, where he lost to Nazareth's Tyson Klump at the Bethlehem Holiday Classic in December.

He called that a "very big loss," which was compounded when Klump dropped to 106 for the postseason. Fenstermacher said he had been looking forward to a rematch with the Nazareth sophomore, who also won a district title.

"When he dropped, it was really heartbreaking," Fenstermacher said. "Since [the December loss], I've been working my butt off for this."

And doing so with obstacles. Fenstermacher said he is wrestling with several injuries, including one that will need postseason surgery. One opponent texted him prior to their bout, saying he intended to exploit those injuries, one of which occurred during a practice session with Gunning.

"He really embraces better competition," Karam said. "That's cool."

Liberty's second-place finish, its best since winning the title in 1982, extended the team's historic season. The Hurricanes won a school-record 19 matches and became just the fourth team in state history to reach 850 wins.

Originally posted here:

Fenstermacher's title punctuated Liberty's big wrestling weekend