By DAVID COOK
It wasn’t the way Birch Run senior Jerry Fenner wanted to end his high school experience, but even so, he finished with a career that most wrestlers can only dream about.
Fenner came into this year’s Division 3 state individual finals looking to win a second state championship. He advanced to the championship match at 125 pounds after a major decision, a pin, and a decision in his first three matches. In the final, however, Fenner dropped a 3-0 decision to Reiley Brown of Whitehall.
For Fenner, it was the second time that he was a runner-up at state. A four-time state qualifier, he finished in the top three in the state all four years, as he placed third as a freshman, first as a sophomore, and second the past two years.
“Everything has to go your way all three days,” Fenner said. “I finished in the top three all four years, and that’s not bad. I guess that’s kind of special. It’s two years in a row that I finished second and that happens. I wrestled my best, and he wrestled his best.”
Fenner finished the season with a 52-4 record. He finshed his high school career with 211 wins, one shy of the school record of 212 that was set by his coach, Bart Bennett. “Getting to 200 wins was a goal of mine, and I made it,” Fenner said. “I wanted to get the school record. That was my goal from day one.
“You always wrestle to win, but for me it was just something I liked doing, something to do. Winning just made it more fun.”