FOX CHAPEL — Alex Hornfeck struck a balance — and found a historical section championship to go with it.

The Mars junior 126-pound wrestler won his weight class Saturday during the WPIAL Class AAA Section 3 Championships at Fox Chapel. He became the first Planet wrestler to claim a section title since Mars moved up to AAA.

“I’m pretty proud of that,” Hornfeck said. “It’s been a goal of mine all year. Now I want to be a state qualifier.”

Hornfeck (29-1) dominated in winning the section. He pinned Malakai Bennett of North Hills in 38 seconds, decisioned Butler’s Jack Codispot 11-1 in the semifinals and decisioned Seneca Valley’s Nick Montalbano 8-2 in the finals.

Codispot and Montalbano have combined for 50 wins this season.

“Alex has always been a competitor who works very hard in practice,” Mars coach Jason Wilk said. “This year, he’s learned to enjoy it more. Sports are supposed to be fun.

“He works just as hard, but he’s having more fun with it, too.”

Hornfeck admitted he’s enjoying the ride much more this season. He reached the section finals last year before losing.

“I was almost too intense,” he said of last year. “Having fun wrestling takes a lot of the stress off.”

Hornfeck was Butler County’s lone section champion Saturday, but he will join 21 other county wrestlers at the WPIAL Championships this weekend at Canon-McMillan. The top five placers in each weight class at the section meet advanced.

Butler and Seneca Valley advanced seven each while Mars is sending six and Knoch two.

Among the Planet wrestlers moving on is 138-pound freshman Max Lamm. Filling in for injured teammate Jake Richardson, Lamm (7-10) took fifth place. He is a blind wrestler.

“Max amazes me every single time I watch him on the mat,” Wilk said. “He’s inspirational and he’s a talented kid.”

Seneca Valley had four section runner-ups: Jason Geyer (24-10) at 106 pounds, Louis Newell (35-3) at 113, Montalbano (21-11) at 126 and Alex Fischer (27-10) at 145.

Newell was a state runner-up last season. Two of his three losses this year are to unbeaten freshman Sam Hillegas (35-0) of North Hills. Hillegas pinned his way through the tournament.

Butler had three section runner-ups in Caleb Baxter (26-3) at 160 pounds, Christian Sequete (15-3) at 182 and Saavon Mosby (25-10) at 220. All three lost to the No. 1 seed in the finals.

Unbeaten Eric Hong (25-0) decisioned Baxter 12-2. Fox Chapel’s Mike Mahon (30-3) decisioned Sequete 10-4 at 182 ad Mosby dropped a 5-0 decision to Shaler’s Ron D’Amico (35-1) at 220.

“Mahon is a tough kid and he hit Christian with a lateral drop for a five-point move,” Butler coach Scott Stoner said. “That was the difference in that match.

“Caleb ran into the North Allegheny kid, who is a very good wrestler, but who transferred there this season and is controversially eligible, in my judgment. Saavon was very competitive against the Shaler kid, who is outstanding. He just couldn’t mount any offense against him.”

Despite winning no section titles, Stoner feels good about the contingent he still has wrestling.

“We did well in dual meets this year, but we only had four or five guys really put together great years,” he said. “The seven we got through really had to work to get there.

“I like the way they battled.”

SECTION 3 CHAMPIONSHIPS

Butler County wrestlers qualifying for WPIAL tournament

Butler

126 pounds-Jack Codispot (29-10) 3rd; 138-Scotty Dietrich (31-7) 4th; 160-Caleb Baxter (26-3) 2nd; 182-Christian Sequete (15-3) 2nd; 195-Tom Greaves (29-8) 3rd; 220-Saavon Mosby (25-10) 2nd; 285-Seth McCrea (24-10) 5th

Knoch

120-Kameron Grassi (12-11) 4th; 170-Eric Green (19-7) 4th

Mars

120-Nolan Wicker (10-9) 5th; 126-Alex Hornfeck (29-1) 1st; 138-Max Lamm (7-10) 5th; 170-Justin Petrilena (20-8) 5th; 182-Nick Schriver (20-10) 3rd; 220-Max Aubrecht (15-17) 5th

Seneca Valley

106-Jason Geyer (24-10) 2nd; 113-Louis Newell (35-3) 2nd; 126-Nick Montalbano (21-11) 2nd; 132-Drew Vlasnik (23-12) 4th; 145-Alex Fischer (27-10) 2nd; 160-Ty Gross (28-12) 3rd; 195-Drake Church (19-16) 4th