He walked off the orange-and-blue mat and crouched as the enormity of the moment set in.

Auburn’s Kyle Guthrie was a state champion.

The 220-pound senior and first-time state participant pinned Lincoln’s Will Willsey in 1 minute, 26 seconds to win the Class 3A title Saturday during Mat Classic XXVIII at the Tacoma Dome.

“What really got me going was thinking this was my last match in high school,” Guthrie said. “That gave me a lot of adrenaline.”

Auburn coach Dennis Herren said Guthrie eschewed competing at sub-regionals as a sophomore to participate in a band performance and then was ineligible to wrestle at regionals last season because of a disciplinary incident at school.

“You could see right as Kyle won the tears that came right under his eyes, and the gratitude,” Herren said.

Guthrie also pinned Willsey in 4:40 during the Feb. 13 regional championship at North Thurston High School. While Guthrie felt he could once again defeat Willsey in a methodical manner, he said he wanted to avoid that. Willsey scored the first two points 45 seconds into the match, but Guthrie rebounded to take a 5-2 advantage before he ended the match.

“I put him in a bar and wrist,” said Guthrie, adding that he had used the same move to win his previous match against Willsey.

Guthrie was among three Auburn School District wrestlers to compete for a state championship.

Auburn Mountainview senior Antonio Corea suffered a 6-3 setback against Kamiakin’s Nick Little at 285. His classmate, Dylan Foley, was pinned by Bonney Lake’s Avery Meyer in 4:14 at 145. Meyer won each of the four times he faced Foley this season.

“I felt great,” Foley said. “I was warm and ready. I was looking forward to winning this one.

“Ending on a loss isn’t that fun.”

Corea and Auburn Mountainview coach Jay McGuffin lamented multiple officiating decisions in the heavyweight match.

McGuffin felt Corea, who led 2-1 at the end of the first round, should have been awarded two more points when he had Little on his back at the end of the period. He also did not feel Little earned a two-point takedown early in the second round.

“I don’t think (Little) is better than him,” McGuffin said. “I just think the kid got some good calls.”

Corea said he was disappointed with the outcome but proud to finish second after placing third last year.

“It was a good career,” he said. “I’m proud to look back on it.”

Five Auburn wrestlers placed at state: seniors Guthrie, Drew Aplin (eighth, 132), Ralph Moniz (third, 220) and Sjon Snitily (fourth, 145) and sophomore Cole Washburn (third, 170). That helped the Trojans finish eighth in 3A with 87.5 points. Arlington captured the team title with 148 points.

“What made it a great year was being around a group of kids who treated each other well, valued hard work and had a sense of humor,” said Herren, who credited captains Jamison Glenn and Aplin for creating that environment.

Auburn Mountainview was 12th among 60 teams with 57 points. In addition to Corea and Foley, senior Joey Santos placed fifth at 138.

“I couldn’t be more happy with the progression of the team,” McGuffin said. “It’s a long road to the Dome.”

Auburn Riverside tied for 43rd with four points. The Ravens’ lone placer was freshman Yusef Nelson, who placed eighth at 106.

In the girls tournament, Auburn finished tied for 35th among 124 schools with 20 points. Grandview won the team title with 92 points. Junior Patricia DeLeon placed fifth at 130 for the Trojans, while classmate Anevay Avila was sixth at 135.