Mercer Island High School senior Chase Warnick battled his way to first place at the boys 3A state wrestling championships on Feb. 21.

In the 157-pound division, Warnick defeated Tyrese Guzman of Shadle Park, 9-8, to grasp the title at the WIAA Mat Classic XXXVI at the Tacoma Dome.

Earlier in the tourney, Warnick beat Judah Deaton of Liberty (Issaquah) by injury default (3:21); Aydin Nuraddinov of Kent Meridian by a technical fall (1.5, 3:33/17-1); Wyatt Harper of Central Kitsap, 10-0; and Gabriel Mudge-Burns of Lakeside (Seattle), 13-0.

MI, which took eighth in the team standings, also received placings from senior Gordon Gibson (fifth at 144, 4-2 record); senior Maxwell Martin (sixth at 150, 4-3); junior Luke Sincock (sixth at 165, 5-3); and senior Lincoln Woods (eighth at 138, 3-3).

Gibson won his fifth-place match by fall over Nehemiah Grandorff of Peninsula at 2:52.

Warnick said that mental preparation was key in snagging the state crown.

“For a long time, I would write down my goals for the year. At the start of the season and throughout summer, I would write down, ‘State champion.’ Just really visualizing success at the Dome and just staying calm and just doing what I do best, which is just having fun on the mat,” he said.

After not sleeping well the night before state, Warnick fought with nerves during his first two matches. He shook off those nerves as the tourney rolled on, and then was firing on pure focus during the final match. Warnick said he gave everything he possessed in the tank, kept his head on straight and pulled out the victory.

“(I was) excited to go out there and compete for a state title and represent Mercer Island,” said Warnick, who placed sixth at state as a sophomore and didn’t place as a junior while fighting off sickness.

“So this year was kind of like the revenge tour. I’d really make up for last year because I felt absolutely destroyed not being able to place two years in a row,” he said.

Following the final victory, he celebrated with family, friends and some former wrestling and jiu-jitsu coaches in the Dome grandstand. He appreciated the heaps of support he received at state.

And over the weekend, Warnick got some much-needed sleep and dozed off in championship mode.

On the MI girls’ side, freshman Emerson Woods took fourth at 115 and finished 4-2 at state.

Woods captured the school’s first-ever girls district title at the 3A Sea-King wrestling championships at 115 earlier this season.

Also wrestling at state for the MI boys were sophomore Beckim Nason (175, 3-2), junior Levi Jones (157, 2-2), sophomore Andy Wei (150, 1-2), sophomore Alexander Chapman (138, 3-2) and junior Connor Flume (132, 2-2).

Freshman Matthew Tran (106) also qualified for state, but didn’t attend the tourney.