By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

First-round summaries: BOYS | GIRLS

Second-round summaries: BOYS | GIRLS

TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

WEST REGIONAL

Duncanville TX 84, Boise ID 52

The Panthers became the third program from Texas to reach the regional final in tournament history, joining Flower Mound last year and four consecutive appearances by DeSoto from 2016-19. Boise lost for the second time in the elite eight, including an 86-55 setback in 2018 to eventual national champion Chandler High from Arizona. Sophia Clark won the 400 and the Brave accumulated 27 points from Lydia Nance, Allie Bruce, Samantha Smith, Audrey Orme and Zoe Sims combining to sweep the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. But Boise didn’t score in any other track events, with Duncanville winning the 4x100 and 4x400, along with sweeping the 100, 200, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. Indyia Walton, Kennedy Brown, Trezur Connley and Chloe Mann produced 18 points in the hurdling events, with Aaliyah Gipson, Sanyah Keeton, De’Kayla Simpson and Ashley Lister shutting out the Idaho 5A state champions in the 100 and 200. Although Boise achieved an extra nine points in the pole vault since the Panthers didn’t field any entries, the Texas 6A state champions won all the remaining field events, including Alana Butler, Kaitlyn Johnson and Tamia Ford sweeping the discus. Ariyonna Edmond was victorious in the shot put, Brooklyn Williams won the high jump, freshman Zipporah Jones took the triple jump and Lister prevailed in the long jump for Duncanville.

Bentonville AR 69, Cardinal Ritter College Prep MO 67

One of the most exciting showdowns of the tournament came down to Bentonville doubling up on the Missouri Class 5 state champions in the six field events to overcome a 16-point deficit on the track. Since Missouri and Arkansas both contest the pole vault at their respective state championship meets, that was a scoring event in the matchup, despite Cardinal Ritter College Prep not fielding any entries and the Tigers earning nine points. The Lions would have had the edge had the javelin been factored into the scoring, but Arkansas does not feature the event in high school meets, so much so that heptathlon competitions in the state include the discus instead as the second throwing event along with the shot put. Nadia Clark and Bree Anglin took the top two spots in the shot put, with Paisley Hight, Hannah Hanson and Brianna Fogarty all clearing at least 5 feet in the high jump to sweep the event for Bentonville. Anglin and Clark also placed first and third in the discus for the Tigers, helping offset Cardinal Ritter College Prep producing a sweep in the triple jump behind Alexis Taylor, Nazariah James and Neveah Bryant. Taylor also triumphed in the long jump for the Lions, who swept both relays. Devyn O’Daniel, Madison Galindo, Macey Hurley, Haley Loewe and Hanson were responsible for sweeping the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 for Bentonville. Aniyah Brown doubled up in the 100 and 200, Kyndall Spain swept both hurdling events and Charlye Moody prevailed in the 400 for the Lions, but it was Hight’s ability to take third place in the 400 in addition to the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, as well as Allison Fernstrom finishing runner-up in the 400 that helped Bentonville survive and advance.

EAST REGIONAL

Bullis School MD 89, Gahanna Lincoln OH 38

The showdowns in both the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles were a microcosm of the entire event, where Bullis School was better than the Golden Lions’ best. Myla Greene, who ran 13.10 and 40.48 in the hurdling events, got the nod against Lincoln’s Camden Bentley and her marks of 13.27 and 42.00. The Bulldogs have showcased their speed throughout the tournament, producing sweeps in the 100, 200 and 400 behind Sydney Sutton, Jade Ofotan, Mirai Bernard, Sage Hinton and Payton Payne. But the reigning tournament national champions also demonstrated their middle-distance prowess in this matchup, with Lauren Leath, Morgan Rothwell and Zoe Brooks all running under 2:19 to take the top three spots in the 800 as well. Lincoln, the Ohio Division 1 state title holder, had Ava Tominack win the 1,600 and Ruby Lewis triumph in the 3,200 to be the catalysts for 18 combined points in those events. But Bentley’s runner-up performances in both hurdling events were the only other track points accumulated by the Golden Lions, especially with Bullis clocking 44.67 in the 4x100 and 3:36.25 in the 4x400. The field events were more competitive, especially with neither team contesting the pole vault or javelin, with Lincoln’s Daisha Decree holding off Bullis’ Reagan Schwartz in the long jump. The Bulldogs won the remaining events, with Morgan Bridges taking the triple jump and the high jump, in addition to juniors Aleah Schwartz and Madison Emery securing first and second place in both the shot put and discus to help Bullis return to the regional final. 

Union Catholic NJ 69, Miami Southridge FL 67

Florida had been the dominant state in the first five editions of the girls tournament, with Miami Northwestern reaching the regional finals each year, in addition to being opposed by St. Thomas Aquinas in both the 2019 and 2021 final four. But for the second season in a row, Florida will not be represented in the regional final, as Union Catholic earned a rematch with Bullis School following sweeps in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, in addition to a strong showing in the six field events. Miami Southridge, the Florida 4A state champion, pulled off an impressive sweep of both the 4x100 and 4x400 against the Vikings, who won the New Jersey Non-Public A Group title for the eighth year in a row. Union Catholic recorded a timely nine points in the triple jump from Alexandra Bonn, Vonya Gould and McKenzie Johnson all surpassing 34 feet, along with Emma Muir emerging victorious in the javelin and Ebony Turner prevailing in the high jump. Gould also delivered a 19-foot long jump to edge the Spartans’ Amaya Pleas at 18-10. Miami Southridge had Zion Singleton win the shot put and Amari Williams triumph in the discus to support its strength in the sprints from Cynteria James, Somiyah Braggs and Courtney Green, who combined for 25 points. Peyton Hollis, Kaleigh Gunsiorowski, Jimmiea King, Courtney Kaiser and Ella Solorzano combined to secure sweeps in the distance races for Union Catholic, which also received a significant victory in the 100-meter hurdles and second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles from Taylor Cox. Takiyah Ferguson, runner-up in the 100 hurdles, responded with a win in the 400 hurdles for the Spartans, who ran 44.94 in the 4x100 and edged the Vikings by a 3:45.38 to 3:46.71 margin in the 4x400, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Vikings from returning to the regional final.