By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

First-round summaries: BOYS | GIRLS

Second-round summaries: BOYS | GIRLS

Regional semifinals summaries: BOYS | GIRLS

TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

WEST REGIONAL

Catholic (Baton Rouge) LA 80, Corner Canyon UT 65

By this stage of the tournament, nearly every team with a glaring hole has already been eliminated from the bracket. But in a regional final with a berth in the championship on the line, a couple of events tilted the scales in favor of the Louisiana state champions, who will vie for the national title for the first time. Truth be told, Corner Canyon had Catholic nearly cornered on the track, with 1-2-3 sweeps in the 100, 1,600 and 3,200. But the outcome of an otherwise close dual came down to some field events where the Chargers were either too thin or non-existent. Corner Canyon had no entries in the pole vault and Catholic was able to score eight points with Ryan Klester’s modest 11-foot clearance and Carson DiBenedetto’s 9-footer. And in the javelin, an event available to both states, Catholic’s Paul Catalanatto, Jr. (201-9), William Howard (183-1) and Johnny Fontenot (159-2) went 1-2-3 for another 9-0 advantage. Catholic outscored Corner Canyon 44-9 in field events. Bears standout Winston DeCuir (47.80/1:52.42) won the 400 and 800 meters and teammate Louis Rudge won the hurdles events (14.00/37.38) against tough competition from Spencer Kirkham of Corner Canyon (14.52/38.09). Catholic also won an entertaining 4x400 relay, 3:15.01 to 3:16.55, after the Chargers had won the 4x100 and 4x200. Corner Canyon’s sprint corps (Aiden McDonald, Quinn Hale, Mason Hamilton and Preston Rasmussen) controlled the action in the 100 and 200 meters, and teammates Connor Whatcott, Jeffrey Lewis and Grayson Milne were unstoppable in the distance events. But Catholic covered more bases and earned a spot in the national final.

EAST REGIONAL

Brownsburg IN 72, Hoover AL 60

This is the matchup that represented the pinnacle of the tournament on the boys side, at least so far. The Indiana state champions and the Alabama state champions both brought deep and talented lineups for the regional final. Brownsburg and Hoover slugged it out virtually and after the 100, 200, 400 and 800, the score was tied 18-18. Brownsburg sophomore Ian Baker won the 1,600 (4:14.71), followed by two runners from Hoover. And then the Bulldogs opened a lead with a 1-2-3 sweep of the 3,200 meters, with Sherjeel Khan taking the win in 9:13.63. After a nearly even split of the hurdles and relay points, Brownsburg struck again in the shot put with another 1-2-3 sweep. The three-headed monster of Bryce Patterson (59-0), Isaiah Smith (58-8.50) and Drew Crockett (57-6.75) blocked Hoover’s Bradley Shaw (55-4.50) from scoring. Hoover held advantages in the high jump, pole vault and long jump, but didn’t have enough to close the gap. Indiana doesn’t have javelin or triple jump, so those events couldn’t be included. After two straight years of runner-up finishes at the Indiana championship meet, Brownsburg broke through not only in the Hoosier state, but nationally. Sprinters Dominic Calhoun, Deandre Cooper, Josh Handy and Zemonda Wilson held strong not only in the 100 and 200, but the 4x100 as well. Those are not events where Hoover usually gets pushed around, by anyone. The Bulldogs are moving on to the national finals and a chance to give Indiana its second dual meet national title in three years (Carmel won it in 2021).