By Michael Newman of DyeStat

First round  BOYS | GIRLS

Second round  BOYS | GIRLS

Regional semifinals  BOYS | GIRLS

Here are summaries of the boys regional finals (national Final Four):

EAST REGIONAL

Hoover AL 72, Pickerington Central OH 60

The Alabama 6A state champions had the advantage after the field events with a 27-18 lead, with Kyle Smith a big factor in all three jumps and James Courson winning the pole vault. Pickerington Central closed that gap to just one point after sweeping the 1,600 meters – with Matt Scrape, Garner Wallace and Brady Johnson doing the damage. Marion Humphrey’s wins in the 400 meters and 300-meter intermediate hurdles, plus a win in the 4x100 relay, opened Hoover’s lead to six points. The margin continued to grow and Hoover became the second Alabama team in three years to reach the virtual dual meet national finals. Can the Buccaneers join Auburn High, the 2016 winner, as a champion? Stay tuned. 

WEST REGIONAL

Great Oak CA 74, The Woodlands TX 62

These schools met in last year’s regional semifinals. The Woodlands won that matchup by 11 points on the way to the national dual meet championship. The outcome was different in 2018. Throughout this tournament, Great Oak showed its strength in the field events by opening leads that solidified wins in every round. It was no different in the the regional final as Great Oak had a 35-19 lead after six events. The Texas champions fought back, sweeping the 110-meter hurdles – led by freshman Jean Paul Cesar Pierre – and taking an 8-1 advantage with a 1-2 finish in the 100 meters to close the gap to four points. The difference on the track was Great Oak’s strong distance squad as the Wolfpack swept the 800 meters (Jacob Korgan, Chris Verdugo and Grayson Boyce) and finished 1-2 in the 1,600 (Carlos Carvajal and Gavin Korby) and 3,200 (Carvajal and Tyler Tickner).  The teams were tied after the 200, but Great Oak’s eight points in the 3,200 and a win in the 4x400 relay secured a spot in the national finals two years after Southwestern League rival Vista Murrieta advanced to the inaugural dual meet championship.