By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here are the summaries of the regional semifinal matchups:

First-round summaries: BOYS | GIRLS

Second-round summaries: BOYS | GIRLS

TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

WEST REGIONAL

Flower Mound TX 87, Helena MT 49

Despite Montana Class AA state champion Helena building a six-point advantage from their performances in the six field event competitions, Texas 6A winner Flower Mound produced one of the most impressive track showcases of this year’s event, combining for 63 points across the eight individual races and two relays to continue its run to the regional final in its tournament debut. DeSoto, one of the most successful 6A programs in Texas history, reached four consecutive national semifinals from 2016-19, before losing to eventual champion Buchanan in the elite eight last year. Helena, which became the first Montana girls program to reach the quarterfinals, had sophomore Logan Todorovich prevail in the long jump and triple jump, in addition to Montana State commit Sydney Mattfeldt winning the discus and shot put. But Northern Arizona signee Odessa Zentz secured the only track victories in the 200 and 400 for Helena, as Eva Vreeland swept both hurdling events and Dayana Felicien triumphed in the 100-meter dash for Flower Mound. The quartet of Oklahoma State signee Natalie Cook, Samantha Humphries, Nicole Humphries and Alexandra Fox combined to take the top three spots in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, with Amanda Quinn, Maddison Goodin and Mikaela Honsinger adding another sweep in the pole vault for Flower Mound. Riley Ward won the high jump and teammate Grace Bettencourt tied Helena freshman Madilyn Todorovich for second place, but even with the sweeps in the long jump and triple jump by the Montana champions, the deficits on the track were too much to overcome against Flower Mound.

Lake Oswego OR 68.5, Lincoln Southwest NE 67.5

One inch in the high jump was not only enough for Oregon 6A state champion Lake Oswego to salvage a third-place finish in order to avoid being swept in the event, but also the margin necessary to secure a razor-thin victory over Nebraska Class A winner Lincoln Southwest in a thrilling quarterfinal showdown. Tatum Terwilliger and Jocelyn Oltman both cleared 5-3 for Lincoln Southwest, which needed Regan Lambe to achieve the same height in order to secure the sweep. But Lambe produced a 5-2 clearance, the same height managed by Julia Sieber, helping Lake Oswego split the final point for third place in half and holding on for the win, despite being outscored by a 17-point margin in the six field events. Had Lincoln Southwest swept the high jump, resulting in the teams battling to a 68-68 tie, the primary tournament tiebreaker used since the inaugural event in 2016 has been the 4x800 relay. Lincoln Southwest held an advantage of more than 30 seconds in the 4x800 this year, which would have resulted in the Nebraska champions advancing instead of Lake Oswego. Dakota Webb-Hawkins swept the long jump and triple jump, with Casey Moran capturing the discus for Lake Oswego, but Lincoln Southwest built its advantage in the field events behind Courtney Holsteen, Maddie Rink and Kailey Randall all surpassing 37 feet to take the top three spots in the shot put, along with Hailey Watermeier winning the pole vault. Jaida Rowe swept both hurdling events and Utah commit Brianna Rinn won the 800 for Lincoln Southwest, but sophomore Mia Brahe-Pedersen rose to the occasion again for Lake Oswego by dominating the 100 and 200, in addition to contributing to a pair of relay victories, which also included 400 winner Josie Donelson. Kate Peters, an Oklahoma State commit, triumphed in the 1,600 and 3,200 against Rinn.

EAST REGIONAL

Bullis School MD 62, Miami Northwestern FL 61

One of the most dramatic matchups in tournament history not only required Maryland private school powerhouse Bullis to sweep the 4x100 and 4x400 relays against Florida 3A state champion Miami Northwestern, but also overcome an unfamiliar deficit on the track by excelling in several field events to advance to the regional final for the first time in four overall appearances. The victory was even sweeter for Bullis, which endured second-round setbacks to Miami Northwestern in both 2018 and 2019 after being eliminated in the elite eight in 2017 by Western Branch High from Virginia. Miami Northwestern had edged Union Catholic by a 69-66 margin in the 2017 quarterfinals, which was the closest score in any girls regional semifinal matchup in event history before this year. With neither program contesting the pole vault, Bullis needed to double up on Miami Northwestern in the five remaining field events in order to overcome a 14-point deficit on the track. Trinity Franklin, a Michigan signee, did her part by sweeping the discus and shot put, with Mikayla McFarland, Morgan Bridges and Tatum Lynn continuing to be unsung heroes for Bullis by taking the top three spots in the high jump, all producing clearances of at least 5 feet. Junior Reagan Schwartz came through with an important long jump victory for Bullis against Miami Northwestern sophomore Shakynah Tresvant, who prevailed in the triple jump. Bullis also benefited from freshman Payton Payne running 11.72 in the 100-meter dash, in order to score against a Miami Northwestern lineup led by seniors Jayda Bushay and Aaliyah Butler, who dominated the 200 and 400. Myla Greene delivered two significant wins in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles against Miami Northwestern standout Paris Baker, with fellow junior Lauren Leath adding an important 800 victory for Bullis, which endured the Florida champions sweeping the 1,600 and having sophomore Shalyah Tresvant as the only competitor participating in the 3,200.

Union Catholic NJ 79, Niceville FL 57

Following setbacks to Florida powers St. Thomas Aquinas and Miami Northwestern in its four previous elite eight appearances, New Jersey Non-Public A winner Union Catholic relied on a 36-point advantage in the track events against 4A state champion Niceville to finally break through and reach its first national semifinal. Union Catholic was knocked off by past Florida 4A winner St. Thomas Aquinas in the quarterfinals in 2019 and again last year, which followed losses to 3A champion Miami Northwestern in its first two trips to the regional semifinals in 2016 and 2017. Union Catholic scored in all but one event, with Niceville sweeping the pole vault behind the talented trio of Kennesaw State commit Lilly Chouinard, Skye Tolbert and Aleena Ponto. In a spectacular shot put showdown involving three 40-foot competitors, Auburn signee Megan Hague and Troy-bound Onelia West of Niceville held off discus winner Jada Mia Puryear, a Columbia commit, with Mikayla Williams also winning the long jump for Niceville. Alexandra Bonn triumphed in the triple jump for Union Catholic, which also received victories in the 400 hurdles and high jump from Asydiah Pray-Brown. Tolbert took the top spot in the 100 hurdles, along with the 100-meter dash and 200 for Niceville, but Union Catholic swept both relays and relied on the versatility of sophomore Peyton Hollis, who secured wins in the 400, 1,600 and 3,200, along with contributing to the victorious 4x400, with Maameyaa Nyinah, Kaleigh Gunsiorowski and Pray-Brown still producing the three fastest 800 performances to help the storied New Jersey program earn a matchup in the regional final against Bullis School from Maryland in a battle of two of the most decorated schools when it comes to relay titles at New Balance Nationals during the past decade.