By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Here are summaries of the first-round matchups:

TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

WEST REGIONAL

Duncanville TX 91, Edmond Memorial OK 45

Making its tournament debut, UIL 6A state champion Duncanville was impressive in its opening-round victory, sweeping both hurdles events, in addition to winning both relays. Edmond Memorial, the Oklahoma 6A state champion, was making its first appearance since a first-round loss in 2019 to another Texas 6A power in DeSoto. The Bulldogs received a victory from senior Chloe Ezell in the 800 meters, plus a sweep in the 3,200 from the sophomore trio of Sienna Collins, Ella Talley and McKellee Pape. But Edmond Memorial was overwhelmed in the field events, aside from an uncontested sweep of the pole vault. Ariyonna Edmond won the shot put, Alana Butler prevailed in the discus, Brooklyn Williams triumphed in the high jump, Ashley Lister was victorious in the long jump and freshman Zipporah Jones took the triple jump for Duncanville, which had Aaliyah Gipson win the 100 and 400, along with Indyia Walton earning victories in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles.

Minnetonka MN 89, Fargo Davies ND 47

The Skippers, the Minnesota Class AAA champions, returned to the tournament for the first time since 2018 and secured another first-round victory. Fargo Davies, the North Dakota Class A winners, prevailed in the opening round last year, but was unable to keep pace with Minnetonka’s distance depth. Eighth-grader Evie Malec and sophomore Avery Marasco-Johnson were big contributors for Minnetonka, which also swept both relays and had sophomore Zeal Kuku produce valuable points in the sprints and junior Claire Kohler win both hurdle events. Bariborve “CeCe” Deebom won the 100 and 200 for the Eagles, who received additional victories from Camille Deringer in the shot put and Maci Wheeldon in the discus throw. Lucy Hiller triumphed in the long jump and triple jump for Minnetonka, with Winona Stone and Mya Folken achieving a 1-2 finish in the high jump. Onya Kretchman from Fargo Davies and Harley Wock of Minnetonka both cleared 11 feet to share top honors in the pole vault.

Boise ID 73.5, Lone Peak UT 62.5

Following an opening-round setback last year to Helena High from Montana, Idaho 5A state champion Boise rebounded to achieve its first tournament victory since making an impressive run to the 2021 regional semifinals. The Brave relied significantly on field-event performances, including sweeps in the discus, shot put and triple jump, to emerge victorious. Lone Peak, the Utah 6A state winner, was impressive in the distance events and hurdling races, including a sweep of the latter by Nadia Chiara. Addie Meldrum and Boston Bybee were also significant contributors for the Knights, who had Sabrina Fairbanks earn the win in the pole vault and Isabelle Devey edge Boise’s Sophia Clark by one-hundredth in the 100-meter dash. The Brave had Alexis DeAlba prevail in the shot put, Aurora Kyle triumph in the discus, Alexandra Gustavel win the high jump and Autumn Shomaker sweep the long jump and triple jump to contribute to 42.5 points in the six field events.

Long Beach Wilson CA 85, Liberty NV 51

After winning its first California state championship since 2006, Long Beach Wilson demonstrated a strong performance in its tournament debut. One of the most well-rounded hurdle, sprint and relay lineups in the country, Long Beach Wilson accumulated 74 points on the track, including winning the 4x100 and 4x400. Natalie Maahs and Xcaret Tirado led sweeps in the distance events for the Bruins, with Kaylin Edwards, Aujane Luckey and Loren Webster excelling in the hurdles and sprints. Ali’a Matavao, also an elite basketball player for Liberty, won the shot put and high jump, in addition to scoring in the long jump for the Nevada 5A state champion Patriots. Chayanne Gordon was victorious in the discus and Destinee Franklin prevailed in the pole vault for Liberty. Daqari Hampton took the top spot in the triple jump and Webster triumphed in the long jump for the Bruins.

Niwot CO 92, Highland AZ 44

The Colorado 4A state champion Cougars earned their third consecutive first-round victory, knocking off the top program from Arizona for the second year in a row. Niwot prevailed by a 40-point margin last year against Perry High and was even more impressive against Highland, which captured the inaugural team title at the Arizona Open State Championships. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Niwot’s victory was earning 26 of a possible 27 points in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 against Highland, also the reigning Arizona Division 1 state cross country champion. Madison Shults, Addison Ritzenhein, Mia Prok and Olivia Alessandrini were catalysts for Niwot, which also received a sweep in both hurdling events from Kimora Northrup. Lainey Jones was victorious in the 100 and 200 for Highland, which also had Gabby Taylor prevail in the long jump and share top honors with Rylie Scott in the high jump, with Maibri Bland winning the pole vault. Jade West doubled up in the discus and shot put for the Cougars, who had Keagan McGuire, Sienna Knight and Annmarie Knight sweep the triple jump.

Cardinal Ritter College Prep MO 70, Papillion-La Vista South NE 66

The Missouri Class 5 state champion Lions endured a heartbreaking four-point loss in last year’s opening round to Nebraska Class A winner Lincoln Southwest. The roles were reversed this year for Cardinal Ritter College Prep, which swept both relays, including the meet-clinching 4x400 to prevail against Nebraska Class A title holder Papillion-La Vista South. The Lions relied significantly on their performances in the sprints, hurdles and jumps to emerge victorious. Aniyah Brown and Alexis Taylor, both juniors, and sophomore Kyndall Spain contributed valuable points for Cardinal Ritter College Prep. Junior Kaitlyn Swartz was exceptional for the Titans, winning the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Morgan Bode prevailed in the high jump, Olivia Brodersen was victorious in the pole vault and Lauren Medeck triumphed in the shot put for Papillion-La Vista South. Freshman Priya Cheathman came through with a clutch discus performance for Cardinal Ritter College Prep to edge Titans’ senior Clare Ullery by an 11-inch margin.

Lake Oswego OR 82, Emerald Ridge WA 54

A showdown showcasing two of the most dynamic athletes in the country in Lake Oswego junior Mia Brahe-Pedersen and Emerald Ridge sophomore JaiCieonna Gero-Holt demonstrated that the Oregon 6A state co-champions have more depth surrounding their star competitor than the Washington 4A state winner. Lake Oswego tied Tualatin at the Oregon 6A state final, but the Lakers earned the nod in the tournament based on a stronger dual-meet lineup. It also marked the second year in a row Lake Oswego prevailed in the first round after defeating Curtis High from Washington in last season’s opening matchup. The Lakers accumulated 56 points in the track events, more than enough to prevail against the field-event strength of Emerald Ridge. Gero-Holt won the 100 hurdles, high jump, long jump and shot put for the Jaguars, with Emme Bates adding a victory in the 800. Berit Ballew, Josie Donelson, Morgan Hoover, Casey Moran and Ana Peters earned wins for Lake Oswego, with Brahe-Pedersen capturing the 100 and 200, in addition to contributing to a pair of victorious relays.

Bentonville AR 79.67, Comal Smithson Valley TX 56.33

For the first time in tournament history, Arkansas not only earned a spot in the 32-team girls bracket, but the 6A state champion Tigers also prevailed against UIL 5A winner Comal Smithson Valley. Following several competitive matchups on the track, Bentonville pulled away with 40.67 points in the field events, highlighted by sweeps in the shot put and triple jump, along with a 1-2 finish plus a tie for third in the high jump. Senior Emelia Thurston contributed valuable points in the horizontal jumps, Nadia Clark and Bree Anglin shined in the throwing events, with Paisley Hight and Hannah Hanson placing first and second in the high jump for Bentonville. Alyssa Jones, Jazmyn Singh, Zada Zimmerman and Mia Perez all earned victories on the track for the Rangers. Jones also won the long jump and Ella Pickron triumphed in the pole vault for Comal Smithson Valley. Senior Madison Galindo came through in the 1,600 and 3,200 for Bentonville, with Hight also adding a victory in the 300 hurdles, as the teams traded wins in the relays. 

EAST REGIONAL

Bullis School MD 97, South County VA 34

The defending tournament champion Bulldogs remained unbeaten in first-round matchups in tournament history with a victory against the Virginia Class 6 state title holder. Bullis was not part of the tournament field in 2016 or 2021, but has prevailed in all five of its first-round appearances. The Stallions had Kendall Williams, Julia Mattson, Isabella Garcia and Reese Pavlak combine to sweep the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, in addition to earning another win in the uncontested pole vault, but the Bulldogs accumulated 38 points in the six field events to outscore South County overall. Aleah Schwartz doubled up in the discus and shot put, Morgan Bridges triumphed in the high jump and triple jump, with Reagan Schwartz securing victory in the long jump for Bullis. Sydney Sutton prevailed in the 200 and 400, Jade Ofotan won the 100 and Lauren Leath prevailed in the 800 for the Bulldogs, who also had Myla Greene sweep the hurdling events, in addition to contributing to dominant performances in both relays.

Clinton MS 73, Huntley IL 63

Following first-round losses in 2016 and 2018, the Mississippi 6A state champion Arrows finally hit their mark to advance for the first time in tournament history. The Red Raiders, the Illinois Class 3A title holder, amassed 26 points in the three distance events behind senior twins Breanna Burek and Brittney Burek, as well as freshmen Cori Kilvinger and Aspen Maldonado, to put the pressure on Clinton. Huntley also had senior Ally Panzloff prevail in the discus throw and took the top two spots in both the long jump and triple jump, relying on senior Alexandria Johnson and sophomore Dominique Johnson to score valuable points. But the Arrows swept both relays, with Kaitlyn Jones winning both hurdling events, along with the 400, in addition to Tacherria Lawson taking the 100 and Nakirsten Hughes earning a victory in the 200. Meagan Womack triumphed in the shot put, Jada Brooks achieved a win in the high jump and Kennedi McCord was victorious in the pole vault for Clinton.

Gahanna Lincoln OH 71.5, Cuthbertson NC 64.5

The Golden Lions, the Ohio Division 1 state champions, won a first-round matchup for the third time in tournament history, including for the second year in a row. Cuthbertson, the North Carolina 4A state winner, swept all three distance events behind one of the most impressive quartets in the country in Charlotte Bell, Stella Kermes, Alyssa Preisano and Justine Preisano, along with accumulating another 33.5 points in the six field events. Amanda Sacoto doubled up in the discus and shot put, with Maya Studney prevailing in the triple jump for Cuthbertson, which also amassed nine points in an uncontested pole vault. Camden Bentley swept both hurdling events for Lincoln, which also won both relays. Ayanna Stafford triumphed in the 100, Keena Sanders was victorious in the 200 and Amryne Chilton earned the win in the 400 for the Golden Lions. Daisha Decree shared the top spot in the high jump with Anna Sergio, in addition to winning the long jump for Lincoln.

Miami Northwestern FL 75, DuPont Manual KY 57

Although it was a more competitive matchup than last year’s first-round showdown, which Miami Northwestern won by a 93.5-33.5 margin, the Florida Class 3A state champion still managed to extend its streak of opening-round victories. The Bulls are one of two girls teams to advance to the second round in all seven editions of the tournament. DuPont Manual, the Kentucky 3A winner, relied on Jessica Secor, Flora Biro, Maggie May, Emerson Wyatt and Bailee Montgomery to sweep the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Alexandra Allen added victories in the 200 and 400, with E’ternity Starks taking the high jump for the Crimsons, who also won an uncontested pole vault. Jaiya Burchell swept the shot put and discus, with freshman Nyla Christian winning the long jump and 100 hurdles, junior Shakynah Tresvant taking the triple jump and 400 hurdles, in addition to sophomore Kimora Kinsey emerging victorious in the 100 for the Bulls, who also prevailed in both relays.

Miami Southridge FL 84, Blythewood SC 52

After enduring an opening-round loss in 2017 to Western Branch High from Virginia on a 4x800 relay tiebreaker, Miami Southridge finally returned to the tournament and secured its first victory against the South Carolina 5A state champion. The Spartans, who won the Florida 4A title, swept both relays, but neither team took the top three spots in any individual event. Cynteria James won the 100, 200 and 400, with Takiyah Ferguson doubling in the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles for Miami Southridge. Juniors Amaya Pleas, Shanaii Gamble and Amari Williams also added victories for the Spartans. Freshman Anna Kelly was victorious in the 1,600 and 3,200, with sophomore Kaitlyn McFadden earning a win in the 800 for the Bengals, who had senior Ashlynn Scott take the triple jump and junior Aniya Fluker prevail in the shot put. Since neither team contested the pole vault, the javelin was included in the schedule instead, with junior Inenazia Dean securing the top spot for the Spartans.

Hoover AL 73, Westlake GA 62

Since suffering first-round setbacks to Miami Northwestern High from Florida in both 2016 and 2017, Hoover has responded with four consecutive opening-round victories, including the past three years. The Buccaneers, who won the Alabama Class 7A title, produced a 72-64 victory against Alexander High from Georgia last season and returned to knock off the 7A state champion Lions this year. The triumph was even more impressive for Hoover, since Westlake won both relays and swept the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles behind the performances of Jaden Billings, Zaniyah Jones, Jasmine Harmon and Zhai Holmes. The Lions also had freshman Adyn Kinard secure victories in the 100 and 200, as well as Caylie Jefferson teaming with fellow junior Zion Lockette and Holmes to take the top two spots in both the long jump and triple jump. Hoover responded with sweeps in the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200, receiving significant contributions from Gabrielle Washington, McKenzie Blackledge, Daisy Luna, Catherine Wallace, Lila Hunter and Ava Sparks. Nicolette Lewis, a senior, doubled up in the discus and shot put for the Buccaneers, who received a high jump victory from freshman Nyel Settles and an uncontested sweep in the pole vault.

Padua Academy DE 90, Haverford Township PA 46

The Delaware Division 1 state champion Pandas followed last season’s first-round victory against South County High from Virginia with another impressive performance to open this year’s tournament. The Fords, the Pennsylvania Class 3A state title holder, didn’t contest the pole vault or triple jump. But Padua Academy still had more than enough depth to advance, sweeping both relays and receiving victories in the 100, 200, 400 and long jump from junior standout Juliana Balon. Sophia Holgado, a junior, added a win in the 3,200 and senior Mary Mancini triumphed in the shot put for the Pandas, who also received significant contributions from junior Mary Flanagan. Sophomore Olivia Cieslak prevailed in the 800 and 1,600, with senior Molly Carpenter taking the top spot in the discus and junior Sydney Jones winning the high jump for Haverford Township, which also had senior Aubrey Leneweaver deliver a sweep of both hurdling events.

Union Catholic NJ 99, Bloomfield CT 37

There is plenty of history with Connecticut programs and Union Catholic in first-round matchups in the tournament’s seven editions, and the outcomes have all favored the Vikings, who continued their dominance against Bloomfield by defeating the Hawks for the third time, including 2016 and 2017. Union Catholic, which won the New Jersey Non-Public A Group title for the eighth season in a row, became only the second girls program in tournament history to advance to the second round every year. The Vikings won both relays, in addition to sweeping the 200, 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Senior Layla Spann-McDonald triumphed in the discus, freshman Payton Sirdine prevailed in the shot put for Bloomfield, which also received victories from Laniyah Henderson in the triple jump and fellow senior Amyra Ettienne-Modeste in the pole vault. Freshman Ebony Turner took the high jump and junior Vonya Gould earned the win in the long jump for Union Catholic, which had sophomore Taylor Cox contribute victories in the 100-meter dash, 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles. Taylor Aska, Peyton Hollis, Kaleigh Gunsiorowski and Courtney Kaiser added to the Vikings’ impressive showcase on the track, which accounted for 74 points.