The final day of the First Round of the National Park Playoff did not disappoint as 8/9 matchups proved as contentious as predicted. The two closest matches in the entire Playoff so far transpired, both resulting in “upset” wins for their nine-seeds. In the East, #9 Shenandoah barely beat #8 Hot Springs 16-14 in a contest featuring many ties and lead changes. The same was true of an identically-scored match in the Southwest, where #9 Petrified Forest nipped #8 Canyonlands 16-14. A third upset was far more decisive, as #9 Denali won an all-Alaska battle with #8 Glacier Bay by a 21-7 count. Finally, the only eight seed to survive was Haleakalā, who comfortably knocked off Muir Woods 20-10. These parks get just one day off before returning to face the top seeds in their regions, starting on Wednesday at 9:00 AM Eastern / 6:00 AM Pacific, only on Twitter.
Predictive brackets took a beating, in line with the unpredictability of 8/9 matchups. Just 62% of the calls came true here, though 4/19 prognosticators went 4/4. By far the most popular missed call was Muir Woods, with 12/19 selections. Eight folks chose Canyonlands, six picked Glacier Bay, and three advanced Hot Springs. Overall, 29/32 is the leading score among the 19 predictors, while 19/32 is bringing up the rear.
Today is a dormant day for the Playoff, but action continues as the Second Round runs Wednesday through Saturday. Here’s a schedule of matchups to come by region:
PACIFIC
Wed: #1 Yosemite vs. #8 Haleakalā
Thu: #2 Olympic vs. #7 Hawaii Volcanoes
Fri: #3 Joshua Tree vs. #6 Sequoia
Sat: #5 Mount Rainier vs. #13 Redwood
SOUTHWEST
Wed: #1 Grand Canyon vs. #9 Petrified Forest
Thu: #2 Rocky Mountain vs. #7 Saguaro
Fri: #3 Zion vs. #11 Mesa Verde
Sat: #4 Bryce Canyon vs. #5 Arches
NORTH
Wed: #1 Yellowstone vs. #9 Denali
Thu: #2 Grand Teton vs. #10 Devils Tower
Fri: #3 Glacier vs. #11 Kenai Fjords
Sat: #5 Badlands vs. #13 Voyageurs
EAST
Wed: #1 Great Smoky Mountains vs. #9 Shenandoah
Thu: #10 Everglades vs. #15 Virgin Islands
Fri: #3 Statue of Liberty vs. #11 Mammoth Cave
Sat: #4 Acadia vs. #5 Cuyahoga Valley