Vote for best high school mascot in America, Round 1: Alma Airedales vs. Wai'anae Seariders

Alma (Arkansas) is the 3 seed and Wai'anae (Hawaii) is the 14 seed in the East region

The bracket is set for SBLive Sports' 2024 NCAA Tournament-style contest to determine the best high school mascot in America, and Round 1 is underway.

Vote below for the No. 3-seeded Alma Airedales (Arkansas) or the No. 14-seeded Wai'anae Seariders (Hawaii) to advance to the second round, where the winner will face either the Lancaster Golden Gales (Ohio) or Northampton Konkrete Kids (Pennsylvania).

The Airedales earned a 3 seed by winning last fall's Arkansas contest with 1,148 votes, while the Seariders won Hawaii with five votes to earn a 14 seed.

Follow along: National Mascot Tournament 2024 Bracket

Voting for this matchup will conclude Wednesday, March 20, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.

3. Alma Airedales (Arkansas)

Alma is arguably the most marketing-savvy high school in the country. By taking on “Airedales” as its mascot, the school has become an international destination for lovers of that dog breed. The student-managed school store, the aire-looms, is part of the curriculum through the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) and sells its Airedale-themed wares from Australia to Western Europe.

14. Wai’anae Seariders (Hawaii)

Wai’anae has one of the best high school logos in the country, with a mysterious, muscular, spear-toting warrior riding a shark. From the Wai’anae website: “The Searider is the official mascot of Wai'anae High School. A warrior of the ahupua'a, he is tasked with protecting the coastline.”

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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports