National high school mascot bracket, Round 1: Vote for Westminster Martlets or Annandale Atoms

Westminster (Connecticut) is a 2 seed and Annandale (Virginia) is a 15 seed in the first round

The Westminster Martlets (Connecticut) take on the Annandale Atoms (Virginia) in Round 1. / Graphic by Jesus Baca

The bracket is set for High School on SI's 2025 NCAA Tournament-style contest to determine the best high school mascot in America, and Round 1 is underway.

Vote below for the No. 2-seeded Westminster Martlets (Connecticut) or the No. 15-seeded Annandale Atoms (Virginia) to advance to the second round.

The winner will face either the Center Point-Urbana Stormin' Pointers (Iowa) or Somers Tuskers (New York).

The Martlets earned a 2 seed by winning our statewide Connecticut contest with 17,738 votes, while the Atoms won Virginia with three votes to earn a 15 seed.

Follow along: National Mascot Tournament 2025 Bracket

Voting for this matchup will conclude Monday, March 24, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.

High School on SI voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You are limited to one vote every 6 hours and are encouraged to share our polls with others.

2. Westminster Martlets (Connecticut)

From the Westminster website: “When you become a Westminster student, you earn the notable distinction of forever being a Martlet. This remarkable mascot captures the grit and grace that Westminster students strive to embody. Since this mythical bird has no feet, its only choice is to demonstrate its ‘grit and grace’ by continuing to fly – despite obstacles, exhaustion or even a fierce headwind.”

15. Annandale Atoms (Virginia)

When Annandale opened in 1954 during the Cold War, students were inspired by President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” speech when they adopted the Atoms mascot, according to WUSA 9. The opening came nine years after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

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