OAK HILL — Soooo close.

The breaks didn’t go Ironton’s way and neither did the final team results, but the Fighting Tigers didn’t mind a second place finish in the Division II district track meet Saturday.

While the team was only four points behind champion Gallipolis, several Fighting Tigers qualified for the regional track meet including junior Gary Monroe who set a meet record as he won the 1600-meter run.

“We had a good meet. Our kids performed well,” said Ironton coach Greg Cronacher. “We were an inch here or a couple of seconds there of moving up a few places in some events, but that’s the way it goes.

“The main thing is we got a bunch of guys out to the regionals and now we can focus on trying to get to the state meet.”

The top four finishers in an event qualify for the regional meet to be held Thursday and Saturday at Byesville Meadowbrook High School.

Gallipolis had 103.5 points to Ironton’s 99.5 total to win the team title. The Fairland Dragons finished a close third with 91.5 points.

Chesapeake was 10th with 25 points, the South Point Pointers were 15th with 8 points and the Rock Hill Redmen 17th with 4 points.

On the girls’ side, Gallipolis won with 137 points with Athens second at 89. Fairland was third with 87, South Point was fifth with 52 and Chesapeake 12th with 25 points.

Monroe ran a 4:29.49 time to snap a three-year old record formerly held by Fairland’s Chuckie Wentz at 4:38.70. Monroe also placed fourth in the 800 meters (2:04.83).

Teammate Pierce Reeves was fourth in the 1600 at 4:44.50 and will get to run win Monroe at the regional meet.

Ironton’s Ben Wells had a strong meet by taking second place in the shot put (46-7) and discus (136-5).

Ryan Sias, Tyler Hager, Charles Stewart and Tres Wilks combined for a 45.25 time to place third in the 4×100 relay.

Adam Stumbo advanced in the 3200 meters with a 10:42.30 time to place third.

Fairland’s 4×200 team of Matt Bloomfield, Hunter Gibson, Garrett Wireman and David Jones was second with a 1:35.81 time. Gibson was fourth in the 400 meters at 52.53 seconds.

The Dragons’ Chad Gibson and Raine Wireman went 2-3 in the 800 as they ran a 2:02.96 and a 2:04.81, respectively. Bloomfield was fourth in the 200 dash at 24.59.

Chad Gibson, Garrett Wireman, Kyle Taubenheim and Bloomfield ran a 3:35.71 to place fourth in the 4×400 relay. Kenny Smith went 6-2 and was third in the high jump.

The Lady Dragons’ Megan Brooks won the pole vault as she cleared 10-feet to break her own record of 9-0 set last year. Teammate Destiny Shockley was third at 7-feet.

Jordan Aldridge won the 100-meter hurdles at 15.22 seconds. Sydney Pettit was fourth in the 1600 at 5:42.11.

The Lady Pointers’ Kayla Fletcher won two events as he ran a 13.2 in the 100 meters and leaped 16-5.25 in the long jump. Teammate Elaine Gore was fourth in the 100 meters.

Fletcher also ran a leg on the 4×200 relay along with Gore, Tinesha Taylor and Angelica Stewart to place second at 1:52.98. The same quartet was third in the 4×100 relay at 52.93 seconds.

Qualifying on Wednesday were:

Ironton’s 4×800 relay team of Dustin Moritz, Stumbo, Reeves and Monroe, pole vaults Jon Monnig and Ryan Sias, and Sias in the long jump;

Fairland pole vaulter Logan Froehlich and the 4×800 relay team of Chad Gibson, Ryan Stewart, Raine Wireman and Kyle Taubenheim;, and Andrew Scholl in the discus;

Chesapeake’s Peter Hintz in the long jump and Lady Panthers Amanda Ruffner in the high jump;

Lady Dragons’ 4×800 relay team of Megan Ashton, Sydney Pettit, Mariah Chaffin and Tori Hutchison;

And Lady Pointers’ high jumper Jalynn Bradburn.