By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

BYESVILLE — Not even the sun was sizzling as hot as the Ironton Fighting Tigers’ 4×800-meter relay team.

Shattering their own school record, the quartet of Pierce Reeves, Adam Stumbo, Dustin Moritz and Gary Monroe blistered the track for an 8:11.7 clocking as the finished second in the event Thursday during the first day of the Division II regional track meet.

The performance not only earned them second place but a berth in next week’s state track meet at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Ironton had the fifth best qualifying time entering the meet. Chillicothe won the race with an 8:05.89 time.

“That was an impressive effort. There were some good teams here and they really stepped up to the challenge,” said Ironton’s distance coach Tim Thomas.

Also qualifying for the state meet was South Point’s Tre Campbell who leaped 21-1.75 to place third in the long jump. Kyle Crum of Minerva went 21-6.5 to win and Tyler Campbell of Gallipolis was second at 21-5.5.

Kenny Smith of Fairland was eighth with a 19-7.75 high jump. He also ran in the 110 hurdles and had a 16.38 time.

The top four finishers in each event advance to the state meet.

Also running in the 4×800 relay were the Fairland Dragons as Tanner Mattie, Raine Wireman, Ryan Stewart and Jalen Brooks ran a season-best 8:25.97 time to place seventh.

The Fighting Tigers’ Ben Wells threw a personal-best 145-4 in the discus and placed eighth.

“Ben threw his best. That’s all you can ask for. You can’t control the rest of the field. He did a real nice job,” said Ironton boys’ head coach Greg Cronacher.

The Fairland Lady Dragons’ Amy Brown cleared 4-10 in the high jump and tied for fifth place. Logan Rowe of Washington Court House won with a 5-4 jump.

Chesapeake’s Beth McWhorter heaved the shot put a personal-best 38-10.5 to take seventh place.

Ironton’s 4×400 relay team of Tres Wilks, Robert Bishop, Brian Warner and Monroe ran 3:33.23 to qualify for Saturday’s finals. Wilks also had a 51.92 clocking to reach the final in the 400 meters.

Chesapeake’s Lucas Martin ran 23.78 in the 200-meter dash preliminaries.

In the 300 hurdles, Fairland’s Aaron Adkins ran a 44.44 for the boys and the Lady Dragons’ Amber Pappas had a 52.63 time.

Fairland’s Brandon Nyland cleared 10-feet in the pole vault finals.

South Point’s 4×100 relay team of Tevin Mitchell, Blake Barnes, Dillon Saxton and Campbell had a 45.07 time in the preliminaries. Campbell had an 11.69 time in the 100 meters.

The Lady Dragons’ 4×100 team of Hollie Spotts, Sierra Knight, Jenny Price and Pappas ran a 54.49.

The Lady Pointers quartet of Brianna Bacon, Emily Norris, Elaine Gore and Kayla Fletcher ran a 53.25 in the 4×100 relay and 1:54.38 in the 4×200. Fletcher did advance to the 100 meters’ finals with a 13.25 time.

Rock Hill’s Brooklyn Massie ran an 18.98 time in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles while Pappas had a 17.84 clocking.

South Point’s Savannah Morris threw 33-10.5 in the shot put finals.