Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

LANCASTER — Close wasn’t quite enough.
Chesapeake Panthers’ Cecil Fletcher was close to a third straight state meet as he finished fifth in the 400-meter dash during the second day of the Division III regional track meet on Friday.
The top four finishers in each event qualify for the state meet next weekend at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University.
Fletcher ran a 51.47 time to finish just behind Garrett Metzger of Ridgedale who ran a 51.06 time.
Fletcher was also seventh in the long jump with a leap of 19-00.05.
Rock Hill Redmen distance runner Victor Aguilera was ninth in the 800 meters at 2:02.17 and ninth in the 3200 with a 10:27.60 clocking.
Chesapeake’s Gabriel Johnson ran a 2:11.79 in the 800 meters.
The Coal Grove Hornets’ 4×200-meter relay team of Kyle Sites, Wyatt Boggs, Nathaniel Brumett and Joey Workman was eighth with a 1:37.27 time.
In the girls’ meet, Coal Grove Lady Hornets’ Kayla Curry threw 101-02 in the discus while Lauren Holliday cleared 7-6 in the pole vault.