Russellville's boys 4x800-meter relay team hoped to begin the second day of the Class 2 state track and field championships with a view from the top of the medal stand.
The Indians made a push to the lead during the race, but Austin Roe, Anthony Bertucci, Beau Bryant and Harrison Frank settled for second in 8:12.04.
"It was really tough, but it was the last race of the year, so you have to give it everything you've got," Bryant said.
The winning team, College Heights Christian, had the fastest time in the final leg by about four seconds, about the margin between first and the runner-up Indians.
"I feel like we gave it all we had," Bryant said. "I'm happy with that."
Relays were the highlight for area schools Saturday. New Bloomfield's boys 4x400 team finished second in the final running event of the day. It's time of 3:27.24 was nearly two seconds faster than Friday's preliminaries.
"We were hoping to get first, but with the time that we just got, that's better than we ever did," Payton Culwell said.
Culwell tried to catch James Allen of Cleveland NJROTC at the end, but came up about a second and a half short of the win.
"When me and him get the baton I just try to hang onto him as long as I can," Culwell said.
Zain Culwell, Clayten Walker and Bailey Crane, along with Payton Culwell, also finished sixth in the 4x200 in 1:33.20.
Walker also medaled in the 200, placing sixth in 22.72 seconds. The junior won his first three state medals Saturday.
"Never thought I'd be here, but I made it," Walker said.
Payton Culwell also won three medals Saturday as he finished eighth in the 400 in 52.07 seconds.
Tipton sophomore Isaac Ashton won his third career state medal with a runner-up finish in the 3,200-meter run in 10:13.77.
Ashton was in fifth place after the first lap, but quickly moved into second and didn't fall any further than third the rest of the race.
"I knew I was dragging at least three or four guys at one point, and I knew it was just going to be whoever could take that lead and just keep it for a while," Ashton said. "If anybody was going to go (past me), I was going to make sure that they were going to have to work for it."
Jack Hausman of Bishop LeBlond ran away with the win in 10:03.45.
"I knew that (Hausman) was going to go out pretty quick," Ashton said. "I let him go too early to try to go and catch that first-place spot. I just saw a bunch of guys trying to come up on my hip on the backstretch, so I just made sure to keep them on the outside. No one ever wanted to make a move on the corner, which is smart, so I just tried to keep them off and keep that lead the whole time."
Ashton finished eighth in the 3,200 last year and was seventh in the 1,600 Friday.
"This year was a big jump, to go from not even qualifying for state in the mile last year to making it up to seventh place on the podium this year," Ashton said. "Today, just coming out and jumping from eighth last year (in the 3,200) at state to all the way to second this year was a big jump, a huge confidence boost."
Now his sights are set on the school record in the 3,200, which is about 10:05.
"I'm getting close to it," Ashton said.