COLUMBUS — Sometimes quantity just doesn’t equal quality.

Despite sending program-bests of nine athletes in 10 different events, the Gallia Academy girls struggled to keep up with traditional standards this weekend at the 35th annual Division II track and field championships at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of the Ohio State University.

The Blue Angels — who have scored at least 22 points in each of the last six state meets — managed just 14 team points at the 2009 D-2 competition, placing them tied for 13th overall with Cincinnati Archbishop McNicholas.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (which had 13 girls in 13 events) and Columbus Bishop Hartley (seven girls in nine events) split the D-2 girls crown this season with 55 points apiece. McNicholas also had 10 girls in nine events.

It was the lowest finish — both in points and placement — for the GAHS girls program since 2002, when Sara Wiseman’s runner-up effort in the 3200m run gave the Angels a tie for 29th place with eight points. It was also the first time in seven years that the Angels did not bring home a silver medal from the weekend.

GAHS, however, did have one major breakthrough this weekend, as recent graduate Alexis Geiger capped her stellar career in the Blue and White with a gold medal in the long jump championship.

Geiger — the two-time state runner-up and three-time finalist in this event — posted a winning leap of 17 feet, 10.75 inches en route to her first and only gold medal effort in 16 attempts at the state level. Geiger was also eighth in the 100-meter dash final with a time of 13.09 seconds.

Geiger, Tonia Logan, Kara Jackson and Brea Close also placed seventh in the 4x200m final with a time of 1:44.99. That same quartet just missed out on qualifying in the 4x100m final by two-hundreths of a second.

That foursome — which has competed at the state level in six relays over the last three years — made their final exchanges together on Saturday in that seventh-place effort.

Having finished second in both the 4x100 and 4x200 relays before, their final go-round was disappointing for all of them to handle. However, their final race together was in no way representative of what this foursome has meant to this program over the years.

For the seniors, Saturday was about one final day in the sun together.

“We’ve had a lot of great memories over the years,” Logan said. “I wish them all well in their futures and hope everything works out for them. It’s been a lot of fun being with them.”

The new state champion agreed with emotion.

“The day didn’t end off as well as I had hoped it would, but it was fun running with these girls one more time,” Geiger said as she started to shed a tear.

As for the underclassmen, they both agree that Geiger and Logan have been instrumental in helping their careers. They were also happy to share the track with their mentors one last time.

“Alexis and Tonia have done a real good job of helping build me up since my freshman year, being good role models for this team,” Jackson said. “They’ve taught us an awful lot of good things over the years and we’ve had an awful lot of fun together. It will be up to us returnees to continue this tradition.

Close was equally proud and heartbroken to compete with the recent grads one more time.

“We had another good year together. We tried our best today, which is what we’ve always done,” Close said. “We’re like family and it’s hard to see them go. I’ve had a great time with them over the years.”

Jackson — making her 200m dash final debut on Saturday — also placed eighth with a time of 25.73 seconds. It was the fifth different state event that Jackson has qualified for in her three years, the most of any of the Blue Angels at the 2009 state meet. Jackson was the 400m runner-up as a freshman.

Two other newcomers competed in finals on Saturday, as Samantha Barnes and Peyton Adkins participated in the 800m and 3200m events, respectively. Barnes — a sophomore — placed 16th with a time of 2:21.98, while Adkins — a freshman — just missed the podium with a ninth-place effort of 11:53.61.

That duo, along with recent graduate Lauren Adkins and freshman McKenna Warner, also placed 12th in the 4x800m relay with a time of 9:53.47 in Friday’s final.

The younger Adkins — despite finishing better in her individual event — commented that her experience in the relay will be the one thing she remembers most from her first trip to Columbus.

“It wasn’t how I had hoped things would work out, but I’ve still had an excellent experience this weekend,” Adkins said. “I’m really happy we made it here as a team, that’s something I’m really proud of this weekend. And hopefully, I’ll be back here a couple more times to give it another shot.”

As for Barnes, the two-day event as a whole was what stuck with her from her first trip.

“It’s been an amazing weekend. It’s really exciting, a little nerve-wracking and the crowd is crazy,” Barnes said. “I definitely want to make back here and do this again. This is a good experience for me and I want to grow from it.”

Junior Allie Troester also made her state debut on Friday in the discus event, just missing out on the podium with a ninth-place effort of 114 feet, 10 inches.

It was a difficult debut for Troester — who would have won the D-2 discus title with her regional throw of 123-10. Still, as she commented, the complete experience was definitely something to grow from.

Especially since the leadership role will fall on the seniors next year.

“It was a lot of up and down with nerves this weekend. There were the nerves of qualifying for finals and then being relieved when you make it to the finals, then you get nervous again because your in the finals. It’s been a completely new experience for me and it’s been a real joy just to get here. ,” Troester said. “We’ve learned a lot from these upperclassmen over the years. We (the underclassmen) know it’s on us to continue the tradition of this program next season.”

In Division II boys, Pemberville Eastwood won the team championship with 47 points. Meigs — who received a school-best four points from Mason Metts with a fifth-place effort in the shot put — finished tied for 51st with Germantown Valley View, Mentor Lake Catholic, Garrettsville Garfield, Middletown Madison, West Milton Milton-Union and Navarra Fairless.