SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior distance runners Tatiana Cornejo and Cate Joaquin, along with junior pole vaulter Maddie Pelfrey, will represent St. Francis at the famed Arcadia Invitational track & field meet on Saturday. Tournament organizers announced the accepted entries last week, then updated the athletes and alternates list on Monday.

 

Cornejo and Joaquin each hit qualifying standards in two events but opted for a single event. Cornejo, who also qualified in the 800, is entered in the Seeded One Mile at 5:36 p.m. on Saturday. Joaquin made the cut for both the one mile and 3,200, and will run in the Invitational edition of the 3,200 at 8:37 p.m. that night. Pelfrey made the Open flight of the girls' pole vault, which starts at 11:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

 

Both Cornejo and Joaquin have committed to NCAA Division I programs: Cornejo to Cal Poly (Big West Conference), Joaquin to Georgetown (Big East Conference).

 

A more complete bio on each Troubadour athlete is available below.

 

Billed as the "Home of National Records," Arcadia Invitational dates back more than a half century, and consists of two days of both traditional and non-traditional track & field events. This year's edition has athletes from 622 schools from 29 different states. Awards are presented to the top finishers in each event, while all participants in the Invitational heats and flights receive meet souvenirs.

 

The meet will be streamed via Runnerspace. Links to this stream, tickets, schedules and other meet information are available at https://www.arcadiainvitational.org. 

 

Listed in order of competition • Competitor and heat/flight info added

 

Hometown: Woodland, Calif.

Event Entered: #133 (Open Girls' Pole Vault, order 17, 11:30 a.m. Saturday)

Notes: Ranks 2nd in Delta League, 3rd in CIF Sac-Joaquin Section in pole vault at 11-10, set at Halden Invitational in Davis... That mark ranks 2nd in St. Francis history, behind only current St. John's vaulter Meghan Ladd, who went 12-0 at 2018 Bronco Distance Carnival... Has broken 11 feet in every meet in 2022, including PR at Davis and 11-8 at Bronco Distance Carnival on Mar. 25... Jumps for pole vault coach Mike Kenison... First eclipsed 11-foot barrier indoors at UCS National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada... Also team's 2022 high jump leader (4-8), who has also competed in long jump, 100 hurdles, 100 dash and 4x100 throughout prep career.

 

Hometown: Elk Grove, Calif.

Event Entered: #207 (Seeded Girls' One Mile Run, hip 1F, 5:36 p.m. Saturday)

Notes: Committed to reigning Big West Conference champion Cal Poly...  Ranks 9th in California, 2nd in CIF-SJS in 1,600 thanks to school-record 4:53.27 (mile equivalent 4:54.97) at Dublin Distance Fiesta... Also leads Delta League and ranks 2nd in SJS in 800 (2:16.36), good for No. 4 spot in SFHS record book... Placed 6th in 1,600, 4th in 3,200 at section Div. I track meet in 2019, but had 2020 and 2021 track seasons cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic... Enjoyed outstanding final cross country season last fall: won Delta League individual title, placed 4th at SJS D-II Championship, 5th at state championship, 4th at NXC California Regional.

 

Hometown: Carmichael, Calif.

Event Entered: #237 (Invitational Girls' 3,200-Meter Run, hip 2F, 8:37 p.m. Saturday)

Notes: Signed with Georgetown weeks after the Hoyas won the Big East Conference cross country championship... Ranks 2nd in Sac-Joaquin Section, 9th in state of California in 3,200, running PR of 10:32.15 at Bella Vista's Bronco Distance Carnival... Ranks 4th in school history in that event, just three hundredths behind Sydney Vandegrift, who went 10:32.12 at the 2017 Arcadia Invite... Previously held St. Francis 1,600 record of 4:54.79 before both she (4:53.54) and Tatiana Cornejo (4:53.27) surpassed the old mark at Dublin Distance Fiesta... In cross country, placed 4th at 2019 state championships, highest ever by a Troubie... Placed 2nd at Delta League, 3rd at CIF-SJS during senior cross season.