SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Seniors Sarah Charles, Lauren Riley and Maddie Pelfrey each won their respective events in two different cities, while junior Kayla Towne broke into the school's all-time top 10 list in the 1,600-meter run, highlighting St. Francis action at three meets around Northern California Saturday. The Troubadour sprinters competed in the Jesuit+ Wind Sprint meet, the throwers and jumpers went to Ponderosa for the 11th installment of the Ron Ruptier Invitational, while the distance crew took part in Day 2 of the two-day Dublin Distance Fiesta.
Riley won the varsity shot put with a mark of 32 feet, 4.5 inches; then followed with a runner-up finish in the dicsus throw, turning in a personal-best 107-6 effort. Pelfrey, the school record-holder and 2022 CIF state meet qualifier, made her return from injury by winning that event with a leap of 11-9. She led a 1-2-3 Troubie sweep in the event, followed by Donna Valizadeh in second (10-0) and Kendal Graham in third (8-6).
On the team's "home" track, Charles captured the 400-meter run with a 1:00.51 effort for another personal best. She ran the quarter as fast as 1:02.22 last season, then improved to a 1:01.53 at the Glenn Poole Invite three weeks earlier.
Towne's fifth-place 5:04.23 in the 1,600 at Dublin represents a six-second improvement of her previous best of 5:10.79, set in a dual meet with Sheldon in 2021. She now ranks ninth in school history, just behind Liz Cobb (5:04.03 in 1995) and ahead of Ariane Arndt (5:04.58 in 2016). Towne later ran a 2:20.86 in the 800 to place 10th in the field.
Both Towne and Pelfrey also eclipsed the minimum standards for the vaunted Arcadia Invitational in Saturday's action, although hitting such a mark allows an athlete to be registered and does not guarantee acceptance into the meet. The Arcadia minima are 5:07.30 for the 1,600, 11-0 for the pole vault. Towne's 800 time also has her knocking on the door of the 2:19.79 cutoff as well. Californians have until the end of the upcoming week to hit a qualifying mark for Arcadia, which runs from April 7-8.
The Troubies head into a relatively busy stretch of the season: the first of two Delta League Center Meets at Davis on Wednesday, Bella Vista's Bronco Roundup Distance and Pole Vault Carnival on Friday, and Rocklin's Thunder Invitational on Saturday. Furthermore, the Holy Spikes rivalry dual with Christian Brothers was rescheduled for Tuesday, March 28 at Jesuit High.
2023 DUBLIN DISTANCE FIESTA
Dublin High School (Dublin, Calif.)
Events with SFHS entrants only • Winners plus SFHS finishers listed
GIRLS' 1,600 METERS - 1. Ashlyn Boothby, Scotts Valley, 4:49.29... 5. Kayla Towne, 5:04.23; 18. Grace Dunham, 5:10.49; 42. Daphne Witherell 5:19.40; 63. Kelsey Sutch, 5:27.25; 87. Ryann Strawn, 5:32.72; 164. Pamela Vargas, 5:46.76; 182. Emma Dobson, 5:48.70.
GIRLS' 800 METERS - 1. Cate Peters, Monte Vista, 2:11.04... 10. Kayla Towne, 2:20.86; 49. Kelsey Sutch, 2:29.87; 107. Pamela Vargas, 2:36.15; 142. Emma Dobson, 2:40.30; 173. Chloe' Hickey, 2:43.53; 196. Kyra Lueras, 2:45.63.
GIRLS 3,200 METERS - 1. Ashlyn Boothby, Scotts Valley, 10:26.12.. 27. Grace Dunham, 11:20.87; 52. Daphne Witherell, 11:43.30
11TH ANNUAL RON RUPTIER INVITATIONAL
Ponderosa High School (Shingle Springs, Calif.)
Events with SFHS entrants only • Winners plus SFHS finishers listed
GIRLS' SHOT PUT VARSITY - 1. Lauren Riley, St. Francis, 32-4.5... 4. Elise Blomquist, 28-10.0; 5. Magdalena Becerril, 27-1.5.
GIRLS' SHOT PUT FROSH-SOPH - 1. Isabelle McRitchie, Union Mine, 27-11... 3. Antonija Jezildzic, 25-9.5.
GIRLS' DISCUS THROW VARSITY - 1. Ronan Gallagher, Folsom, 114-9... 2. Lauren Riley, 107-6; 6. Elise Blomquist, 86-0; 7. Mackenzie Santos, 79-2.
GIRLS' DISCUS THROW FROSH-SOPH - 1. Isabelle McRitchie, Union Mine, 73-4... 4. Antonija Jezildzic, 67-6.
GIRLS' POLE VAULT VARSITY - 1. Madison Pelfrey, St. Francis, 11-9... 2. Donna Valizadeh, 10-0; 3. Kendal Graham, 8-6.
GIRLS' POLE VAULT FROSH-SOPH - 1. Ava Wenham, Ponderosa, 6-6... Yareli Valencia, no height.
GIRILS' LONG JUMP VARSITY - 1. Lily Holman, Vacaville, 15-10... 10. Maddison Sundermier, 13-9.5.
GIRLS' LONG JUMP FROSH-SOPH - 1. Kaia Eckhardt, Folsom 15-7.5... 11. Abbey Pavelchik, 11-8.
GIRLS' TRIPLE JUMP VARSITY - 1. Analicia Castellano, Christian Brothers, 32-4.25... 6. Maddison Sundermier, 29-0
2023 JESUIT+ WIND SPRINT MEET
Jesuit High School (Carmichael, Calif.)
Events with SFHS entrants only • Winners plus SFHS finishers listed
Wind readings not available
GIRLS' 4x100 RELAY - 1. Kennedy (Henriques, Pearson, Dean, Cavitt), 49.87... 3. St. Francis 'A' (Pickett, Cole, Hafenstein, Dwyre), 51.46; 4. St. Francis 'B' (Barsotti, Abril, Charles, Sherburne), 52.28; 7. St. Francis 'C' (Rose, Sperber, Lucia, Maruccia), 53.97.
GIRLS' 400 METERS - 1. Sarah Charles, St. Francis, 1:00.51... 9. Penelope Cole, 1:03.68; 10. Mia Barsotti, 1:04.20; 15. Caitlin Hafenstein, 1:06.49; 18. Kennedy Bishop, 1:07.74.
GIRLS' 100 METERS - 1. Marlee Cavitt, Kennedy, 12.27... 6(tie). Kyah Pickett, 13.24; 10. Lucia Vicio, 13.44; 16. Tacori Abril, 13.64; 18. Piper Sherburne, 13.68; 19. Colleen Medina, 13.72; 20. Holland Sperber, 13.74; 23. Ella Rose, 14.17; 48. Isabella Gutierrez, 16.78; 49. Camille Alvarez, 17.01.
GIRLS' 200 METERS - 1. Marlee Cavitt, Kennedy, 25.71... 8. Caitlin Hafenstein, 27.07; 12. Kiah Pickett, 27.28; 13. Sarah Charles, 27.30; 16. Penelope Cole, 27.61; 17. Mia Barsotti, 27.71; 18. Colleen Medina, 27.74; 25. Lucia Vicio, 28.47; 26. Anastacia Maruccia, 28.97; 27. Holland Sperber, 29.20; 34. Kennedy Bishop, 30.27; 52. Isabella Gutierrez, 34.58; 56. Camille Alvarez, 35.41.
