DAVIS, Calif. – The St. Francis junior distance tandem of Grace Dunham and Kayla Towne hit personal records in the 3,200-meter run to highlgiht St. Francis action at Davis' Halden Invitational track & field meet at Ron & Mary Brown Stadium Saturday. Both runners move into the school's all-time top 10 list with their respective performances.
Dunham placed third in the event with a time of 11 minutes, 6.65 seconds; with Towne crossing one place behind at 11:09.83. Dunham enters the school record book in seventh behind Madison Rawson (10:59.85 in 2013), while Towne nabs the 10th spot on the list behind former teammate Tatiana Cornejo (11:08.76 in 2019).
Those times highlighted a particularly strong Distance Carnival portion of the Halden meet, as senior Daphne Witherell finished second in the 1,600 with a 5:20.82 time, second in her personal history behind only the 5:19.40 she ran at the Dublin Distance Festival almost exactly one month prior.
Earlier in the day, senior Maddie Pelfrey cleared 11 feet, six inches in the pole vault for the meet win. She has gone at least that height in four meets this season – a similar trajectory to her junior year, in which she eventually popped a school-record 12-6.
Witherell's runner-up finish in the 1,600 was one of three such places for St. Francis on Saturday. Sophomore Maysen Boswell matched that finish in the frosh-soph shot put with a PR of 30-3.5, only six inches behind winner Madison Olds of Dixon. The frosh-soph 4x100 relay of Ella Rose, Anastacia Maruccia, Lilian Vicio and Colleen Medina also took second at 53.95. Medina also placed third in the frosh-soph 200 at 27.95, shortly after hitting a personal-best 1:04.12 in the 400.
Pamela Vargas took third in the varsity 800-meter run at 2:30.68, lopping almost three full seconds from her old PR of 2:33.41, set at Bella Vista in 2022. Freshman Abbey Pavelchik was the first Troubie to medal during the meet, finishing third in the frosh-soph high jump with a 4-foot-7 leap – three inches higher than her previous personal record. Pavelchik matched Dixon's Adelyn Maseda for that height, but won the higher place based on attempts.
Only a limited number of Troubadours were in action for Saturday's meet, as St. Francis wrapped up its spring break.
A select few St. Francis athletes will compete in the Sacramento Meet of Champions at American River College next Saturday, while the remainder of the team returns to action the Delta League championships on April 29 and May 2.
2023 HALDEN INVITATIONAL
Ron & Mary Brown Stadium (Davis, Calif.)
Events with St. Francis entrants only • Winners plus SF finishers listed
GIRLS' 100 METERS VARSITY - 1. Lily Holman, Vacaville, 12.37 (w: -0.7)... 10. Kyah Pickett, 13.37 (w: -1.7); 18 (tie). Tacori Abril, 13.64 (w: -0.4).
GIRLS' 100 METERS FROSH/SOPH - 1. Camille Bursey, Sheldon, 12.97... 8. Lucia Vicio, 13.74 (w: 0.0); 9. Anastacia Maruccia, 13.76 (w: 0.0); 29. Ella Rose, 14.93 (w: -2.1).
GIRLS' 200 METERS VARSITY - 1. Lily Holman, Vacaville, 25.45 (w: -2.3)... 11. Sarah Charles, 27.54 (w: -2.4); 13. Kyah Pickett, 28.01 (w: -2.4).
GIRLS' 200 METERS FROSH/SOPH - 1. Camille Bursey, Sheldon, 26.64... 3. Colleen Medina, 27.95; 9. Lucia Vicio, 28.94; 16. Anastacia Maruccia, 29.72.
GIRLS' 400 METERS VARSITY - 1. Ihe Okoh, Franklin, 57.50... 5. Sarah Charles, 1:00.03; 16. Caitlin Hafenstein, 1:05.34.
GIRLS' 400 METERS FROSH/SOPH - 1. Alejah Crump, McClatchy, 1:01.92... 4. Colleen Medina, 1:04.12.
GIRLS' 800 METERS VARSITY - 1. Alana Farve, Sheldon, 2:25.53... 3. Pamela Vargas, 2:30.68; 20. Kyra Lueras, 2:41.84; 39. Chloe Harrison, 2:53.69; 54. Jordan Brace, 3:02.73;
GIRLS' 1,600 METERS VARSITY - 1. Norah Dulaney, Davis, 5:14.18... 2. Daphne Witherell, 5:20.82; 7. Ryann Strawn, 5:37.67; 10. Paige Quigley, 5:39.30; 17. Elizabeth Gibbons, 5:51.06; 18. Remi Vrilakas, 5:51.50; 34. Abby Page, 6:17.15; 51. Ava Ellis, 6:36.26; 69. MacKenzie Olmstead, 6:56.05; 81. Hanna Wysoczynska, 9:01.94.
GIRLS' 3,200 METERS VARSITY - 1. Norah Dulaney, Davis, 11:01.82... 3. Grace Dunham, 11:06.65; 4. Kayla Towne, 11:09.83; 12. Amelia Bell, 12:57.36.
GIRLS' 4x100 RELAY VARSITY - 1. Franklin (Singleton, Okoh, Turner, Berry), 49.23... 6. St. Francis (Barsotti, Romo, Hafenstein, Pickett), 51.37.
GIRLS' 4x100 RELAY FROSH/SOPH - 1. Sheldon (Watters, McFadden, Aigbe, Bursey), 53.39... 2. St. Francis (Rose, Maruccia, Vicio, Medina), 53.95.
GIRLS' HIGH JUMP FROSH/SOPH - 1. Lydia Boughton, Davis, 4-9... 3. Abbey Pavelchik, 4-7; Ilia Smith, no height.
GIRLS' POLE VAULT VARSITY - 1. Maddie Pelfrey, St. Francis, 11-6... 3. Donna Valizadeh, 9-6.
GIRLS' SHOT PUT VARSITY - 1. Galadriel Mellion, Weston Ranch, 39-5... 12. Magdalena Becerril, 27-6; 17. Elise Blomquist, 26-3; 21. Mackenzie Santos, 23-9.
GIRLS' SHOT PUT FROSH/SOPH - 1. Madison Olds, Dixon, 30-9.5... 2. Maysen Boswell, 30-3.5; 6. Antonija Jezildzic 26-11
GIRLS' DISCUS THROW VARSITY - 1. Galadriel Mellion, Weston Ranch, 133-4... 10. Elise Blomquist, 83-9.5; 18. Mackenzie Santos, 75-0; 22. Emika Garcia, 59-8.5.
GIRLS' DISCUS THROW FROSH/SOPH - 1. Anna Kimball, Davis, 93-0... 5. Maysen Boswell, 71-1; 10. Antonija Jezildzic, 64-6.
