Athletic News
Soccer Remains Undefeated, Ties Elk Grove 1-1
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Freshman Janae DeFazio scored the equalizer and senior goalkeeper Meredith Kaeser recorded 13 saves as St. Francis tied Elk Grove Monday afternoon in the first game following the Spring Break holiday.
“Today was a hard day and it was not our best day,” said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “Some of the simple things we had to work harder for and they had a great chance.”
The Thundering Herd (3-4-3) took the lead in the 40th minute on a goal by junior forward Toree Oliver.
Getting to Know: Soccer’s Avery Spector
Avery Spector is playing her second full season on the varsity after earning a call-up during her sophomore season. Spector is a two-sport standout who led her tennis team to the section semifinals and was named the Delta League Player of the Year. She was the St. Francis nominee for the Dale Lackey Award given to the top student-athlete in the Sac-Joaquin Section. She plans to study graphic communications in college.
Basketball’s Dream Season Ends in Championship Game
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – After a memorable comeback Saturday to reach the CIF Division Championship, the St. Francis Troubadours could not repeat the feat Thursday, falling 64-51 to Brea Olinda in their quest for the second state championship in school history.
“The class and grace that they have shown in winning was also evident in defeat,” said Head Coach Vic Pitton. “They are the epitome of what high school athletics in all about.”
Faith over Fear: Troubies Play in State Championship Thursday
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Head Coach Vic Pitton pointed to each player individually at the end of practice on Wednesday. “I believe in you”. “I believe in you”. “I believe in you”. He went around the circle of Troubadours and they ended their final practice.
State Championship Game Notes
St. Francis Catholic Troubadours (29-5) vs. Brea Olinda Wildcats (28-4)
2016 NorCal Division I Champions
2016 Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Runner-up
2016 Delta League Champs
Television: Time Warner Cable (Steve Quis, Casey Jacobsen, Kelli Tennant)
1993 State Champs Look Back on Title Run
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – When the 2016 St. Francis basketball team qualified for the state championship game on Saturday, there was a group text started between 12 players. The achievement brought back memories and feelings for the only people in St. Francis school history who can relate: the 1993 state championship team.
Spirit Tailgate Set for Thursday at Sleep Train
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It’s time to support our NorCal champion basketball team as they play for the CIF DIVISION 1 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Thursday, March 24 at 6:00 p.m. at Sleep Train Arena. St. Francis will host a “spirit tailgate” in the Sleep Train Arena parking lot from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Wear your school colors or “Zoo” shirts to support your Troubie sisters and stop by for pom poms, signs, tattoos, face paint, and more. FREE Adidas St. Francis shirts to the first 20 fans. Snacks and bottled water will also be provided.
Giving Back: Alumnae Help Troubadours to State Title Game
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis Alumnae Sole Montemayor ’01 and Maren (Martinelli) Christie ’00 are both assistants on the basketball staff and played for Head Coach Vic Pitton during their days on campus. They have played a big role in helping the current team reach the CIF Division I Championship game on Thursday.
Broadcast and Ticket Information for the State Championship Game
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Comcast SportsNet Bay Area will show the St. Francis – Brea Olinda CIF Division I State Championship game live from Sleep Train Arena on Thursday at 6 p.m. The game will also be live streamed on the Time Warner Cable website at twccommunity.com.
Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children and students.
Soccer Player Altobell Earns NCWIT Affiliate Award for Aspirations in Computing
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Senior soccer player Sydney Altobell joined junior Allison Oliveros,and sophomore Nicole Danuwidjaja in receiving the NCWIT Affiliate Award for Aspirations in Computing Saturday at an event hosted at UC Davis, sponsored by the UC Davis C-STEM Center and Bank of America.
Track Wins Completes Busy Week
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis track and field team participated in three meets this week highlighted by sweeping the “Hat Trick” at the Bronco Distance Carnival on Friday.
Senior Ariane Arndt won the 800 meters in 2:17.68 and 1600m in 5:04.58, while sophomore Sydney Vandegrift clocked an 11:03.25 to win the 3200m. She was also seventh in the 160m (5:10.88). Senior Chase Worthen and Sophie DeBenedetti also had top 10 finishes in the 800m, posting times of 2:23.76 and 2:25.83 to finish seventh and 10th overall.
Basketball Advances to State Championship Game
NATOMAS, Calif. – St. Francis won the CIF NorCal Division I Championship Saturday with a 66-52 come-from-behind victory over Castro Valley.
“They laid it all on the line the last 16 minutes,” said Head Coach Vic Pitton, the Delta League Coach of the Year. “They played very hard in the first half but we just could not make our shots. We were not accounting for No. 15 (Nina Bessolo). That is the only charge I gave them at the half was to keep shooting and have a bit more patience on offense to create some seams to attack in their zone.”
Lacrosse Wins Battle of St. Francis
MATHER, Calif. – St. Francis built a three-goal lead in the second half and held on for a 11-10 win as Maggie Pinkston stopped two shots in the final seconds to defeat St. Francis of Mountain View 11-10 Friday night.
“We totally gritted that game out,” said Co-Head Coach Julia Southard. “We had a lot of team connections and it was a total team effort. It was the first time we have that this season.”
Hay and St. Francis Basketball Playing for Nor Cal Championship
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis will play for the Nor Cal Championship for the fourth time in school history on Saturday with a berth in the CIF State Championships at stake. Senior guard Tia Hay has helped lead the postseason run that has seen the Troubadours reach the Sac-Joaquin Section final and now the Nor Cal final.
“It feels really good being able to contribute to the team and bring something different,” said Hay.” It is pretty cool to bring in my basketball (background from Australia) and work with all the other players. We are playing well together and going far.”
Athletics News 3/18/15
Happy Spring Break. Softball will play a makeup game against McClatchy on Monday, March 21 before Easter. Sports will resume the following week starting with a soccer game Elk Grove on March 28 for JV and Varsity. They will travel to Sheldon on March 30. The Frosh team will host Rio Americano on March 29 at school. Softball will host Pleasant Grove on March 30 and track and field will have a meet with Elk Grove at Jesuit on the same day.
Lacrosse Posts Big Win over Bella Vista
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Six players had two or more goals and eight players scored overall in a 19-2 victory over Bella Vista Tuesday night at Mather Sports Complex.
Junior Sarah Westover scored a team-high five goals and recorded two assists and had 10 draw controls. Senior Meg Anderson scored three times and won 3-of-4 draw controls and recorded a team-best five ground balls. Freshman Jade Borg also had three goals in the win.
Soccer Ties Davis 1-1 in Rivalry Game
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Savannah Tijerino-Santos scored in the 13th minute to tie the game at 1 and neither team scored again as the first meeting between the Delta League rivals ended in a tie.
“I saw Ari making her run outside and I was not expecting the ball to get to me,” said Tijerino-Santos. “But you have to be there in support. I was just trying to score.”
Junior Ariana Avila made the cross to setup the goal.
Basketball Advances to Nor Cal Finals
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis basketball team defeated Menlo-Atherton 74-51 Tuesday night and advanced to CIF Nor Cal Regional finals on Saturday at 2 p.m. against Castro Valley, a 63-59 winner over Oak Ridge.
“These girls have earned it with the effort they have put forth,” said Head Coach Vic Pitton. “We played our game and I knew we had an advantage with our team speed. We were able to utilize it especially in the first half.”
Huffman’s Comeback Keys Special Season
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For senior Kyra Huffman, the CIF State Championship run by the St. Francis basketball team over the past three weeks has been memorable. But back in July, playing basketball was a faraway dream when her life became a scary nightmare.
“In the beginning we thought it was just a cold and I could play through it,” said Huffman of the illness that knocked her down in more ways than one. “It got progressively worse. I had never been in the hospital before. To spend 15 days in the ICU was probably the scariest thing I have ever been through.”