LODI, Calif. – Senior Emily Bartylla accomplished what every athlete hopes for in their final performance, swimming a personal-best in her signature event.

“She did a 1:10 as a freshman and she had not broken it since in high school,” said Head Coach Richard Levin. “To do that in her final swim, we both shared a tear together. It was a great way to send her off.”

Bartylla, who will swim at Occidental next year, touched the wall in 1:09.81 in the 100 breaststroke, finishing 21st. The place was not important because she recorded her fastest time ever for the event.

“It was the best feeling ever,” said Bartylla. “I cried happy tears.”

While she will not swim an individual event on Saturday in the Sac-Joaquin Section finals, she is not done. Bartylla will join her varsity teammates – senior Hannah Parulan and sophomores Emma Peters and Emma Hollenbach – competing on a pair of relays for the Troubadours.

“Our relays today were really fast,” said Bartyla. “We caught up at the end a bunch for the 400 free and 200 IM. Every swim was solid. We are coming back for great swims.”

Parulan advanced in the 200 individual medley, placing 15th overall in 2:13.34.

“I dropped a little for my 200 IM and I am not coming back for the back,” said Parulan, “It was a good effort.”

Hollenbach will swim in the consolation final in the 100 breaststroke after placing 13th.

Both varsity relays advanced to finals with the 200 IM placing eighth (1:53.88) and 400 freestyle finishing third (3:43.60).

“We are tiny but mighty,” said Parulan of the varsity group. “It is a smaller group for SF than past years but we have good younger swimmers coming in.”

The Frosh/Soph group posted top performances all day starting with the first relay, looking to repeat as section champions.

“Going into the season we knew the Frosh/Sop group would be the strength of our team,” said Levin. “We have four varsity swimmers, everyone else is a JV swimmer and they have come to swim. We have the top seed in both 400 free and 200 medley relays. There is all positive energy and that morning relay really got the day started for everybody.”

The Frosh/Soph 200 IM won the opening race of the day, dropping 10 seconds off their seed time to earn the top seed entering Saturday with a time of 1:52.82.

“It was amazing and gave everyone a boast and really helped me,” said sophomore Chloe Beebout. “I came in a little shaky. It was nice to have that.”

Beebout had a pair of great individual swims to set up key races on Saturday for section individual titltes.

“She is the emotional leader of this group,” said Levin. “Her positive energy and attitude is infectious. I wish they were all like that.”

She finished second in both the 200y freestyle (1:57.36) and 500 free (5:13.48).

“I am going take it all out the first 100 and see what I have left,” said Beebout of the 200 free. “I am just going to go for it.”

Sophomore Kendall Houck added a pair of second-place finishes in her events. She was second in the 200 backstroke in 2:13.68 and just missed breaking under a minute in the 100 backstroke in 1:00.21.

“I just have to go out faster on my back and not get caught on the breaststroke and go fast on the free and hopefully she does not beat me again,” said Houck.

Levin praised Houck for her swims and growth during the season.

“She is really having a great meet,” said Levin. “She is phenomenal water polo player and tends to focus on water polo. As she has developed this season, swimming has come around and clicking at the best time. She getting in the work and finding the beautiful balance between water polo and swimming.”

St. Francis will have point scoring opportunities in the 100 butterfly with three finalists (8. Maria Corvacho Marruga, 1:01.35; 12. Laura Freeworth, 1:01.71; 16. Madeline Hoppa, 1:02.86) and four advancing in the top 16 in the 100 backstroke. In addition to Houck, freshman Maria Corvacho Marrugo was fourth (1:021.93), sophomore Jaclynn Burgess was seventh (1:02.79) and sophomore Laura Freeworth in 12th (1:04.02).

Other finalists in the Frosh/Soph meet included Caroline Wilkins in the 200 and 100 freestyle,

The meet starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday with team and individual titles at stake for both and boys and girls.

Sac-Joaquin Section Swimming Championships – Girls Trials

Frosh/Soph Results

200y Medley Relay – 1. St. Francis (Houck, Burgess, Freeworth, Beebout), 1:52.82; 200y Free – 2. Chloe Beebout, 1:57.36; 10. Caroline Wilkins, 2:02.42; 32. Angela Altamirano, 2:09.29; 48. Aneliese Poarch-Twining, 2:13.77; 200y IM – 2. Kendall Houck, 2:13.68; 9. Madeline Hoppa, 2:18.37; 50y Freestyle – 35. Aneliese Poarch-Twining, 26.73; 100y Butterfly – 8. Maria Corvacho Marruga, 1:01.35; 12. Laura Freeworth, 1:01.71; 16. Madeline Hoppa, 1:02.86; 100y Freestyle – 16. Caroline Wilkins, 56.32; 28. Emma Daniels, 57.76; 500 Freestyle – 2. Chloe Beebout, 5:13.48; 21. Angela Altamirano, 5:46.11; 200y Free Relay – 9. St. Francis, 1:46.27; 100y Backstroke – 2. Kendall Houck, 1:00.21; 4. Maria Corvacho Marrugo, 1:01.93; 7. Jaclynn Burgess, 1:02.79; 12. Laura Freeworth, 1:04.02; 100y Breaststroke – 19. Jaclynn Burgess, 1:11.95; 400y Free Relay – 1. St. Francis (Wilkins, Freeworth, Houck, Beebout), 3:42.79.

Varsity Results

200y Medley Relay – 8. St. Francis (Parulan, Hollenbach, Peters, Bartylla), 1:53.88; 200y Free – 10. Emma Peters, 1:56.31; 200y IM – 15. Hannah Parulan, 2:13.34; 24. Emma Hollenbach, 2:16.71; 100y Freestyle –11. Emma Peters, 53.02; 500y Freestyle – 17. Emily Bartylla, 5:22.49; 100y Backstroke – 18. Hannah Parulan, 1:00.56; 100y Breaststroke – 13. Emma Hollenbach, 1:07.87; 21. Emily Bartylla, 1:09.81; 400y Free Relay – 5. St. Francis (Parulan, Hollenbach, Peters, Bartylla), 3:43.60.