ELK GROVE, Calif. – St. Francis advanced two athletes in three events Friday night to next week’s state championships at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters meet at Elk Grove High School Friday night.

Junior Ariane Arndt continued her dominant season in the 800 meters, winning the Masters title for the second consecutive season. She posted the top time in the section this season, clocking a 2:10.05 at the Arcadia Invitational. She won nine individual 800 races this season.

“I am so excited for next week,” said Arndt, who finished seventh in her prelim heat at the state meet last season. “I have been looking forward to this meet all season.”

Arndt took the race out on the first lap and finished with a strong kick at the end to secure her victory.

“I was really nervous before the race,” said Arndt. “It is an honor to be out here.”

Senior Peyton Bilo was the first state qualifier on the night for the Troubadours, finishing third in the 1600m in 4:58.24. The top three in each event and at-large qualifers advanced from Friday’s meet. Junior Chase Worthen was 14th overall in 5:21.74.

“It feels amazing,” said Bilo after getting her third-place medal. “I am so excited, really happy and tired. I ended up pacing the first two laps and it was a little challenging. But I think it benefitted me. It was real good to have Kendall and Hannah to help me with the last kick on the final 400 meters.”

Calavaras’ Hannah Hull won the event in 4:55.49, while Kendall Derry of Bella Vista (4:57.73) was second overall.

“I felt really dead and I was not sure who was behind me,” said Bilo, who ran in hot conditions earlier in the evening. “I was not sure if it was one person or two people.”

Bilo, who is from El Dorado Hills, is the second consecutive St. Francis runner to qualify in the event. Lauren LaRocco, who runs at Portland, was second in the event last season.

Bilo returned later to run the 3200 against Davis junior Fiona O’Keeffe, who posted a 51-second victory to run the third-fastest time in the nation this season with a time of 10:00.57. Bilo was easily second in 10:51.57.

“It feels so amazing,” said Bilo, who will run both events at state. “In the two mile, when I hit the seventh lap I knew it was just one more lap and I was going to state. It is so exciting. This is my first time qualifying for state and to go in two events is more than I could have imagined.”

Senior Miranda Myers was sixth overall in the 3200 in a season-best 11:03.75. Senior Sydney Hunter ran in two sprint finals, finishing seventh in the 400 meters (56.09) and seventh in the 200 meters (25.91). The 4×100-meter relay (Kiani Reyna, Ariane Arndt, Lilly Enes and Aly Shebert) was fifth in the first event of the night, clocking a time of 48.49. Junior Nicole Spring posted a best jump of 17-3.25 to finish 11th overall in the long jump.

Bilo and Arndt will represent St. Francis next Friday and Saturday at the CIF State Championships in Fresno.