ELK GROVE, Calif. – Senior Kayla O’Brine qualified for the CIF State Championships in the discus with an automatic qualifying throw of 135-0 to reach the state meet for the third consecutive season. It was part of an impressive night that saw four student-athletes qualify in five finals Friday night at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters meet with an opportunity to advance to next week’s state meet.

“It is very exciting and I am excited to move on,” said O’Brine, who will throw at UCSB next year. “I came in wanting to throw 135 and I did just that. It was nice to auto qualify before finals. It was a relief and it brought tears to my eyes to go again.”

O’Brine also qualified in both her sophomore and junior seasons.

“I want to throw as well as I can and hopefully throw 140 and beyond,” said O’Brine, who has a school-record best 147-1 this season.

She recorded her best mark on her third and final throw in the prelims. She posted a throw of 133-4 in the finals but did not record a better throw, finishing second and earning a spot on the discus podium.

“This is what the whole season is for,” said O’Brine. “It is nerve-wracking going through all the hoops and qualifying in each of the meets.”

O’Brine opened a meet that saw every St. Francis athlete advance to Friday’s finals in their respective events as well as both relays.

Senior Amanda Schnabel ran a 14.99 in the 100-meter hurdles to finish second in her heat and post the fourth-best time entering finals. She returned to finish sixth overall in the 300m hurdles in a personal-best 44.73.

“It definitely felt like my best race yet,” said Schnabel, who also ran on the 4×100-meter relay. “I was just trying to push and keep up with the other girls. I am excited and nervous but I think it will be good overall.”

Schnabel advanced in the 100m hurdle finals for the first time in her career, setting up a busy Friday schedule for her.

Sophomore Lilly Enes and junior Sydney Hunter had solid 400 meter races to qualify for finals. Enes was the second-best qualifier in 56.83 in winning her heat, while Hunter was second in her heat in 57.31. Both were part of the qualifying 4×100 relay.

“There are going to be faster girls but I am going to try to get a PR,” said Enes.

Sophomore Ariane Arndt crossed the line second in her 800m heat in 2:19.60, easily qualifying for the Friday final. Top three in each heat advanced in the 800m.

“I was a little nervous because I had a bad race last week,” said Arndt. “But I knew I could do better.”

Arndt ran the closing leg on the 4×400-meter relay, closing the relay that included Kiani Reyna, Elizabeth Hennessy and Enes, who took back the lead on the third leg.

“I like to run with people in front of me because I can chase them,” said Enes. “When I run alone, I don’t really pace myself because I do not know when to go. When I passed her, I got scared so I ran as fast as I could.”

Reyna participated on both relays that advanced, one of three schools to qualify relays in the finals in both events. The Troubadours enter Friday with the second-best time in both races based on Thursday’s results.

Shot put standout Samantha Ruggles and distance runners Lauren LaRocco, Miranda Myers and Madison Rawson will also compete in finals on Friday.