DRL Championship Recap: Seniors Schnabel and LaRocco Lead Title Run
Troubadours Win Title for Sixth Straight Season

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EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. – The St. Francis track and field program had not lost a Delta River League dual or championship meet in six years and were not about to stop the streak in the final running of the championship meet Friday night at Oak Ridge High School.

Senior Amanda Schnabel and Lauren LaRocco each won a pair of events as part of a dominating performance by the Troubadours in the final DRL meet. St. Francis will compete in new Delta League next year.

Schnabel won both hurdle races, opening with a winning 15.29 in the 100m hurdles and then returned later to win the 300m hurdles in 45.07 to tie her own Delta River League record set last year. Freshman Elizabeth Hennessy was fourth (17.59) and third (47.53), respectively, to advance to sections in both races.

“We were pushing each other the whole time and afterwards we looked at each other and knew it was a good race for both of us,” said Schnabel after the 100m hurdles. “It feels really good to move onto sections and hopefully I can advance and PR next week.”

Schnabel closed her day by anchoring the 4×400 relay that won in 4:00.48.

“It feels really great to help out the team,” said Schnabel, who will run for Bellermine University in Kentucky next fall.

LaRocco, who has been sidelined for the last six weeks with an injury, returned to her early season form with two impressive victories Friday.

She led a St. Francis sweep in the 1600m clocking a meet and school record time of 5:01.70, eclipsing the time meet record set in 2008 by Maria Malone. Junior Miranda Myers was second (5:11.70) and Madison Rawson (5:14.39) was third, while junior Ariel Medina crossed fifth. She then reset her own DRL record in the 3200 with a winning time of 10:53.34. The Troubadours swept again behind the efforts of Myers and Rawson.

“I’m back,” said an excited LaRocco after the 3200. “I have not had pain for a week and I have been feeling strong. I am trying to stay positive for the rest of the season. It is my last one and I have missed the whole thing. I am definitely surprising myself because I did not think I would be able to come back from missing six weeks to where I am (today). I am happy with the progress.”

Sophomore Ariane Arndt advanced to sections in the 800m (2:25.23) and was part of a 1-2-3 sweep in the 400m (57.23). Sophomore Lillian Enes won the 400m with a Delta River League record 56.98 to edge Arndt and junior Sydney Hunter (58.05) in third. Hunter and sophomore Kiani Reyna finished second and third in the 200 meters, posting times of 25.78 and 26.06, respectively. Enes also advanced to sections with an at-large qualifying time of 26.28, while Reyna reached sections with a third-place 12.95 in her third-place finish in the 100m.

The Troubadours 4×100-meter relay opened the night with a season-best 47.96 with Enes, Reyna, Arndt and Hunter posting a section leading time.

St. Francis also had strong performances in the field events. Senior Kayla O’Brine, who has signed with UCSB, won the discus for the third consecutive year with a throw of 124-10. Junior Samantha Ruggles was second overall (107-6) and Cheryl Murbach was fourth (99-6.5). Ruggles won the shot put title last week.

Sophomore Nicole Spring had a season-best mark of 17-1.5 in the long jump to finish second, while freshman Ava Bean was third in the high jump at 4-8. Freshman Meaghan Rogers had the best triple jump at 32-6.75 to finish fifth.

St. Francis scored 210.33 points in the meet to almost outscore the next three schools combined. Pleasant Grove was second with 90 points, host Oak Ridge scored 70.33 to finish third and Sheldon was fourth with 52 points.

“We have so much depth we knew tonight would come together with many fine performances,” said Assistant Coach Mason Myers, who was celebrating his birthday at the meet.

The Troubadours advance to Sac-Joaquin Section Division qualifying on Wednesday with a strong contingent advancing to help defend the school’s section title from 2013.

The meet at Elk Grove High School on Wednesday begins with field events at 1 p.m. with the running events starting at 3 p.m.