SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A total of 11 St. Francis Catholic High School students were recognized for their future participation in athletics at nine different colleges and universities during the preparatory school's National Letter of Intent and College Commitment celebration Wednesday morning.
Press Release/Program | Photo Album
The fall event is the first of two such ceremonies for the school, which will host a similar NLI/college commitment event in the spring.
"Success in athletics requires hard work and dedication. That these young women may continue their athletics careers at the next level is a testament to their efforts, and I could not be more proud of them on this occasion," said Ryan Chisolm, St. Francis' director of athletics.
Alphabetically, the 11 honorees were Ava Chavez (Cal, swimming & diving), Maddy Ching (UC Davis, swimming & diving), Jaycee DeFazio (Cal Poly, soccer), Sophia Garza (San Francisco State, volleyball), Abby Gillum (DePauw, lacrosse), Laura "L.K." Holliday (UC Davis, equestrian), Greta Laborde Lagrave (CSU Pueblo, swimming), Samantha Marsee (Cornell, fencing), Olivia McFarland (UC Davis, softball), Micaela Romo (Saint Mary's, soccer) and Maggie Waltz (Oregon State, rowing).
A detailed profile for each of Wednesday's honorees is available below:
AVA CHAVEZ
SWIMMING & DIVING • CAL
Five-time NISCA All-American as a junior, earning such accolades in the 200-yard freestyle, 500 free, 100 butterfly, 200 free relay and 400 free relay... Won both Delta League and Sac-Joaquin Section titles in 200 free that year... Helped Troubies to a runner-up finish at the SJS meet plus a program-best eighth at the state championships in 2022... Set school records in six individual events: 100 fly (54.56) 100 breast (1:04.14) 200 free (1:48.37) 50 free (23.73) 100 freestyle (51.41) and 500 freestyle (4:52.04)... Also took part in school records in the 200 free relay (1:35.78) and 400 free relay (3:26.26)... Earned team's Coaches Award... Also competes for Sierra Marlins, representing the club in four events at the 2022 Speedo Junior Nationals, including 15th place in 200 free (2:05.16)... Two time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American (2021, 2022)... Earned berth at USA Swimming Select Camp following freshman year... Volunteered with Special Olympics, GiGi's Playhouse (Down syndrome achievement center), and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society... Will major in marine sciences at Cal.
MADDY CHING
SWIMMING & DIVING • UC DAVIS
Earned NISCA All-American and set school records in each of the 200- (1:35.78) and 400-yard (3:26.26) freestyle relays as a junior... Hit both marks at CIF state championship, where the Troubies posted a program-best eighth... Helped SF to runner-up finish at Sac-Joaquin Section championships, where she placed 4th in 100 butterfly (55.66) and 7th in 200 free (1:53.43)... Qualified for state meet in 100 fly, finishing 22nd... Won Delta League title, and thus earned all-league honors, with a 24.27 in 50 free... Also competes for DART Swimming, representing the club at 2021 and 2022 USA Swimming Futures, 2021 Summer CA-NV Sectional and 2022 Speedo Sectional Championship Series, among others... Earned second swims in both butterfly events at each of those meets, including 9th (consolation final winner) in 200 fly at 2022 Speedo Sectionals... Four-year Sierra Nevada Swimming Scholar-Athlete honoree... Also a four-year Highest Honor Roll student, earned Subject Merit Awards in Digital Photography 2 (2020-21), Jesus Through The Ages (2019-20) and AP Studio Art (2021-22)... Will study psychology, nutrition science or exercise physiology as an Aggie... Member of Asian Pacific Islander Club, Society of Women Engineers and Modern Aesthetics Club at St. Francis, serving on leadership for the latter... Volunteered with the Special Olympics, Summerdarts (swim/water safety for kids ages 7-17), Divine Mercy and Luv Michael (serving people with autism).
JAYCEE DEFAZIO
SOCCER • CAL POLY
Two-time All-Delta League honoree and team Offensive MVP, adding Sacramento Bee All-Metro honors as a junior... Led league in goals in 2021, points in 2022, helping Troubies win Delta League banner each year... Scored braces in four different games as a junior, including two-goal, two-assist outburst at archrival Davis to clinch the conference title... Becomes second straight DeFazio sister to play Division I soccer, following Janae (UCLA, 2018-21)... Also competes for Davis Legacy, helping club win NW Bay Area Division championship and making 2021 ECNL National Playoffs Best XI... Plans to study kinesiology at Cal Poly.
SOPHIA GARZA
VOLLEYBALL • SAN FRANCISCO STATE
Earned All-Delta League first-team honors as a junior middle blocker... Hit 66-11-105 (.524) in league games in 2021, 114-23-186 (.489) in 2022... Helped Troubies win Delta League title and advance to Sac-Joaquin Section title match as a senior... Oddly, hit 11 kills with just two errors for .500 average in each of this year's SJS semifinal (at St. Mary's) and final (vs. Oak Ridge)... Plays club ball for Omni Volleyball... Full name is Anastacia Sophia Garza, but goes by middle name – or even more commonly, "Fifi" – for volleyball... Will study either psychology or criminology at S.F. State.
ABBY GILLUM
LACROSSE • DePAUW
Helped St. Francis to its first-ever Delta League title, and first league championship of any kind since the 2013 Sac Valley Lacrosse Conference crown... Troubies went 14-6 overall and 10-1 in league, also program bests in more than a decade... Primarily played in defensive third, logging 14 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers as a junior... Plays club ball for RIZE Lacrosse... Serves as secretary and lacrosse team representative for St. Francis' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee... Also serves as a retreat leader and school ambassador... Twice made High Honor Roll with three turns on Highest Honor Roll... Earned Subject Merit Award in U.S. History as a junior... Volunteers with National Charity League (a mother-daughter volunteer organization that focuses on leadership development) and has served more than 100 hours at the Twin Lakes Food bank.
LAURA "L.K." HOLLIDAY
EQUESTRIAN • UC DAVIS
Competed for Zanetti Performance Horses at 2022 American Quarter Horse Association Youth World Championship in Oklahoma City, placing 4th in Level 1 showmanship 14-18, 8th in horsemanship, 9th in trail and 12th in Level 2 showmanship... Advanced to the world championship show after earning bronze at AQHA Level 1 West show in Scottsdale, Arizona... Also finished 4th in Western riding, 8th in trail, plus reserve champion in Rookie western pleasure... Qualified for AQHA Level 1 Champion of Champions in all divisions after that performance... Champion in youth showmanship and Level 1 youth horsemanship, plus reserve champion in youth horsemanship and Level 1 youth horsemanship and bronze champion in Level 1 trail in the Pacific Coast QHA year-end awards as a sophomore... Competed in both swimming and water polo for St. Francis... Finished second in Delta League and Sac-Joaquin Section as part of 200-yard freestyle relay, ultimately earning NISCA All-America honors... Plays club water polo for American River WPC, competing in three Junior Olympics... Plans on studying molecular biology at UC Davis.
GRETA LABORDE LAGRAVE
SWIMMING & DIVING • CSU PUEBLO
Won team's Most Improved award as a junior... Placed 6th in 200-yard freestyle (2:00:75) and 9th in the 100 back at Delta League Championships (1:01:85)... Qualified for Sac-Joaquin Section meet in each of those events, placing 29th (2:02.68) and 18th (1:01.82), respectively, both of which are SCY career bests... Helped team place second at sections, the program's best finish in 11 years... Competes for DART Swimming... Served the community as a member of Girl Scouts and as a French school teaching assistant... Full name is Margaret Elizabeth Laborde Lagrave, but goes by Greta for short... Younger sister, Caroline, is a former Troubie diver who plans to swim for SF this season.
SAMANTHA MARSEE
FENCING • CORNELL
Competes for Premier Fencing Academy... Earned first-team All-America honors in saber in 2022... Ranked 21st nationally in 19U division... Placed 5th at 17U World Cup (Meylan, France), and an international finish in 2022 Team Event... Top individual performances: 2nd in Division 1 June North American Cup (2021) and 19U April North American Cup (2022); 3rd at 17U World Cup in Meylan, France (2022), and 17U Summer Challenge (2021)... First-team All-Academic honoree... Serves as Vice President for SF Sisters in Science, President and founder of Chinese Club... Volunteered with Echelon Catapult (educating youth on cybersecurity), plus at library-affiliated festivals... Also volunteered at mass during COVID-19 pandemic to ensure social distancing protocols... Teaches youth fencing classes.
OLIVIA McFARLAND
SOFTBALL • UC DAVIS
Entering fourth year on Troubie varsity softball team... Helped St. Francis to a Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up finish, the program's best since 1995 and 1996... Troubies went 26-5 overall, 10-2 (second) in Delta League play in 2022... Hit .219/.284/.260, with huge contributions coming from her glove in the outfield... Came up with two diving catches in the late innings of the SJS semifinal, preserving a 3-0 win over Elk Grove and securing the berth in the section title game... Plays summer ball for Foothill Gold Softball, BSC Bengals Softball... Led her 2022 squad in homers and earned the team's Golden Glove award... Volunteers with St. Francis' youth softball camp (2022), Vacation Bible School (2016-present) and Feed My Starving Children (2019)... Also served as a volunteer umpire for Foothill Girls Softball (2019-20), made pillowcases for families in Haiti (2019-20), and was a member of Girl Scouts (2010-19)... Will be joined in the Troubie softball program by her younger sister, Alexis ('26).
MICAELA ROMO
SOCCER • SAINT MARY'S
Earned first-team All-Delta League honors as a junior, leading the Troubies in goals (17) and tying Jaycee DeFazio for the team lead in points (39)... Posted a hat trick in a 7-0 win against Del Campo (Dec. 11) and netted two goals each vs. Rio Americano (Nov. 30) and Franklin (Jan. 13)... Plays ECNL ball for Davis Legacy, alongside DeFazio... Plans on majoring in business and marketing as a Gael.
MAGGIE WALTZ
ROWING • OREGON STATE
Serves as coxswain at Capital Rowing Club, now in her third year of competition... Spent 2022 as cox for men's team, participating in Youth Nationals... Placed 6th nationally in the men's V4+ cateogry... Now on the women's crew, serving as coxswain for V8 at Head of the Charles in Boston... Helped team place 19th out of 89 total entries... Volunteers at various organizations: Camp ReCreation, Z'Berg, Luv Michael... Plans on studying either architecture or business at OSU.
