ATHERTON, Calif. – Senior Ava Chavez and sophomore Erica Jaffe each won individul events and set meet records, leading St. Francis to a second-place finish at the California Catholic Challenge, hosted by Sacred Heart Prep at the Dunlevie Aquatic Center Saturday.

The Troubadours amassed 407 points, behind only three-time defending CIF state champion Santa Margarita, which won eight of the 11 events en route to 635 points. Saint Francis of Mountain View finished third with 247, followed by Archbishop Mitty (197), Mater Dei (194), Sacred Heart (187), Presentation (118), St. Mary's (63) and Moreau Catholic.

Chavez won the 100-yard butterfly with a 54.44, surpassing her own school record by 0.12, and besting the neaest competitor – Santa Margarita's Samantha Cummins– by almost three full seconds. Jaffe won the 100 backstroke at 54.91, two seconds faster than second-place Maggie McGuire of Santa Margarita.

Chavez' win the fly led 51 total points in that event, as Maddy Ching took third (57.79), with Jordyn Larson in ninth (59.39) and Makenna Frederiksen in 11th (1:00.57). The future Cal Golden Bear also took second in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:05.37, leading 50 team points in the event. Marissa Recio placed sixth (1:09.35), Mia Hill eighth (1:09.39) and Frederiksen ninth (1:09.40).

Before her 100 back win, Jaffe placed seccond in the 200 individual medlay with a 2:03.45. Later in the meet, Larson led three Troubies in the top eight in the 500 freestyle. She finished third (5:12.76), with Megan Gawlick (5:17.88) and Teaghan Brostrom (5:25.68) in fourth and eighth, respectively. 

St. Francis also scored 120 total points in the two freestyle relays. The 'A' foursome of Chavez, Maddy Ching, Jaffe and LK Holliday compiled a 1:38.07 in the 200-yard version, with Jaffe notching a 23.81 split in the third leg. Frederiksen, Larson, Hill and Holliday formed the 'A' squad in the 400-yard relay.

The Troubies also would have won the 200 medley relay, but were subsequently disqualified. The crew of Jaffe, Chavez, Maddy Ching and Holliday touched home in 1:46.61, compared to winner Santa Margarita's 1:48.09.

The meet featured five of the top eight schools from last year's CIF state meet: champion Santa Margarita, Sacred Heart (third), Saint Francis (fifth), Archbishop Mitty (seventh) and St. Francis (eighth).

The Troubies now enter the postseason portion of their 2023 season, beginning with the Delta League Championships at American River College on Thursday and Friday.

2023 CALIFORNIA CATHOLIC CHALLENGE
Dunlevie Aquatic Center (Atherton, Calif.)
Girls' events only • Winner plus SF finishers listed

TEAM SCORES - 1. Santa Margarita 635; 2. St. Francis, 407; 3. Saint Francis, 247; 4. Archbishop Mitty, 197; 5. Mater Dei, 194; 6. Sacred Heart, 187; 7. Presentation 118; 8. St. Mary's, 63; 9. Moreau Catholic, 37.

200 MEDLEY RELAY - 1. Santa Margarita (McGuire, Zhu, Cummings, Lee), 1:48.09... 4. St. Francis 'B' (Ignacio, Frederiksen, Larson, Hill), 1:51.35; St. Francis 'A' (Jaffe, Chavez, M. Ching, Holliday), DQ; St. Francis 'C' (Slaughter, DeAngelis, G. Ching, Charles), DQ

200 FREESTYLE - 1. Kenna Stinson, Santa Margarita, 1:53.84... 5. Megan Gawlick, 2:00.41.

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY - 1. Audrey J-Cheng, Sacred Heart, 2:03.39... 2. Erica Jaffe, 2:03.45; 14. Olivia Charles, 2:43.25.

50 FREESTYLE - 1. Linda Yu, Santa Margarita, 24.06... 5. LK Holliday, 25.44; 7. Maddy Ching, 25.60; 9. Bianca Ignacio, 26.39; 20. Gabriella Ching, 27.70; Exh: Marissa Recio, 25.69; Rachael Madden, 26.93; Alexis DeAngelis, 27.03; Myra Slaughter, 27.95; Milena Bonnici, 28.03; Rose Haag, 30.62.

100 BUTTERFLY - 1. Ava Chavez, St. Francis, 54.44... 3. Maddy Ching, 57.79; 9. Jordyn Larson, 59.39; 11. Makenna Frederiksen, 1:00.57; Exh: Mia Hill, 1:01.78.

100 FREESTYLE - 1. Audrey Lee, Santa Margarita 51.92... 9. Greta Laborde Lagrave, 57.47; 22. Myra Slaughter, 1:01.84; 26. Olivia Charles, 1:07.19.

500 FREESTYLE - 1. Samantha Cummins, Santa Margarita 5:04.92... 3. Jordyn Larson, 5:12.76; 4. Megan Gawlick, 5:17.88; 8. Teaghan Brostrom, 5:25.68.

200 FREE RELAY - 1. Santa Margarita (Yu, Hoppe, Hollis, Kreb), 1:37.39... 2.  St. Francis 'A' (Chavez, M. Ching, Jaffe, Holliday), 1:38.07; 7. St. Francis 'B' (Laborde Lagrave, DeAngelis, Slaughter, G. Ching), 1:47.73; St. Francis 'C' (T. Brostrom, Charles, Bonnici, Haag), DQ.

100 BACKSTROKE - 1. Erica Jaffe, St. Francis, 54.91... 9. Bianca Ignacio, 1:03.37; 10. Greta Laborde Lagrave, 1:03.82; 17. Rachael Madden, 1:07.82.

100 BREASTSTROKE - 1. Audrey J-Cheng, Sacred Heart, 1:02.28... 2. Ava Chavez, 1:05.37; 6. Marissa Recio, 1:09.35; 8. Mia Hill, 1:09.39; 9. Makenna Frederiksen, 1:09.40; Exh. Gabriella Ching, 1:13.42; Alexis DeAngelis, 1:13.91; Teaghan Brostrom, 1:14.98; Milena Bonnici, 1:18.90; Rose Haag, 1:25.35.

400 FREE RELAY -1. Santa Margarita (McGuire, Cummins, Yu, Lee), 3:31.45... 2. St. Francis 'A' (Frederiksen, Larson, Hill, Holliday), 3:40.28; 5. St. Francis 'B' (Ignacio, Recio, Gawlick, T. Brostrom), 3:50.04.