SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Freshman Arden Han-Wei captured Player of the Year for golf while first-year cross country mentor Chad Worthen captured Coach of the Year distinction, as the Delta League rolled out its 2022 fall sports awards Monday. These awards arrived in a season that also saw tennis players Aniyus Pierre and Chloe Garcia capture the league doubles championship.
As a policy, the league does not formally announce its awards all member teams in all sports have completed Sac-Joaquin Section postseason action. In this case, the cross country teams were the last standing, as they competed in the CIF-SJS championship last Saturday at Willow Hill Reservoir. However, some teams were already aware of All-League recipients due to finishes at various championship events.
St. Francis golf was the first to learn of its two All-Delta League honorees, as the award is based on a calculation of dual and center tournament finishes. Han-Wei won a close 174.5-169.5 battle with Pleasant Grove's Gianna Singh for the top slot in the scoring system, while senior Julia Geer ranked third in the tabulations at 157 points. Han-Wei was the team medalist in eight events, including all three Delta League center tourneys and the two SJS postseason tourneys. She posted an 18-hole stroke average of 73.33. Geer led the Troubies in two dual matches, including a 1-under-par 35 at Cosumnes Oaks.
The Delta League tennis awards were mostly revealed on October 24 and 26 at the individual singles and doubles championships, as semifinalists in each draw earn automatic spots on the all-league rolls. Senior Norah Zhou earned singles accolades by virtue of her advancement to the third-place match. Pierre and Garcia ran the table as an unseeded pairing, upsetting the No. 4 and No. 2 seeds in the league doubles bracket to win the program's first doubles title in five years. The Pierre-Garcia tandem then posted yet another upset in the SJS doubles championship, eliminating Del Oro's No. 3-seeded Avery Phillips and Neeka Abadi team. Senior Hayley Labia then snared one of the three at-large nods, thanks to an 11-4 overall record and a perfect 8-0 mark against league opponents.
The cross country awards were determined by the individual varsity finishes at the league championship meet on October 29. The Troubies won their fifth straight team title – and 23rd overall since 1989 – with Paige Quigley (second), Daphne Witherell (third), Ryann Strawn (sixth) and Kayla Towne (eighth) earning All-Delta League plaudits based on their top-10 finishes. The league coaches then selected Worthen as the Coach of the Year a week later.
Volleyball and water polo both determine their all-league teams by coaches' voting. Opposite Caroline Foraker, middle blocker Sophia Garza, outside hitter Olivia Mlikotin and libero Jacqueline Smith each earned such nods, following a season that included an upset of St. Mary's in the section semifinals. That earned SF its 21st overall trip to the section title match, and its eighth as a D-I program.
Water polo also had four all-league honorees, with all three seniors – Ava Stimson, LK Holliday and Gauri Mathrakott – earning such acclaim. Sophomore Sophia Santsche-Chavez claimed the fourth award. The Troubies improved to an 11-11 season in 2022, and advanced a round in the SJS Division II tournament.
Each school in all sports name one Delta League Sportsmanship Award winner as part of the awards slate. What follows is a summary of St. Francis' Delta League honors plus team-specific awards given out at various banquets and gatherings during the fall. Some team awards will be presented at banquets after press time, so fans should check GoTroubies.com for updates to the list.
GOLF
All-Delta League: Julia Geer
All-Delta League: Arden Han-Wei
Delta League Player of the Year: Arden Han-Wei
Delta League Sportsmanship Award: Olivia Lee
Helping Hand: Aja Garcia
Love of the Game: Bani Chauhan
Last To Leave: Arden Han-Wei
Most Valuable Player: Julia Geer
TENNIS
All-Delta League: Norah Zhou, Singles
All-Delta League: Chloe Garcia, Doubles
All-Delta League: Aniyus Pierre, Doubles
All-Delta League: Hayley Labia, At-Large
Delta League Doubles Champions: Chloe Garcia/Aniyus Pierre
Delta League Sportsmanship Award: Anna Dinh
Most Valuable Player: Hayley Labia
Excellence Award: Norah Zhou
CROSS COUNTRY
All-Delta League: Paige Quigley
All-Delta League: Ryann Strawn
All-Delta League: Kayla Towne
All-Delta League: Daphne Witherell
Delta League Coach of the Year: Chad Worthen
Delta League Sportsmanship Award: TBA
Most Valuable - Paige Quigley
Most Improved - Ashlyn Smith
Best Teammate - Pamela Vargas
Strength Award - Daphne Witherell
Comeback Award - Remi Vrilakas
Sportsmanship - Lena Schnack
Best Newcomer - Zoe Smith
Best Attitude - Kayla Towne
VOLLEYBALL
All-Delta League: Caroline Foraker
All-Delta League: Sophia Garza
All-Delta League: Olivia Mlikotin
All-Delta League: Jacqueline Smith
Delta League Sportsmanship Award: Elizabeth Gibbons
[No team awards for St. Francis volleyball]
WATER POLO
All-Delta League: Ava Stimson
All-Delta League: LK Holliday
All-Delta League: Gauri Mathrakott
All-Delta League: Sophia Santsche-Chavez
Delta League Sportsmanship Award: Miranda Ferguson
Varsity Best Offensive Player - Ava Stimson
Varsity Best Defensive Player- LK Holliday
Varsity Most Valuable Player - Gauri Mathrakott
Varsity Troubie Spirit Award - Maren Foster
JV Best Offensive Player: Havana Sperber
JV Best Defensive Player: Holland Sperber
JV Most Valuable Player: Addison Hutchcraft
JV Best Spirit: Ava Jack
