Posted: Nov 09, 2023
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A total of 11 St. Francis Catholic High School senior student-athletes were honored for their future participation at 10 different colleges and universities during the fall National Letter of Intent and College Commitment celebration Thursday morning.
Alphabetically, the honorees were Yasmin Azar (Coastal Carolina, soccer), Grace Dunham (UC Davis, cross country/track & field), Caroline Foraker (UC Santa Barbara, volleyball), Makenna Frederiksen (Seattle, swimming), Brynley Hodge (Xavier, lacrosse), Alex Garcia (Utah State, softball), Francesca Guerrera (Maine, softball), Grace Mering (San Diego State, swimming), Jane Tattersall (Winthrop, lacrosse), Kayla Towne (UC Davis, cross country/track & field) and Sinclair Yadao (Sacred Heart, diving).
Alphabetically, the honorees were Yasmin Azar (Coastal Carolina, soccer), Grace Dunham (UC Davis, cross country/track & field), Caroline Foraker (UC Santa Barbara, volleyball), Makenna Frederiksen (Seattle, swimming), Brynley Hodge (Xavier, lacrosse), Alex Garcia (Utah State, softball), Francesca Guerrera (Maine, softball), Grace Mering (San Diego State, swimming), Jane Tattersall (Winthrop, lacrosse), Kayla Towne (UC Davis, cross country/track & field) and Sinclair Yadao (Sacred Heart, diving).
Photo Album | Event Program
"Success in athletics requires hard work, determination and sacrifice," said Troubadour athletics director Ryan Chisolm, in his remarks at the event. "They devote as many as 20 hours per week on top of what is already a rigorous schedule of academics and service. Achieving at a level that allows them to compete at a college and university places them in elite company. To commend their excellence is certainly an honor and privilege for an athletics director."
Thursday's ceremony is believed to be the first in school history in which all honorees are headed to NCAA Division I programs. St. Francis holds two celebration events each year – one during the fall around the first National Signing Day, and another during the spring. Historically, a typical panel comprises a mixture of athletes headed to NCAA Division I, II and III programs, as well as NAIA and two-year colleges.
Detailed profiles of Thursday's student-athlete honorees are available below:
YASMIN AZAR
SOCCER • COASTAL CAROLINA
Helped Troubies to Delta League co-championship and Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up finish as a junior... Scored nine goals for St. Francis, eight for San Juan SC (ECNL) in 2022-23... Previously earned Offensive MVP (2020-21) and overall MVP (2021-22) for school's JV Gold squad before joining varsity... Earned all-tourney and Golden Boot winner at Manteca's Buff Cup as a sophomore... Club honors include selections to Top Drawer/IMG Class of 2024 Top 200 (2020-21 through 2022-23) and All-Northwest Bay Area Conference (2021-22)... Has more than 65 service hours to various organizations, plus volunteered on coaching staffs for St. Francis summer camps and Davis Legacy Soccer Club Academy... Plans on studying business at Coastal.
GRACE DUNHAM
CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD • UC DAVIS
Placed 2nd in 1,600 at Sac-Joaquin Section D-I meet then 3rd in that event at SJS Masters, posting a personal-best 5:02.27 at the latter meet... Ranks 8th in school history in the 1,600, 7th in 3,200 (11:06.65 at Halden Invitational)... Won league titles in the 1,600 and as part of 4x800 relay... Helped 4x800 to back-to-back 2nd-place showing at section Division I and Masters meet... Competed at state championships in both events, placing 16th in 1,600, 14th in 4x800... In cross country season, won Delta League championship as a senior after missing 2022 league meet due to illness... Previously earned All-Delta League honors in 2021 (3rd overall)... Placed 20th at SJS cross country championship as a sophomore, 10th as a junior, with this year's meet running this Saturday... Finished 18th out of 223 runners at 2023 Woodbridge Invite's "Rated Varsity" three-mile race... Competitor for Sacramento Valley Endurance since the age of eight... Won Sacramento Running Association's female Junior Athlete of the Year in 2018, a year after earning USATF Junior Olympics All-America honors in 3K... Volunteered at Table Farm & Table Bread and at SRA youth cross country meets... Served as a St. Francis Ambassador and as a team representative on SAAC... Will major in data science (part of statistics) at UC Davis.
CAROLINE FORAKER
VOLLEYBALL • UC SANTA BARBARA
Two-time Under Armour All-American and All-Delta League first-team selection in club and prep volleyball, respectively... Led league in kills as a junior, helping team to league championship and Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up finish... Posted 422 kills in 2022, a total that does not count seven matches (16 sets) at High Sierra Invitational... Averaged 4.2 kills per set in first six matches of senior year before suffering season-ending injury in Holy Court match against Christian Brothers... Helped SynergyForce 17 Patrick squad to third place in Patriot Division at 2023 USA Volleyball GJNC... Also plays middle blocker for Absolute VBC's 18 Black team... Volunteered as counselor/coach for St. Francis summer volleyball camps.
"Success in athletics requires hard work, determination and sacrifice," said Troubadour athletics director Ryan Chisolm, in his remarks at the event. "They devote as many as 20 hours per week on top of what is already a rigorous schedule of academics and service. Achieving at a level that allows them to compete at a college and university places them in elite company. To commend their excellence is certainly an honor and privilege for an athletics director."
Thursday's ceremony is believed to be the first in school history in which all honorees are headed to NCAA Division I programs. St. Francis holds two celebration events each year – one during the fall around the first National Signing Day, and another during the spring. Historically, a typical panel comprises a mixture of athletes headed to NCAA Division I, II and III programs, as well as NAIA and two-year colleges.
Detailed profiles of Thursday's student-athlete honorees are available below:
YASMIN AZAR
SOCCER • COASTAL CAROLINA
Helped Troubies to Delta League co-championship and Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up finish as a junior... Scored nine goals for St. Francis, eight for San Juan SC (ECNL) in 2022-23... Previously earned Offensive MVP (2020-21) and overall MVP (2021-22) for school's JV Gold squad before joining varsity... Earned all-tourney and Golden Boot winner at Manteca's Buff Cup as a sophomore... Club honors include selections to Top Drawer/IMG Class of 2024 Top 200 (2020-21 through 2022-23) and All-Northwest Bay Area Conference (2021-22)... Has more than 65 service hours to various organizations, plus volunteered on coaching staffs for St. Francis summer camps and Davis Legacy Soccer Club Academy... Plans on studying business at Coastal.
GRACE DUNHAM
CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD • UC DAVIS
Placed 2nd in 1,600 at Sac-Joaquin Section D-I meet then 3rd in that event at SJS Masters, posting a personal-best 5:02.27 at the latter meet... Ranks 8th in school history in the 1,600, 7th in 3,200 (11:06.65 at Halden Invitational)... Won league titles in the 1,600 and as part of 4x800 relay... Helped 4x800 to back-to-back 2nd-place showing at section Division I and Masters meet... Competed at state championships in both events, placing 16th in 1,600, 14th in 4x800... In cross country season, won Delta League championship as a senior after missing 2022 league meet due to illness... Previously earned All-Delta League honors in 2021 (3rd overall)... Placed 20th at SJS cross country championship as a sophomore, 10th as a junior, with this year's meet running this Saturday... Finished 18th out of 223 runners at 2023 Woodbridge Invite's "Rated Varsity" three-mile race... Competitor for Sacramento Valley Endurance since the age of eight... Won Sacramento Running Association's female Junior Athlete of the Year in 2018, a year after earning USATF Junior Olympics All-America honors in 3K... Volunteered at Table Farm & Table Bread and at SRA youth cross country meets... Served as a St. Francis Ambassador and as a team representative on SAAC... Will major in data science (part of statistics) at UC Davis.
CAROLINE FORAKER
VOLLEYBALL • UC SANTA BARBARA
Two-time Under Armour All-American and All-Delta League first-team selection in club and prep volleyball, respectively... Led league in kills as a junior, helping team to league championship and Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up finish... Posted 422 kills in 2022, a total that does not count seven matches (16 sets) at High Sierra Invitational... Averaged 4.2 kills per set in first six matches of senior year before suffering season-ending injury in Holy Court match against Christian Brothers... Helped SynergyForce 17 Patrick squad to third place in Patriot Division at 2023 USA Volleyball GJNC... Also plays middle blocker for Absolute VBC's 18 Black team... Volunteered as counselor/coach for St. Francis summer volleyball camps.
MAKENNA FREDERIKSEN
SWIMMING • SEATTLE
State championship qualifier as part of 200-yard medley relay, which placed 22nd (1:47.45) – two places ahead of seeding... Team took sixth for best state finish in school history... Helped Troubies capture first Sac-Joaquin Section title since 2011, helping 200 medley relay to third place... Also scored points at sections in 100 breaststroke (12th) and 100 butterfly (13th)... Placed fourth and sixth in those respective strokes at Delta League Championships, boosting SF to first league banner in eight years... Competes on club scene for Sierra Marlins ST... Member of SF's Medicine and More and Sports Nutrition clubs, plans on studying nursing as a Redhawk... Volunteer service includes Saint John's Program for Real Change, River City Food Bank and Eskaton.
BRYNLEY HODGE
LACROSSE • XAVIER
Tied Jane Tattersall for team lead and school record of 70 goals as a junior, earning team's Player of the Year award... This followed a 54-goal season in 2022, setting another SF scoring benchmark for a sophomore... Also won 78 draw controls in 2023, good for sixth in school record book... Two-time All-Delta League first-team pick... Helped Troubies to 25-12 combined record in that span, the program's most successful two-year mark since 2010-12... Plays club ball for NorCal RIZE and Tenacity Project... Member of school's Aerospace Engineering and Asian/Pacific Islander clubs... Will major in civil engineering at Xavier... Has 53 service hours at various organizations... Also coached at Troubie summer lacrosse camps.
ALEX GARCIA
SOFTBALL • UTAH STATE
All-Delta League first team, MaxPreps All-Sac-Joaquin Section and Cal-Hi Sports All-State Honorable Mention in 2023... Slashed .429/.458/.571 with seven doubles, two homers and team-best 23 RBIs last year, edging teammate Kylee Garrett for team batting lead... Helped Troubies to Sac-Joaquin Section D-II title game in 2022, then semifinal round in 2023... SF finished second in Delta League both years... Plays travel ball for I-5 Softball, helping team place seventh at PGF Nationals (2023)... Represented Team Mexico at 2022 International Challenge... Made All-Summer National Team in 2021 and selected to Futures Regional All-American watch list in 2023... Part of campaign for Christina Corpus, who was elected as California's first Latina sheriff (San Mateo County)... A daughter of a peace officer, will major in sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice as an Aggie.
FRANCESCA GUERRERA
SOFTBALL • MAINE
Enters fourth varsity season as team's primary shortstop... Earned All-Delta League and team MVP honors in 2023... Hit .387/.433/.569 in 106 plate appearances as a junior... Also led team in runs (31), stolen bases (7) and extra-base hits (7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers) last spring... Helped Troubies to Sac-Joaquin Section title game as a sophomore, semifinal as a junior... Plays travel ball for LTG (Love The Game) Lions... Team won Phil Mumma and DD Invitational, while placing third at PGF Shootout and Ultimate Challenge (2022)... One of three sisters to play softball for St. Francis, following Gabriella '19 and Daniella '21... Counselor/coach for St. Francis summer softball camp... Also volunteered for Generation Great tutoring program in Oak Park, CHP Toys for Tots and Intel Holiday Card Signing for the Elderly... Intends to study nursing at Maine.
GRACE MERING
SWIMMING • SAN DIEGO STATE
Triple NISCA All-American and two-time CIF state championship qualifier during sophomore and junior Troubie seasons... Member of St. Francis' first Sac-Joaquin Section champion team since 2014, and first Delta League champ since 2015... Went on to help SF tie for eighth place at state meet in 2022, then program-record sixth last spring... Member of 400-yard freestyle relay that ranked 18th nationally in 2023, thanks to 3:25.25 at state championships... Also reached state meet in 200 individual medley (23rd) and 100 back (28th), thanks to third-place showings in each event at section final... As a sophomore, placed 3rd in 200 IM at league meet, then followed with ninth at sections... Also won consol final in 100 back at SJS... Helped 400 free relay to second at both league and SJS championships to advance to state in 2022... Swims for DART, making Junior National cuts in 200 back, 200 IM and 400 IM... Placed 7th in 200 IM, 5th in 400 IM at Futures meet... Will major in business at SDSU.
JANE TATTERSALL
LACROSSE • WINTHROP
Earned All-Delta League plus team Offensive MVP honors in her first year after transferring from Granite Bay HS... Posted school-record 70 goals with 25 assists, 19 ground balls and 21 draw controls as a junior... Became second player in SF history to surpass 60 goals in a season, two days after fellow 2023 NLI signee Brynley Hodge became the first... Scored a career-best 10 goals against Folsom to break that milestone... Also set Troubie benchmark with 95 total points, 10 ahead of teammates Hodge and Karly Okamoto, and 16 ahead of the previous mark (Katie Ku, 2008)... Two-time All-Sierra Foothill League selection and team MVP (2021, 2022) before joining Troubadours... Plays club ball for NorCal RIZE and Lakeside Lacrosse... SF service hours includes volunteering at Saint John's Program for Real Change women's shelter and Special Olympics... Plans on majoring in business administration.
KAYLA TOWNE
CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD • UC DAVIS
Advanced to Sac-Joaquin Section Masters final in 800 meters in each of sophomore and junior seasons, placing ninth (2:19.22) and seventh (2:20.54), respectively... Posted personal record of 2:15.33 at Sacramento Meet of Champions last spring, good for third in the meet and fifth in school history... Anchored 4x800 relay to school record of 9:26.91 at both SJS D-I and Masters meets, earning trip to state meet (14th, 9:30.52)... Earned track team's Distances MVP from an event group that includes at least three other future collegiate runners: Daphne Witherell, Paige Quigley and fellow Aggie-to-be Grace Dunham... Ranks ninth in school history in 1,600, thanks to 5:03.69 at Bella Vista's Bronco Distance Carnival last spring... Three-time All-Delta League finisher in cross country... Placed 24th at SJS meet in 2021, then improved to 11th in 2022, with 2023 meet running this Saturday... Looks to make third straight appearance at CIF state cross country championship appearance... Member of St. Francis' Honors Chamber Choir... Three-year member of school's Highest Honor Roll with three subject awards to her claim... Has more than 30 service hours for Table Farm & Table Bread, another 30-plus for Camp Troubie summer camp, and more than 20 for Sacramento Running Association... Will major in psychology with minor in education at UC Davis... Follows a family tradition as an Aggie student-athlete: mother Laurie (Gallagher) earned all-conference accolades in softball and helped Aggies to two NCAA third-place finishes.
SINCLAIR YADAO
DIVING • SACRED HEART
Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up on 1-meter board as a sophomore with 423.80 points, earning trip to CIF state championships (13th, 410.10)... Three-time Delta League champion, the most recent of which helped SF win its first Delta League title in eight years... Went on to place fifth at SJS championship, scoring the first points toward the Troubies' first section banner since 2011... Serves as team rep to SAAC for 2023-24... Also competes on club scene for Davis Diving... Runner-up on both 1- and 3-meter boards at AAU Regionals, then went on to place 8th on 3-meter at AAU Nationals in Riverside last July... Volunteers for National Charity League... Undecided on major at SHU, but "leans toward engineering."
SWIMMING • SEATTLE
State championship qualifier as part of 200-yard medley relay, which placed 22nd (1:47.45) – two places ahead of seeding... Team took sixth for best state finish in school history... Helped Troubies capture first Sac-Joaquin Section title since 2011, helping 200 medley relay to third place... Also scored points at sections in 100 breaststroke (12th) and 100 butterfly (13th)... Placed fourth and sixth in those respective strokes at Delta League Championships, boosting SF to first league banner in eight years... Competes on club scene for Sierra Marlins ST... Member of SF's Medicine and More and Sports Nutrition clubs, plans on studying nursing as a Redhawk... Volunteer service includes Saint John's Program for Real Change, River City Food Bank and Eskaton.
BRYNLEY HODGE
LACROSSE • XAVIER
Tied Jane Tattersall for team lead and school record of 70 goals as a junior, earning team's Player of the Year award... This followed a 54-goal season in 2022, setting another SF scoring benchmark for a sophomore... Also won 78 draw controls in 2023, good for sixth in school record book... Two-time All-Delta League first-team pick... Helped Troubies to 25-12 combined record in that span, the program's most successful two-year mark since 2010-12... Plays club ball for NorCal RIZE and Tenacity Project... Member of school's Aerospace Engineering and Asian/Pacific Islander clubs... Will major in civil engineering at Xavier... Has 53 service hours at various organizations... Also coached at Troubie summer lacrosse camps.
ALEX GARCIA
SOFTBALL • UTAH STATE
All-Delta League first team, MaxPreps All-Sac-Joaquin Section and Cal-Hi Sports All-State Honorable Mention in 2023... Slashed .429/.458/.571 with seven doubles, two homers and team-best 23 RBIs last year, edging teammate Kylee Garrett for team batting lead... Helped Troubies to Sac-Joaquin Section D-II title game in 2022, then semifinal round in 2023... SF finished second in Delta League both years... Plays travel ball for I-5 Softball, helping team place seventh at PGF Nationals (2023)... Represented Team Mexico at 2022 International Challenge... Made All-Summer National Team in 2021 and selected to Futures Regional All-American watch list in 2023... Part of campaign for Christina Corpus, who was elected as California's first Latina sheriff (San Mateo County)... A daughter of a peace officer, will major in sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice as an Aggie.
FRANCESCA GUERRERA
SOFTBALL • MAINE
Enters fourth varsity season as team's primary shortstop... Earned All-Delta League and team MVP honors in 2023... Hit .387/.433/.569 in 106 plate appearances as a junior... Also led team in runs (31), stolen bases (7) and extra-base hits (7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers) last spring... Helped Troubies to Sac-Joaquin Section title game as a sophomore, semifinal as a junior... Plays travel ball for LTG (Love The Game) Lions... Team won Phil Mumma and DD Invitational, while placing third at PGF Shootout and Ultimate Challenge (2022)... One of three sisters to play softball for St. Francis, following Gabriella '19 and Daniella '21... Counselor/coach for St. Francis summer softball camp... Also volunteered for Generation Great tutoring program in Oak Park, CHP Toys for Tots and Intel Holiday Card Signing for the Elderly... Intends to study nursing at Maine.
GRACE MERING
SWIMMING • SAN DIEGO STATE
Triple NISCA All-American and two-time CIF state championship qualifier during sophomore and junior Troubie seasons... Member of St. Francis' first Sac-Joaquin Section champion team since 2014, and first Delta League champ since 2015... Went on to help SF tie for eighth place at state meet in 2022, then program-record sixth last spring... Member of 400-yard freestyle relay that ranked 18th nationally in 2023, thanks to 3:25.25 at state championships... Also reached state meet in 200 individual medley (23rd) and 100 back (28th), thanks to third-place showings in each event at section final... As a sophomore, placed 3rd in 200 IM at league meet, then followed with ninth at sections... Also won consol final in 100 back at SJS... Helped 400 free relay to second at both league and SJS championships to advance to state in 2022... Swims for DART, making Junior National cuts in 200 back, 200 IM and 400 IM... Placed 7th in 200 IM, 5th in 400 IM at Futures meet... Will major in business at SDSU.
JANE TATTERSALL
LACROSSE • WINTHROP
Earned All-Delta League plus team Offensive MVP honors in her first year after transferring from Granite Bay HS... Posted school-record 70 goals with 25 assists, 19 ground balls and 21 draw controls as a junior... Became second player in SF history to surpass 60 goals in a season, two days after fellow 2023 NLI signee Brynley Hodge became the first... Scored a career-best 10 goals against Folsom to break that milestone... Also set Troubie benchmark with 95 total points, 10 ahead of teammates Hodge and Karly Okamoto, and 16 ahead of the previous mark (Katie Ku, 2008)... Two-time All-Sierra Foothill League selection and team MVP (2021, 2022) before joining Troubadours... Plays club ball for NorCal RIZE and Lakeside Lacrosse... SF service hours includes volunteering at Saint John's Program for Real Change women's shelter and Special Olympics... Plans on majoring in business administration.
KAYLA TOWNE
CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD • UC DAVIS
Advanced to Sac-Joaquin Section Masters final in 800 meters in each of sophomore and junior seasons, placing ninth (2:19.22) and seventh (2:20.54), respectively... Posted personal record of 2:15.33 at Sacramento Meet of Champions last spring, good for third in the meet and fifth in school history... Anchored 4x800 relay to school record of 9:26.91 at both SJS D-I and Masters meets, earning trip to state meet (14th, 9:30.52)... Earned track team's Distances MVP from an event group that includes at least three other future collegiate runners: Daphne Witherell, Paige Quigley and fellow Aggie-to-be Grace Dunham... Ranks ninth in school history in 1,600, thanks to 5:03.69 at Bella Vista's Bronco Distance Carnival last spring... Three-time All-Delta League finisher in cross country... Placed 24th at SJS meet in 2021, then improved to 11th in 2022, with 2023 meet running this Saturday... Looks to make third straight appearance at CIF state cross country championship appearance... Member of St. Francis' Honors Chamber Choir... Three-year member of school's Highest Honor Roll with three subject awards to her claim... Has more than 30 service hours for Table Farm & Table Bread, another 30-plus for Camp Troubie summer camp, and more than 20 for Sacramento Running Association... Will major in psychology with minor in education at UC Davis... Follows a family tradition as an Aggie student-athlete: mother Laurie (Gallagher) earned all-conference accolades in softball and helped Aggies to two NCAA third-place finishes.
SINCLAIR YADAO
DIVING • SACRED HEART
Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up on 1-meter board as a sophomore with 423.80 points, earning trip to CIF state championships (13th, 410.10)... Three-time Delta League champion, the most recent of which helped SF win its first Delta League title in eight years... Went on to place fifth at SJS championship, scoring the first points toward the Troubies' first section banner since 2011... Serves as team rep to SAAC for 2023-24... Also competes on club scene for Davis Diving... Runner-up on both 1- and 3-meter boards at AAU Regionals, then went on to place 8th on 3-meter at AAU Nationals in Riverside last July... Volunteers for National Charity League... Undecided on major at SHU, but "leans toward engineering."
