STOCKTON, Calif. – Senior Sinclair Yadao compiled an 11-dive total of 416.30 points to lead a trio of St. Francis scorers in the varsity 1-meter diving competition at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section girls' diving championships, held at St. Mary's High School's Cortopassi Aquatics Center Tuesday.
Yadao, a commit to Sacred Heart University, finished third in the meet to earn a return tip to the CIF state championships, held on May 9 at the Clovis West Aquatics Complex. She reached that stage as a sophomore in 2022, but bubbled under the top-four cut last year.
In addition to Yadao's state-qualifying performance, juniors Paige Vicente and Maya Hamilton placed seventh (342.80) and 14th (264.85), respectively. In all, the three Troubadours combine for 31 team points toward their schools pursuit of defending its SJS Division II swimming & diving championship. The swimmers continue the overall meet on May 1 and 3 at Elk Grove Aquatic Center.
Furthermore, St. Francis fielded two freshmen in the junior varsity session earlier on Tuesday. Rose Buffleben finished third with a 240.35 total, beating Christian Brothers' Claire Nichols by a mere 0.25. Lily Frei took seventh with a 216.85 total.
The varsity competition began with 35 divers, then reduced to a top 20 after five dives. That 20 competed for three more dives in a semifinal session, after which the field shrinks to 16 scoring finishers. The remaining 16 then continues through a three-round final. The top four overall finishers earn spots in the state meet, as compared to the top three in the varsity swimming championship events.
Yadao, Vicente and Hamilton held that 3-7-14 overall standing at the end of each of the prelim, semifinal and finals.
Yadao enjoyed her first significant scoring push in the second round, thanks to 21.0 points from the judges on a 403B (inward 1.5 tuck), good for 50.40 points. She held steady in third in the prelims at 195.55, comfortably between Ripon's Brooklyn Goeckeritz (209.75) and CB's Phifey Boyers (189.75), a former SF and future SHU teammate. Through the semis, the top four remained the same: Mountain House's Keira Chandler (332.95), Goeckeritz (313.15), Yadao (294.05) and Boyers (284.65).
Yadao piled up the points in her final three dives to clinch the state berth: 44.40 on a 303B (reverse 1.5 pike), 44.10 on a 5231D (back 1.5 with a half twist), and a 33.75 on a 5233D (back 1.5 with 1.5 twists). Each is a career high for that particular 1-meter dive.
Representing the SJS alongside Yadao will be the eventual champion Chandler (480.10), runner-up Goeckeritz (427.45) and fourth-place Mimi Poort of Folsom (398.40). Finishing ahead of Buffleben in the JV competition was CB's Kathryn Littlejohn (278.55) and Rio Americano's Delaney Draa (243.25).
Yadao is SF's first multiple state qualifier in diving since Molly Wilson made three straight trips from 2016 to 2018.
