SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis diver Sinclair Yadao and two Troubadour relay foursomes earned All-America distinction by the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association for the 2024 season, the organization announced this summer. Yadao garnered her nod in one-meter diving. The crew of senior Grace Mering, junior Mia Hill, junior Erica Jaffe and freshman Lilla Kapinya won honors in the 200-yard medley relay; while Jaffe, junior Isabelle Schmid, Mering and Hill picked up similar accolades in the 400 freestyle relay.
All-America status is awarded for hitting specific thresholds during sanctioned competition during the season. The 200 medley relay automatic standard is 1:44:31, with consideration for all teams at 1:46.22 or faster. The 400 free relay has standards of 3:27.68 and 3:31.16, respectively. In diving, competitors must hit a minimum score of 375 points in an 11-dive championship meet, with degrees of difficulty on option dives at 13.0 or higher. A maximum of 100 divers, swimmers or relays make the final All-America cut for each event.
Yadao won her fourth straight Delta League championship with a 461.85 score, then placed third at the Sac-Joaquin Section meet at 416.30 to earn a return trip to the CIF state championship. Yadao placed 19th at the state, scoring 300.85 in eight dives.
The St. Francis 200 medley relay squad of Mering, Hill, Jaffe and Kapinya won both Delta League (1:45.93) and SJS titles (1:45.53), then placed 11th at the state championship with a school-record 1:45.38, good for 86th nationally. The 400 free relay group of Jaffe, Schmid, Mering and Hill also claimed the league title (3:30.35), placed second at the section meet (3:29.65) in a thriller with Davis, then won the consolation final at state (3:29.89). The time of 3:29.14, set in the state prelims, ranks second in school history.
The six All-Americans collectively led the Troubies to their second consecutive SJS Division II championship.
The 2023-24 season marked St. Francis' last in the Delta League. The school will move (alongside Davis and Jesuit) to the Sierra Foothill League next year, joining a powerhouse conference that already boasted Del Oro, Folsom, Granite Bay, Oak Ridge, Rocklin and Whitney.
