RIO LINDA, Calif. – Senior Paige Vicente, freshman Piper Bates and freshman Stella Cassidy held the three St. Francis scoring places as the Troubadours posted first-, third- and fourth-place points in a head-to-head matchup with Davis in a Sierra Foothill League diving dual meet at Capital Divers Wednesday.
The meet featured entrants from St. Francis, Davis, Center and Christian Brothers, with the SF-Davis portion contributing to the larger league swim meet at Jesuit on Thursday. Vicente won the meet overall with 227.35 points, well ahead of runner-up Violet Watts of Davis, who scored 203.05.
Bates compiled 192.40 in her six dives, with Cassidy close behind at 192.05. Those two ninth graders were fifth and sixth among the field overall, but third and fourth in the Troubie-Blue Devil scoring. Senior Maya Hamilton (168.30), Rose Buffleben (158.35), Hana Beauchamp (130.55), Alex Suter (128.95) and Evelyn Lichine (96.60) rounded out the remainder of the St. Francis field.
Vicente established a career high with her 227.35, eclipsing the 210.10 at Rio Americano to close out the 2023 regular season. She finished her program strong: a 46.20 on a 403C (inward 1.5 tuck) in the fifth round followed by a 43.05 on a 5231D (back 1.5 with a half twist) in the sixth. Bates also had a solid meet from end to end, never scoring lower than a 5.5 award from a judge throughout, with a 38.50 in the fourth round on a 104C (forward 2.0 tuck) representing her high-scoring dive.
Wednesday's meet marked the first complete SFL dual meet for the Troubies, as the double dual with Whitney and Folsom getting halted by weather one week earlier. The Troubies gave the swimmers an 11-5 lead in Thursday's dual with the Blue Devils.
St. Francis diving returns to action at Rocklin with Del Oro in continued SFL dual action on April 3. (Note: this meet may move up a day to April 2, pending pool availability.)
