ARCADIA, Calif. – Freshman Jasleen Gandhoke tied her personal record of 5-foot-3 in the Open high jump, senior Grace Dunham ran the fourth fastest mile time in school history in her event debut, while the Troubadours' 4x100 squad hit a season best in the Open 4x100 relay, capping St. Francis action at the Arcadia Invitational track & field meet at Arcadia High School.

Dunham finished eighth in her heat and 30th overall with a time of five minutes, 5.73 seconds. She came out strong in the first heat of the Open mile, coming through the first lap in third place with a 409-meter split of 1:13.98. Dunham held that spot until the 600-meter mark, at which point Arielle Avina of Murrieta Valley caught up to her. Union's River White then caught her on the inside along the back stretch with about a lap and a half remaining.

Dunham's 5:05.73 is her first mile time as a Troubie, and puts her fourth in school history in the event behind Sydney Vandegrift (5:03.08), Peyton Bilo (5:02.21) and Tatiana Cornejo (5:00.28). Not surprisingly, all four runners went on to collegiate careers: Cornejo and Bilo at Cal Poly, Vandegrift at Cal, with Dunham headed to UC Davis next year.

Gandhoke cleared 4-11 on the second attempt then 5-1 on the first effort. She was one of just five entrants to beat 5-3, which she did on the third attempt despite slightly clipping the bar. Unfortunately, Gandhoke joined San Ramon Valley's Hope Diekmann and Cypress' Katrina Sokolowski among those who bowed out of the race at 5-5.

The 5-3 mark tied her winning height from the first Delta League center meet on March 21. Gandhoke entered the Arcadia meet ranked second in the league and seventh in the Sac-Joaquin Section. She ended up in fifth place based on attempts in the Arcadia standings.

Finally, the Troubies field the 4x100 squad of Kyah Pickett, Alexa Randall, Lucia Vicio and Caitlin Hafenstein in the third running event of the day. That crew ran a 50.08 in Lane 8 of the first heat, eclipsing the team's previous season best by just nine hundredths of a second. SF placed 45th overall in the meet.

Known as the "Home of National Records," the 2024 Arcadia Invitational featured athletes from almost 700 schools. Over the years, the event has boasted 35 national records and 203 U.S. Olympians.

St. Francis returns to action at Davis' Halden Invitational on April 13.

2024 ARCADIA INVITATIONAL
Arcadia High School (Arcadia, Calif.)
Events with SF entrants only • Winners plus SF finishers listed

GIRLS' MILE OPEN - 1. Kenzie Bigej, Canby, 4:54.29... 30. Grace Dunham, 5:05.73.

GIRLS' 4x100 RELAY OPEN - 1. Serra (Fletcher, Flowers, Howard, Samuels), 47.96... 45. St. Francis (Pickett, Randall, Lucia Vicio, Hafenstein), 50.08.

GIRLS' HIGH JUMP OPEN - 1. Amara Thomas, Valley View; Natalie McCarty, Newport Harbor, 5-5... 5. Jasleen Gandhoke, 5-3.