WATCH Lauren Rain Williams & Zaria Francis battle at Mt. SAC Relays

After Lauren Rain Williams (Oaks Christian, CA) pulled off the 100m/200m sprint double last weekend at the Arcadia Invitational, 100m runner-up Zaria Francis (Rio Mesa, CA) said, "[this] makes you want to put on the boxing gloves again."

The Mt. SAC Relays on Saturday, April 18 saw Francis pack a powerful punch, as the U.S. No. 3 ranked junior beat the U.S. No. 2 ranked sophomore star head-to-head in the Invitational 100.

Francis clocked an official time of 11.45 as Williams ran 11.46 with a wind-reading of 3.6.

But Williams did not hang up the gloves, as she returned on Saturday afternoon to win her signature event - the 200 meter dash - in a nation-leading time of 23.19.

Francis finished runner-up in 23.61, with the wind reading registered at 1.5. The mark is just off her own U.S. No. 4 time of 23.60 this season. Suzie Acolaste (Mission Hills, CA) took third in both events at 11.52 for 100m and 23.88 for 200m.

With Williams a sophomore and Francis a junior, the past two weekends mark just the beginning of a great California sprint rivalry in the coming weeks and years.