Golden Eagles stay atop their perch

Michelle Brown and Mary Bohi led the Seneca track and field team to a state Group 3 title two years ago, a big achievement.

Dubbed "my two horsemen" by Seneca coach Francine Siedlecki, Brown and Bohi this season spearheaded a drive that led to a successful defense of the title, a confirmation that they are for real.

Seneca is The Inquirer's South Jersey girls' track and field team of the year.

"The key was their desire to repeat," Siedlecki said about Brown, Bohi, and the rest of the team. "They knew that they had the talent. I saw the intensity at the Woodbury Relays, which we won.

"We didn't win it last year. It's a tough meet, a good barometer against top teams like Kingsway and Willingboro."

Kingsway was breathing down the Golden Eagles' necks in the South Jersey Group 3 meet at Buena and the state Group 3 meet at South Plainfield.

But each time, Seneca rose to the occasion in the final event, the 4x400-meter relay, to win the race as well as the team championship in dramatic fashion.

Christina Gall, Bohi, Lyndsy Horn, and Brown won the 4x400 in 4 minutes, 2.08 seconds at the sectional meet, which Seneca won with 92.50 points.

The same quartet in the state championship meet on May 29 at South Plainfield finished second to Sparta but ahead of Kingsway in the 4x400 relay in 3:55.01 to win the team title with 48 points.