Hall takes 800; Haddonfield is second overall

Middle-distance runner Marielle Hall couldn't wait around to see how her Haddonfield teammates were doing Saturday afternoon at the South Jersey Groups 2 and 3 and Non-Public B track and field championships at Buena. She had to be with her sister, Simone Hall, who was graduating from the University of Virginia.

But first, Texas-bound Marielle Hall had business to take care of in the Group 2 800-meter race, and she did, with a time of 2 minutes, 10.54 seconds for the win.

Hall, who won the mile Friday in 4:51.04, hadn't run the 800 since early March, so she was happy with her race.

"I went out well, I wanted to do the [first] 400 quickly," Hall said. "I was looking for a fast time, better than last year at this time [2:13]. It's points for my team. We are in the hunt and trying to get a team win."

Hall undoubtedly was disappointed to learn that Delsea won Group 2 with 94 points and Haddonfield placed second with 80.25.

Delsea senior Caitlin Baker said the victory gives the team a big "push" for next weekend's scheduled state Group championships at South Plainfield.

Kingsway led Seneca by a point, 41-40, in the Group 3 competition Saturday morning. By the evening, the lead had evaporated, and Seneca won with 92.50 points. Kingsway placed second with 86.

The Kingsway-Seneca battle was personified in the 800-meter. Kingsway's Elizabeth Locke led the field for most of the race with Mary Bohi trailing until about the last 200 meters.

"I had a 200-meter kick at the end," said Bohi, who won in 2:16.30.

Seneca's Michelle Brown, who'd already won the 100 and 400, was thinking about the 4x400 relay seconds after she won the 200 in 25.59.

Then Brown anchored the 4x400 by running a gutsy race to win the event in 4:02.08. Her split was 54.8, a shade off her best: 53 flat.

When she got the baton, Brown was in third place with Central Regional's Essence Clyburn, behind Kingsway's Kayle Green. Clearview's Cassandra Lenkowski was in the lead.

"I was so far back I didn't think I'd catch Clearview," Brown said. "I knew that in order for my team to win we had to beat Kingsway. The Kingsway girl was about 25 meters ahead."

Brown passed her, and in the last 50 meters she shifted into another gear to overtake Lenkowski for the win.