By Paul Schwartz – Record Sports

What can they do for an encore?

The Lyndhurst girls indoor track team, in its first season, did what the outdoor team has never been able to do in more than 40 years of competition, win a sectional title.

The Golden Bears won three events and scored 14 points in the final two events on the track to defeat three-time defending champion Whippany Park and capture the North 2, Group 1 sectional championship at the Bennett Center in Toms River Friday night.

Maggie Fodera and Suzanne Morozewicz, who got Lyndhurst off to a surprising start by taking fifth and sixth in the opening heat of the girls 400, the first race of meet, both ran legs in the last race of the meet, the 4-x-400 and Morozewicz anchored the Golden Bears to second place and the clinching eight points.

“I don’t believe in setting winning a meet as a goal,’’ said Ed Tessalone, in his first season as a head coach after nine years as an assistant in cross-country and outdoor track. “I didn’t emphasize the meet and I just wanted us to work hard, try our best and perform to their capabilities and let the points come to us.’’

But after Ashley Garcia scored a surprise win in the pole vault, clearing a personal best eight feet and Lyndhurst also took third and sixth to put them just a few points behind Whippany Park, Tessalone began to believe it could happen.

“I told the kids all week that’d we be in it and our assistant coach, Dave Rasczyk kept saying we could win, but it wasn’t until we scored 17 points in the vault that I knew it was possible.’’

Ariana Lombardi threw 34-10 ¼ to easily win the shot put and Giulia Ann Pezzolla took the 800, running 2:30.10. The Golden Bears also picked up points in several other events and with the 3,200 meters and 4-x-400 left, found themselves in a 53-53 tie with Whippany Park.

Kelly Weckstein and Gizette Perez went 4-5 in the 3,200 and Whippany Park got shut out and then the relay took second behind Shabazz. The trophy went on the bus and figures to end up in the Lyndhurst trophy case very soon.

“Things broke right for us,’’ said Tessalone, who cited veteran Lyndhurst coaches Mike Pichardo and Tommy Shoebridge as major influences on the team. “McNair and Glen Ridge helped us by shutting out Whippany Park in the 3,200 and our kids did the rest.’’