Newtown High School's girls' and boys' indoor track teams have finished off the regular season and look ahead to the postseason, which gets underway with the South-West Conference championships at Hillhouse High in New Haven on Saturday, February 8 at 5 pm.

Boys

Records broken this season:

Junior Neil Coppola set the 60 meter record, 7.35.

Distance medley relay (Will Tainter-Gilbert, Tristan Andrew, Drew Poseno, and Nick Jacobs), 11:10.94.

4x200 (Will Hornby, Andrew, Neil Coppola, Zachary Majeski), 1:35.65.

Senior Andrew set the triple jump mark, 38-3.

"We have 15 athletes competing in SWCs out of our 40 we started with this season. We are small, but mighty," Coach Becky Osborne said. "We are looking forward to an exciting meet. The boys are primed and ready to do their best and we are positioned to have some close races. The team has suffered a few set backs due to injuries in the past few weeks, but those that are healthy are excited to compete this weekend at Hillhouse."

As one of the top throwers in the league, Grant Baker is hoping to land in the top position in the shot-put event. Newtown's relays are looking to score in the top six. "There have been some changes in runners due to injuries, but the teams are ready to show what they have at the big meet on Saturday," Osborne said.

Osborne said athletes to watch include Coppola, Andrew, and Hornby in sprints, Poseno, Tainter-Gillbert, and Jacobs in distance events, and Toby Ferris (sprints/hurdles).

Girls

Records broken this season:

Captain Laura Wong set a school record in the 60, 8:65.

Sophomore Ally McCarthy broke the 1000 record, 3:04.82.

Freshman Riley Powers broke the 1600 record, 5:19.

Distance medley relay (Powers, Laura Wong, Rylee Harrell, and Ally McCarthy), 12:56.50.

Freshman Grace Miller set the indoor triple jump record at 32-7.0.

Postseason Qualifiers:

"Elise Barracelli has returned in her sophomore year stronger in the 55 and in the 300. Senior Captain Vicki Moran is in top form in the 55, having broken eight seconds mid-season and dropping each time she runs it, she is also leading our relays to victory," Coach Becky Knapp said.

Other sprinters are freshman Eva Barricelli, sophomores Bridget Lovely, Amelia Daly, and Katelyn Zaniewski, and Senior Sarah Holcolmb and Wong.

After qualifying one hurdler a year ago, Newtown has three this winter. Arden Hildenbrand and Jamie Adams took up hurdles last year as freshman and have now qualified as sophomores. Rebecca Walsh, a junior who is new to the team this year qualified at her last meet to extend her season.

A majority of Newtown's distance team continues onto the postseason: Freshmen Skyler Howard, Riley Powers, and Hannah Snyad; sophomores: Sophia Guevara, Ally McCarthy, Ella Hage, Chloe Karnas, and Emily Litke; juniors Gloria Rowley, Courtney Henchcliffe, and Emily Tressler; and seniors, Captain Hallie Filan and Rylee Harrell.

"A surprising addition this season has been the growth in our field events. Last season we qualified three long jumpers, this year we have seven," Knapp said.

Freshmen Joey Libero, Ellie Meyer, Grace Miller, and Ashley Hubner; sophomores Jamie Adams and Katie Rowan; and senior Sarah Tressler will all jump in the championship meet.

"In Pole vault, outdoor veterans have taken on the indoor season with the help of our new pole vault coach Barbara Skidmore: Seniors Olivia Grant, Meghan O'Rouke, and Jackie Tibolla," Knapp added.

Shot-put will include four throwers: Freshman Kaelin Rising; junior Soarah Nowackil and seniors: Captain Anna Burns, and Lily Beasley.

"Going into SWC we have 38 girls qualified — 55 percent of the team," said Knapp, whose squad has 13 more representatives than a year ago. "Quantity does not equate to winning championships but this team with all its quantity has also got the quality.

"We are looking at going into SWCs as a team, not as individuals looking to improve ourselves. Athletes are sacrificing their single events to run relays in hopes to score more points," Knapp added. "It is a selfless group who wants to win. It is hard to inspire runners to not worry about their personal best and records, as running the field events is so individualized, yet this team is a group of competitors. They are out to beat the person in front of them. They are hungry and I am so excited to see what they do at SWCs."

After the conference championships, the top Nighthawks will compete in the Class LL state championships, February 13 at 4 pm. The State Open is February 22 at noon. Each meet is at Hillhouse.