By Kim J. Harmon

PLAINVILLE – With a 94.5-89.5 loss to Plainville last Thursday, a somewhat low-key dual meet swim season came to a quiet end for Newtown High School . . . that final loss dropping the Nighthawks to 6-9 overall, 5-4 in the South-West Conference.

Okay, it was a bit of a fall from the high of 1999-2000 when the Nighthawks finished 12-3 and earned third in the SWC Championship meet, but it certainly was not nearly as far a fall as some may have expected back in December when the ‘Hawks were still trying to come to grips with the loss of 13 swimmers.

The loss of people like Ryan Eberts, Karlis Griffiths, Joe Blanchard, Mark Kalb, Alyssa von Oy and Greg Simoneau, gave several other people the opportunity to step out into the spotlight and show what they could do.

A guy like Kane Kunst, though, was in the spotlight last year. But this year he stepped it up even more and will walk out off the Newtown pool deck with records in the 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 500 freestyle and the 200 freestyle relay.

Stepping up with Kunst were people like Matt Fries (who really seemed to explode in the last few weeks), Bryan Kotwicki (who virtually came out of nowhere – much like Eberts did before him), and Jeff Heller (who is on the verge of breaking one minute in the butterfly).

Last Wednesday, the ‘Hawks took it a trifle easy in a meet with Bethel High School and came away with a 90-72 win (it was 90-37 before the ‘Hawks swam the final three events unofficially). Last Thursday, the ‘Hawks swam into a much tougher situation in Plainville and left the pool with a five-point loss to the Blue Devils.

Both Kunst and Fries were double winners for the ‘Hawks. Kunst took first in the 100 freestyle with a sparkling time of 52.18 and was first in the 100 butterfly with a time of 57.97. Fries, meanwhile, was first in the 200 freestyle with a solid 2:01.49 and then was first in the 500 freestyle with a 5:43.09 mark.

In other solid performances, the 200 medley relay team (Kunst, Robinson, Heller and Kotwicki) was first in 1:51.59; Kathleen Scharf was fourth in the 200 freestyle in 2:13.39; Heller was second in the 200 individual medley in 2:24.16; Kotwicki was third in the 50 freestyle in 25.43; Steven Truitt was second in diving with 107.25 points; Heller was second in the 100 butterfly (to Kunst) in 1:02.41; Kotwicki was tied for third in the 100 freestyle in 56.93; Scharf was fourth in the 500 freestyle in 6:04.84; the 200 freestyle relay team (Robinson, Kotwicki, Fries, and Kunst) took second (still a few seconds away from the record) in 1:38.39; and Tim Robinson was second in the 100 breaststroke in 1:13.70.

Plainville held a 94.5-77.5 lead heading into the final event and swam it unofficially.

The ‘Hawks are hoping to finish the major part of the 2000-2001 season (there is still the CIAC Class L and State Open meet, of course) on a successful note this weekend at the South-West Conference Championships at Pomperaug High School in Southbury.

Kunst probably has the best shot an individual title for Newtown – be it in the 100 butterfly or 200 individual medley. But Kotwicki, Heller, and Fries are also expected to finish high in their respective events, too.

The results:

NEWTOWN      90

BETHEL                      72

 

200 medley relay – 1. Newtown (Fries, Peyton, Heller, Kotwicki) 1:59.49, 2. Bethel 2:09.67, 3. Newtown (L. Scharf, Bass, Modzelewski, Morlath) 2:12.49.

200 freestyle – 1. Heller (N) 2:22.59, 2. Peyton (N) 2:35.04, 3. Stunkley (B) 2:38.70, 4. Morlath (N) uanavailable, 5. Nelson (B) unavailable.

200 individual medley – 1. Zowine (B) 2:33.13, 2. Heller (N) 2:34.20, 3. K. Scharf (N) 2:39.07, 4. Modzelewski (N) 2:46.99, 5. Babington (B) 3:00.68.

50 freestyle – 1. Fries (N) 25.81, 2. Kotwicki (N) 25.95, 3. Mayfield (B) 28.25, 4. Berbst (B) 30.24, 5. Modzelewski (N) 30.50.

Diving – 1. Truitt (N), 2. Sullivan (N).

100 butterfly – 1. Swink (N) 1:05.69, 2. Herbst (B) 1:21.41.

100 freestyle – 1. Kotwicki (N) 59.28, 2. Robinson (N) 1:01.81, 3. K. Scharf (N) 1:02.26, 4. Mayfield (B) 1:05.94, 5. Spain (B) 1:07.44.

500 freestyle – 1. Zowine (B) 5:52.81, 2. L. Scharf (N) 6:33.13, 3. Bass (N) 6:46.48, 4. Morlath (N) 7:12.16.

200 freestyle relay – 1. Newtown (Heller, Kotwicki, Swink, Robinson) 1:53.02, 2. Bethel 2:05.67, 3. Newtown (Bass, Morlath, Peyton, Sparacino) 2:07.65.

With a 90-37 lead, the Nighthawks swam the final three events unofficially.

 

NEWTOWN      89.5

PLAINVILLE     94.5

 

200 medley relay – 1. Newtown (Kunst, Robinson, Heller, Kotwicki) 1:51.59, 2. Plainville, 3. Newtown (L. Scharf, Peyton, Bass, Modzelewski).

200 freestyle – 1. Kries (N) 2:01.49, 2. Label (P), 3. Helming (P), 4. K. Scharf (N) 2:13.36, 5. Miner (P).

200 individual medley – 1. Crowley (P) 2:22.00, 2. Heller (N) 2:24.16, 3. Debboli (P), 4. Garewski (P), 5. L. Scharf (N) 2:42.41.

50 freestyle – 1. Arroyo (P) 24.47, 2. Landry (P), 3. Kotwicki (N) 25.43, 4. Robinson (N) 27.00, 5. Vincelette (P).

Diving – 1. Fergusen (P) 301.35 points, 2. Truiit (N) 107.25 points, 3. Szyalowski (P) 107.05 points, 4. Sullivan (N) 99.55 points, 5. Chadwick (P) 97.2 points.

100 butterfly – 1. Kunst (N) 57.97, 2. Fergusen (P), 3. Heller (N) 1:02.41, 4. Modzelewski (N) 1:09.43, 5. Donato (P).

100 freestyle – 1. Kunst (N) 52.18, 2. Arroyo (P), 3. (tie) Kotwicki (N) and Landry (P) 56.93, 5. Lebel (P).

500 freestyle – 1. Fries (N) 5:43.09, 2. Helming (P), 3. Miner (P), 4. K. Scharf (N) 6:04.84, 5. Bass (N) 6:34.89.

200 freestyle relay – 1. Plainville 1:37.74, 2. Newtown (Robinson, Kotwicki, Fries, Kunst) 1:38.39, 3. Plainville.

100 backstroke – 1. Crowley (P) 1:05.28, 2. M. Fergusen (P), 3. Garewski (P), 4. L. Scharf (N) 1:10.49, 5. Modzelewski (N) 1:11.19.

100 breaststroke – 1. Debboli (P) 1:12.61, 2. Robinson (N) 1:13.70, 3. Peyton (N) 1:20.03, 4. Donato (P), 5. Bass (N) 1:22.66.

With a 94.5-77.5 lead, Plainville swam the final event unofficially.