NHS Boys’ Swimming—

Hawks Have Best Results, Break Record, But Settle For Third In SWC

By Andy Hutchison

MONROE — Newtown High School’s boys’ swimming team couldn’t have had much more of a rewarding and yet, at the same time, somewhat disappointing night at the pool than it did in this past Saturday’s South-West Conference Championships at Masuk High School.

Almost all of the Nighthawk swimmers swam their fastest times of the year, showing that they are peaking at the right time with the state championship races just around the corner. Impressively, the Nighthawks had their best times of the winter in 33 of 35 events at the SWC meet. What’s more, the 200 yard freestyle relay team broke the school record at Saturday’s meet.

The only snafu on this overall rewarding night of swimming was that Brookfield beat Newtown out in the race for second place behind always-dominant Pomperaug. The Hawks fell short, in part, because they were shorthanded. Senior breaststroker Allen Hubbard was sick and could not compete and a couple of his teammates were still battling the lingering effects of whatever bug is going around this season. Plus, Brookfield swam well and had better results in the diving portion of the competition, which was held earlier in the week.

Pomperaug, with 672 points, won first place in the SWC Championships. Brookfield was second with 379.50, edging out third-place Newtown (372). Newtown finished second in the regular season but dropped to third because more weight is placed on the tourney outcome.

“We’re disappointed in the placement, but most of us did amazing timewise so we’re happy about that,” said sophomore Matt Iassogna, who competed in the 100 yard butterfly and 50 yard freestyle. “I’m excited — I’m just going to get better. I can feel myself getting faster.”

“Almost everyone swam personal bests,” sophomore Kyle O’Connor added.

Newtown didn’t have any first-place finishers, but took home several second- and third-place results. The highlight for Newtown was when its 200 yard relay team set the NHS record with a time of 1:32.46.

“We swam probably as well as we could swim,” Newtown Head Coach Matt Childs said. “I couldn’t ask any more than what these guys did. The guys worked hard and wanted to do well and I think they did that. You have to take your hat off to Brookfield. They swam very well today.”

Childs said several of his swimmers waited to shave until before the Class LL State competition this weekend and that that could bring down the times even more.

Shaving times was the theme at Saturday’s meet.

NHS freshman Abben Hung took three seconds off his 100 yard breaststroke time. He swam a 1:06.90, good for sixth at the race.

“I didn’t think I’d do that well. I was really surprised I dropped so much time,” he said.

Hung said his is striving to take a few tenths of a second off his time in the state competition.

Senior Wes Hood, sophomore Luke Fiore, senior Stefan Toi, and senior James O’Connor comprised the school record-setting 200 relay squad, which placed second at the SWC meet.

“I did everything I could,” O’Connor said. “My head’s still pounding. It’s huge to know I helped the team. I’m so happy.”

Toi was second in both the 200 yard IM (2:02.17) and 100 yard butterfly (54.48). Fiore had third-place finishes in the 200 freestyle (1:51.18) and 100 free (50.43).

Senior Chris Fragoso had his best times of the season in the 200 free and 100 fly, but is shooting for better results in states.

“I’m looking to do a lot better at states but getting my best times was good,” he said. Fragoso is aiming to get his 100 yard butterfly time under a minute and his 200 freestyle time under two minutes.

Fragoso said the best part of Saturday’s meet was how well the team did as a whole. The most fun aspect, meanwhile, was camaraderie and friendly competition.

Chris Fragoso got to root for his brother, Tony Fragoso, and watch the rivals/friends from competing schools. The Newtown swimmers know participants from several of the other teams and cheered for a Joel Barlow swimmer who was racing side-by-side with a Brookfield swimmer.

“That’s the reason the meet’s a lot of fun,” Chris Fragoso said.

The SWC meet was originally slated for last Friday but the forecasted snow pushed it to the next night. The Newtown swimmers didn’t find out until Friday after school, but had a feeling the meet would be postponed. The fact that some of the swimmers were under the weather made the postponement a positive, Chris Fragoso said.

“We were looking at the extra day as a day to recover,” he said. “The more rest you get the better.”

“That was a bit of a letdown, but it’s probably better that we swam Saturday,” Iassogna added. “It was definitely better for mental preparedness.”

The state competition was scheduled to get underway with diving trails Thursday. Swimming trials are Saturday in Hamden and the finals are Tuesday at Wesleyan University.

“I think we’re going to do really well in states,” Fiore said.

Tough state competition will come from perennial juggernauts Greenwich and Fairfield Prep.

“I’m just hoping everybody has good swims — good times,” Tony Fragoso said.