MONROE — Newtown High School’s boys’ swimming and diving team came in fourth in the South-West Conference Championships, which culminated with the swim events at Masuk High on March 7. NHS scored 194.5 points, including its efforts at the SWC diving competition, held two days earlier at Pomperaug of Southbury. Pomperaug was the overall champion with a score of 520, followed by Brookfield with 307.5, and Weston, which narrowly outscored Newtown with 200 points.

The Nighthawks had some nice efforts with several swimmers improving times and a handful earning State Championship qualification.

“We’ve had mostly good swims,” said Newtown Coach Ryan Eberts, adding that the experience of competing among nine conference squads is also of benefit to the younger swimmers. “It helps them get a sense of the intensity — something to work for the rest of the season.”

Oliver Clancy, Johnny Barzetti, Finn Clancy, Alex Gadbut, Duncan Kolb, and Leo Van Straten had already qualified for States and Van Straten did not compete due to illness. At the SWC meet Brady Wennerholm, Kyle Albrecht, Elias Kolb, Sam Irving, and Warren Ache all qualified for States. Ache had previously qualified in diving.

Eberts said he is especially looking forward to how captains Oliver Clancy and Johnny Barzetti, along with a contingent of strong sophomores, do in the state meet. Following Wednesday's diving competition in Middletown are the swimming events which will take place at Cornerstone Aquatics Center in West Hartford on Saturday, March 15.

At the SWC Championships, Newtown’s 200 yard medley relay team comprising Oliver Clancy, Duncan Kolb, Barzetti, and Finn Clancy, was seventh in a time of 1:49.55.

In the 200 freestyle race Finn Clancy was eighth in 1:56.66 and Gadbut took 11th in 1:57.93. Barzetti placed eighth in the 200 individual medley race with a time of 2:16.59; Duncan Kolb was 12th in 2:18.70. Ache and Elias Kolb finished back-to-back in the 50 free, coming in 12th and 13th with times of 24.11 and 24.17.

Barzetti took fifth in the 100 butterfly race, clocking in at 58.35 and Albrecht placed tenth in the event with a 59.33. Finn Clancy recorded Newtown’s best time in the 100 free with a 13th-place finish in 53.63. Gadbut was ninth in the 500, making his final touch in 5:22.60. Also in the 500, Oliver Clancy came in 11th in 5:28.69, Wennerholm was 12th in 5:30.11, and Irving took 13th in 5:33.86.

Newtown was fourth in the 200 free relay race with Ache, Elias Kolb, Duncan Kolb, and Gadbut finishing in 1:36.34. The Nighthawks were led by Oliver Clancy with a ninth-place swim in the 100 backstroke, recording a time of 59.94; Elias Kolb was 11th in 1:03.44. Duncan Kolb placed tenth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.27. In the 400 free relay Gadbut, Oliver Clancy, Barzetti, and Finn Clancy came in seventh in 3:36.35.

In the diving competition, Ache was eighth with a score of 241.10 and Trenton Story tenth with a 228.10.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.