Newtown High School’s boys’ swimming and diving team came in sixth in the Class LL state championships. After the diving finals took place March 12 in Hamden, the swimming events concluded March 19 at Wesleyan University in Middletown.

The Nighthawks scored 252 points and were only four in back of fifth-place Manchester. Greenwich, with 913, was first among 21 schools to score in the championships.

The first swimming event was the 200 yard medley relay race. Newtown placed seventh as the team of Richard Huffman, Seth Barrett, Matt Argraves, and Owen Gray finished in a time of 1:42.17 to score 44 points.

In the 200 freestyle event, Zack Payne was 15th in 1:51.47, and Chris Lafky was 16th in 1:53.03, as the Newtown pair scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Gray was 20th in the 50 free, making his final touch in 23.38 for five points.

The 100 butterfly results included Huffman coming in 10th in 53.53 for 17 points, and Jacob Branchflower placing 12th in 54.10 for 15 points. Dawson Stout was 22nd in 55.67, good for three points.

In the 500 freestyle race. Payne was 14th in a time of 5:02.71 for 13 points, and Lafky was 15th in 5:02.74 for 12 points.

The 200 free relay team was seventh in 1:32.37 as Gray, Branchflower, Payne, and Lafky combined efforts to pull in 44 points.

Huffman came in fourth in the 100 backstroke in a time of 53.47 to earn 25 points.

In the 100 breaststroke event, Barrett placed 18th in 1:03.81 for seven points.

Newtown’s 400 free relay team of Payne, Branchflower, Lafky, and Huffman, came in ninth in 3:22.87 for 38 points.

In the diving finals, Ryan Nathenson was 19 with a finals score of 240.85 for six points.

The top performers from all class sizes in Connecticut advanced to the March 22 State Open at Yale University.