Date: Fri 31-May-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

All-SWC-Baseball-Softball

Full Text:

All-SWC Baseball/Softball

Newtown High senior catcher Matt Zavatsky was named the most valuable player

in the South-West Conference and honored with the 1996 John Giampaolo Award

for his excellence on the baseball field this spring.

Zavatsky, who will play ball at Division I Florida Atlantic University in

September, became the fifth Newtown High player to win the award joining

former NHS standouts Paul Pedone, Jerry Reidy, Mike Waterbury, and Matt Daly.

The four previous winners from NHS were all shortstops.

The Giampaolo Award, named for the former Masuk High baseball coach, was

awarded to the MVP of the Western Connecticut Conference previous to the

inception of the new SWC this year.

Zavatsky and senior Jon Danko were both named last week to the South-West

Conference's first-ever All-Conference team as well.

Zavatsky was named at the catcher position. Danko - who played first base,

shortstop, and pitcher, and batted first and third in the NHS lineup during

the season - was named as a utility player.

Zavatsky batted .313 this spring with eleven extra-base hits including a

team-leading six triples. Danko was Newtown's triple crown winner leading the

team in batting (.362), home runs (3), and RBI (18). Danko also led the team

with 25 hits and 12 extra-base hits while recording a team-high three pitching

victories. From the NHS softball team, pitcher Sam Byrne was selected to the

All-SWC team after posting a record of 9-8 with a 2.09 ERA and 156 strikeouts

in 111 innings. She also batted .436 with four doubles and 17 RBI.