Newtown High School’s girls’ swim team began the season with a 100-70 win over visiting Joel Barlow-Immaculate-Bethel on September 13.

The 200 yard medley relay team of Sierra Marx, Alexa Kwarcinski, Lillian Accettella, and Zoe Petertonjes got the meet started with a first place time of 1:58.23.

Petertonjes won the 50 freestyle race in 25.55. NHS went one-two in the 100 butterfly race as Petertonjes took home another win with a time of 1:02.08 and Madelyn Marcisz earned second in 1:08.68. Accettella was first in the 100 free clocking in at 59.66. Angela Wennerholm took first in the 500 making her final touch in 6:07.54.

The 200 free relay team of Kwarcinski, Indigo Land, Marcisz, and Accettella won in 1:51.14. The 100 breaststroke winner was Kwarcinski in 1:09.55, and she was followed by runner-up swimmer Marcisz in 1:19.66. The 400 free relay contingent of Petertonjes, Emily Metzger, Wennerholm, and Marx was first in 4:12.40.

Metzger was second in the 200 free with a time of 2:20.17, Kwarcinski was second in the 200 individual medley in 2:14.41, and Marx was second in the 100 backstroke race in 1:10.41.

“We were really pleased with the team’s performance in our first meet. We had some really promising times for this early in the season. Our veterans really showed a lot of leadership and we saw some of our younger swimmers step up to new challenges. Overall it was a great start,” Newtown Coach Lisa Irving said.

Newtown traveled to New Milford on September 27 and won 105-77 and had some swimmers lock up spots in the South-West Conference and State Championships.

“We had another great meet and the team really overcame some hurdles and came together for the win. We had several girls step up into new and more challenging events and we counted on every person to do their part. The girls posted numerous personal best times as well as new SWC and State qualifying times. Our divers competed for the first time this season, returning diver Grace Kase and our newest diver, Zoe Petertonjes, who qualified for SWCs in her first meet,” Irving said.

The 200 medley relay of Marx, Kwarcinski, Accettella, and Metzger was first in 2:03.28. Petertonjes won the 200 free in 2:00.03. Kwarcinski won the 200 IM in 2:13.50. Accettella took first in the 50 with a time of 27.78.

Petertonjes scored 136.65 for third place in her first time competing on the diving board and Kase was fourth with a score of 119.40.

Accettella won the 100 butterfly race in 1:07.90. Marx was runner-up in the 100 free in 1:01.04. Wennerholm came in first in the 500, making her final touch in 6:03.90.

The 200 free relay of Marx, Land, Accettella, and Petertonjes won first place in 1:50.31. Kwarcinski was first in the 100 backstroke in 1:02.72, followed by second-place finisher Marx in 1:10.71. Land won the 100 breaststroke event in 1:19.90.

NHS sealed the team win heading into the last event and exhibitioned the 400 free relay. Newtown had the fastest two times in the relay as Petertonjes, Metzger, Wennerholm, and Kwarcinski recorded a time of 4:05.74 and Bridget Gioffe, Ella Viau, Emma Sheehan, and Marcisz clocked in at 4:34.78.

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