By Kim J. Harmon

MILFORD - The day before, the Nighthawks came oh so close to capturing their first win of 2000 – their first win under new head coach Carl Strait – but on Friday they weren’t leaving anything to chance.

Just one day after suffering a four-point loss to Seymour in the final relay of the afternoon (and, thus, falling to 0-2 on the year), the ‘Hawks made short work of Foran. Although the final was 94-87, the Nighthawks held a 94-62 lead before declaring themselves unofficial for the 100-yard breaststroke and 400-yard freestyle relay.

The ‘Hawks held up their 1-2 record on Tuesday night against one of their arch-rivals, Brookfield, and fell 96-80 to drop to 1-3 on the season.

In the win over Foran, Melissa Rushefski (200- and 500-yard freestyle) and Ashley Molden (100 butterfly and 100 backstroke) were double winners. Margaret Ashey (100 individual medley) and Katherine Matz (100 freestyle) were also individual winners.

The 200 medley relay (Ashley, Kerin Sovern, Molden and Matz) and 200 freestyle relay (Rushefski, Heather Rebb, Kate Hoolehan and Rachel Rastelli) took first as well.

The Nighthawks were able to do all of that despite having some busing problems that caused them to arrive at Foran just about 4 pm. Because another meet was following this South-West Conference struggle between Newtown and Foran, the officials insisted on getting started at 4:15 pm, giving the ‘Hawks just 15 minutes to warm up.

But, hey, it was plenty.

The day before, the Nighthawks took Seymour right down to the final relay before succumbing, 90-86. Down 10 points heading into the 400 freestyle relay, the ‘Hawks needed a 1-2 finish to tie the meet, 88-88, and while the foursome of Matz, Sovern, Rushefski and Ashey easily won the event in 4:18.54, the foursome of Chrissy Glander, Jody Minalgo, Heather Rebb and Lynn Cupero were 16 seconds off of second place.

Molden (100 butterfly), Ashey (500 freestyle), Sovern (100 breaststroke) and Allie Leuzzi (diving) were all individual winners. The 200 medley relay team of Molden, Sovern, Ashey and Rushefski won the opening event of the meet and actually gave Newtown an 8-6 lead to start things off.

The ‘Hawks were ahead, 60-56, following the 500 freestyle but took some hard knocks in the 200 freestyle relay, 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke to fall 10 points back and make a comeback all but impossible.

In the loss to Brookfield on Tuesday, Rushefski (500 freestyle)_and Sovern (100 breaststroke) were the only individual winners. Rushefski took the 500 with another solid time of 5:57.47, while Sovern took the breaststroke with a 1:15.56 mark.

Rushefski was also second in the 200 freestyle (2:14.08)_while Molden was second in the 100 butterfly (1:09.31)_and Ashey was second in the 100 backstroke (1:06.90).

The ‘Hawks were set to visit Weston on Thursday for a 4 pm meet and will host Joel Barlow on Tuesday, October 3, in a 4 pm meet.

The results:

Newtown            94

Foran                 87

 

200 medley relay - 1. Newtown (Ashey, Sovern, Molden, Matz) 2:07.85, 2. Foran 2:21.63, 3. Foran 2:28.61.

200 freestyle - 1. Rushefski (N) 2:12.45, 2. Beler (F) 2:22.23, 3. Rebb (N) 2:41.04, 4. McCann (N) 2:45.16, 5. Samelwich (F) 2:51.02.

200 individual medley - 1. Ashey (N) 2:32.93, 2. Sovern (N) 2:35.82, 3. Hudak (F) 2:56.85, 4. Solyata (F) 3:05.29, 5. Hoolehan (N) 3:05.35.

50 freestyle - 1. Matz (N) 28.45, 2. Holthaus (F) 30.95, 3. Rastelli (N) 31.34, 4. Tessier (F) 32.08, 5. Hoolehan (N) 32.79.

Diving - 2. Samuels (N) 130.30 points, 3. Marina (F) 118.65, 4. Gangheim (F) 98.10, 5. Leuzzi (N) 77.90.

100 butterfly - 1. Molden (N) 1:14.38, 2. Hudak (F) 1:20.05, 3. Minalgo (N) 1:22.69, 4. Portnoy (N) 1:24.18.

100 freestyle - 1. Matz (N) 1:01.97, 2. Holthaus (F) 1:08.18, 3. Rebb (N) 1:09.87, 4. Kovatch (N) 1:12.79, 5. Babare (F) 1:14.27.

500 freestyle - 1. Rushefski (N) 5:55.28, 2. Ashey (N) 6:11.28, 3. Beler (F) 6:22.30, 4. O’Grady (F) 7:20.22, 5. Tessier (F) 7:25.30.

200 freestyle relay - 1. Newtown (Rastelli, Rebb, Hoolehan, Rushefski) 2:05.85, 2. Foran 2:09.30, 3. Newtown (Cohen, Johnston, Glander, Portnoy) 2:13.73.

100 backstroke - 1. Molden (N) 1:06.69, 2. Amenta (F) 1:20.36, 3. Silver (F) 1:21.71, 4. Wilson (F) 1:23.27, 5. Rastelli (N) 1:25.24.

Newtown swam the last two events unofficially.

 

Seymour                        90

Newtown            86

 

200 medley relay - 1. Newtown (Molden, Sovern, Ashey, Rushefski) 2:05.60, 2. Seymour 2:20.37, 3. Seymour 2:22.35.

200 freestyle - 1. Krasencky (S) 2:13.96, 2. Ashey (N) 2:16.57, 3. Deninger (S) 2:33.84, 4. O’Toole (S) 2:44.38, 5. McCann (N) 2:45.82.

200 individual medley - 1. Navarro (S) 2:32.04, 2. Matz (N) 2:34.47, 3. Sovern (N) 2:40.87, 4. Rushefski (N) 2:44.28, 5. Avery (S) 2:52.99.

50 freestyle - 1. Krasencky (S) 28.62, 2. Shay (S) 30.81, 3. Rastelli (N) 30.99, 4. Rebb (N) 31.25, 5. Pertoso (S) 31.28.

Diving - 1. Leuzzi (N) 89.10 points.

500 freestyle - 1. Molden (N) 1:08.22, 2. Navarro (S) 1:08.81, 3. Portnoy (N) 1:19.37, 4. Odom (S) 1:22.63, 5. Sinase (N) 1:34.75.

100 freestyle - 1. Navarro (S) 57.98, 2. Matz (N) 1:01.72, 3. Rushefski (N) 1:02.47, 4. Pertoso (S) 1:06.23, 5. Jensen (S) 1:07.69.

500 freestyle - 1. Ashey (N) 6:05.21, 2. Avery (S) 6:27.55, 3. Minalgo (N) 7:17.57, 4. Conte (S) 7:56.19, 5. Palmer (N) 7:48.49.

200 freestyle relay - 1. Seymour 1:57.01, 2. Newtown (Molden, Rastelli, Singer, Matz) 2:02.07, 3. Seymour 2:04.58.

100 backstroke - 1. Navarro (S) 1:05.32, 2. Molden (N) 1:06.81, 3. Denninger (S) 1:12.48, 4. Healy (S) 1:20.68, 5. Murphy (N) 1:45.69.

100 breaststroke - 1. Sovern (N) 1:16.70, 2. Jensen (S) 1:24.96, 3. Volkner (S) 1:26.13, 4. Avery (S), 5. Cohen (N) 1:32.83.

400 freestyle relay - 1. Newtown (Matz, Sovern, Rushefski, Ashey) 4:18.54, 2. Seymour 4:34.75, 3. Newtown (Glander, Minalgo, Rebb, Cupero) 4:50.18.