By Kim J. Harmon

It has been a long time coming and the Lady Nighthawks were anxious to finally swim a meet in their own pool while being able to glance up at the walls and see their times blinking with electronic precision.

But the installation of the new scoreboard and touchpad system was delayed to the middle of the week and a meet against Joel Barlow (which would have actually worked out to be a home meet for the Lady Falcons, since they also use the Newtown pool) was pushed off to next week.

It gave the ‘Hawks time to rest before their meet Thursday afternoon with New Fairfield and time to reflect on last week’s loss to Weston.

Short-Lived Lead

It seemed like a heck of a situation for the Lady Nighthawks. With four events done, the diving coming up, they were sitting four points ahead of one of their archest South-West Conference rivals, Weston.

It was too good to last.

The ‘Hawks clung to a one-point lead after diving (Tracey Samuels came in second with one of her best performances of the season), but in the next event – the 100 butterfly – the Lady Trojans took the lead for the first time and for good.

Weston won, 95-90.

Katherine Matz (200 individual medley), Lauren Coulter (50 freestyle), Melissa Rushefski (500 freestyle), Kate Ryan (100 backstroke) and Kerin Sovern (100 breaststroke) were all individual winners. The 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams also captured wins.

But solid depth on the Weston bench helped earn the Lady Trojans the win.

Weston 95, Newtown 90

200 medley relay – Newtown (1:46.95), 2. Weston  (2:10.56), 3. Weston (2:23.77).

200 freestyle – 1. Prewwely (W) 2:04.29, 2. Melissa Rushefski (N) 2:15.34, 3. Beth Winton (N) 2:25.86, 4. Neufield (W) 2:47.39, 5. Carucci (W) 2:49.57.

200 individual medley – 1. Katherine Matz (N) 2:37.59, 2. Costello (W) 2:40.68, 3. Margaret Ashey (N) 2:43.49, 4. Sheriff (W) 2:58.93, 5. Barow (W) 3:13.65.

50 freestyle – 1. Lauren Coulter (N) 27.66, 2. LaMendola (W) 27.78, 3. Kerin Sovern (N) 28.57, 4. Stevens (W) 30.18, 5. Hillmann (W) 30.67.

Diving – 1. Brosseau (W) 177.65 points, 2. Tracey Samuels (N) 167.80 points, 3. Guarino (W) 81.61 points, 4. Alley Leuzzi (N) 76.85 points.

100 butterfly – 1. LaMendola (W) 1:08.22, 2. Noyer (W) 1:12.18, 3. Kate Ryan (N) 1:15.03, 4. Barow (W) 1:25.62, 5. Jessica Kovatch (N) 1:31.17.

100 freestyle – 1. Kennedy (W) 56.44, 2. Lauren Coulter (N) 1:01.03, 3. Katherine Matz (N) 1:02.92, 4. Bassett (W) 1:08.13, 5. Stevens (W) 1:08.22.

500 freestyle – 1. Melissa Rushefski (N) 5:58.93, 3. Costello (W) 6:11.52, 3. Noyes (W) 6:15.03, 4. Margaret Ashey (N) 6:23.06, 5. Neufield (W) 7:31.77.

200 freestyle relay – 1. Weston (1:54.03), 2. Newtown (2:00.09), 3. Weston (2:12.20).

100 backstroke – 1. Kate Ryan (N) 1:12.06, 2. Bassett (W) 1:16.35, 3. Helman (W) 1:17.60, 4. Davis (W) 1:21.20, 5. Maria Kowarick (N) 1:32.83.

100 breaststroke – 1. Kerin Sovern (N) 1:19.42, 2. Sheriff (W) 1:22.04, 3. Beth Winton (N) 1:22.25, 4. Candace Cohen (N) 1:32.40, 5. Alten (W) 1:34.81.

400 freestyle relay – 1. Newtown (4:11.41), 2. Weston (4:13.63), 3. Newtown (4:49.34).