Great Expectations For Hawk Track Teams

By Anna Hodge

Newtown High School’s girls’ and boys’ indoor track and field teams are filled with an assortment of distance runners, sprinters, throwers, jumpers, and hurdlers who will bring an extremely competitive edge to the 2010-11 season, according to head coach, Doug Russell.

Although the teams have lost key graduates, including Melanie Isola (sprinter), Sara Phenix (thrower), Katie Fragoso (thrower), Matt Bobkowski (distance), Ben Miles (sprinter/jumper), Marc Bonacci (hurdler), Shane Casey (jumper), and Rockwell Anyoha (sprinter), Russell has an extremely positive outlook for the season.

“We’re going to be a lot more competitive this year since we’ve got a lot more kids returning,” Russell said. “We’ll be stronger in jumps, throws, and distance. There is a strong group of sophomores and juniors as well.” 

These sophomores and juniors, as well as seniors, will enhance the distance crews’ potential. According to Russell, sophomore Jake Feinstein and juniors Pat Sullivan and Dieter Gutbrod are the top competitors among the boys, while senior Mara Scallon and juniors Erin Begg and Katie Burns are the high-performing female runners.

As for the throwers, Russell says they are just starting to realize their potential. On the girl’s side, junior Stefanie Clavette is returning, while John Wlasuk, the only senior among the throwers, is a Class LL shot put state champion who placed third in the State Open last year.

“I have very high goals for the season, seeing that we are returning with our top point earners and did not lose many seniors last year,” Wlasuk said.

Among the sprinters, sophomore standout Reagan Cerney will be a strong competitor. Cerney broke the school record for the girls last year in the 300 meter run, with a time of 44.15. According to Russell, seniors Ken Toal and Matt Genovese will be prominent sprinters for the boys.

There is also a strong group of hurdlers on the girls’ side. Senior Lauren Pettinelli, along with sophomores Zoe Eggleston and Melissa Buccino, will — according to Russell — display a great deal of talent that will be beneficial to the team. Pettinelli broke the school record in 2009 for the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 9.11.

The girls came in third and the boys fourth in South-West Conference Championships, and the girls were 18th, while the boys placed 12th in the Class LL Championships last year. Newtown’s track teams comprise 78 girls and 67 boys, and assistant coach Stephanie Ramsey says her greatest hope is to bring more competitors to the class meets than in the past.

“We’re seeing more talent,” Ramsey said. “I’m hoping to have the athletes who made SWCs last year qualify for states. I’m also hoping to see athletes new to the program do well this season.”

The senior leaders also have plans and set their expectations for the team. Senior Kaitlyn Connolly, a sprinter, says in order to make the 2010-2011 season successful, the athletes need to stay committed. “Everyone needs to come to practice ready to work hard,” Connolly said. “We need to remain focused on what we need to accomplish, which is to go to SWCs and states. Other than that, if we make sure we have fun and are all close, we’ll have a successful season.”

Ramsey recognizes the competitive aspect of the team, but says there is a larger force at work among the athletes. “The veteran athletes — the seniors and juniors — really support the freshmen,” Ramsey said. “There is a lot of team spirit, especially in a sport based on individual success.”

Both teams have their first SWC Developmental meet on January 7. The postseason gets underway in February, beginning with the conference championships on February 5.

“I’m really looking forward to watching our kids run at the meets,” Ramsey said. “I can’t wait to see the sprinters, jumpers, distance runners, and throwers compete and watch what they do best.”

Anna Hodge is a junior at Newtown High, an intern at The Bee, and a member of the school track team. She is sidelined with an injury but will remain involved with the track program by covering the Nighthawks for The Bee this winter while she works her way back to competition.