Looking Back At 2010—

Year Of Champs And Change In Newtown Athletics

By Andy Hutchison

Four high school sports teams captured conference titles; a handful of coaching changes altered the looks of varsity teams; one high school assistant was honored for his hard work; two youth sports coaches passed away, leaving big shoes to fill; a new gymnasium opened its doors; youth baseball teams, including one that reached the Cal Ripken World Series, experienced championship success; and records were set by high schoolers and parents alike. Here’s a look at some of the many memorable and significant athletic occurrences from the playing surfaces in Newtown in 2010:

Where To Play?

For starters, you can’t have competitions without venues. Easier said than done in 2010. The renovation at Newtown High School left the girls’ swimming and diving team traveling to Oxford High for pool space during the fall campaign. The girls’ volleyball team was fortunate enough to not have to leave town for practice and home matches, but played its home matches around the corner from the high school, at Reed School. Newtown High’s football team played all of its games away from Blue and Gold Stadium until the stadium reopened following replacement of the playing surface and surrounding track, just in time for the team’s appearance in the South-West Conference championship. The field, once a grass pitch, is now an artificial surface. The basketball teams and boys’ swim team practiced off-site early in the preseason before the pool and gymnasium reopened in December. The high school has a shiny-new, significantly larger, and brighter gym with a high-arcing ceiling. There shouldn’t be any more half-court, buzzer-beating heaves hitting the ceiling.

The tennis courts at Dickinson Park reopened for service (and returns of course) in September after renovations made the courts unavailable during the summer months.

Gobble Gobble

Newtown running enthusiasts John Godin, Mike Beaudry, and Mike Hornby established the first Turkey Trot, a 5K (3.1-mile) run, along with a 1.36-mile walk, on Thanksgiving morning. More than 900 runners and walkers, representing 18 states, participated and helped raise money for the Cyrenius H. Booth Library.

Champs Crowned

For the second year in a row, three of Newtown High School’s spring sports teams won South-West Conference championships. In 2010, the boys’ tennis and softball squads joined the repeat champion girls’ lacrosse team.

*The tennis team dethroned Weston with a dramatic 4-3 edging in the SWC’s pinnacle match at Treadwell Park on May 24.

*Newtown’s softball team topped Lauralton Hall of Milford 4-1 in the May 28 conference finale at Stratford’s DeLuca Field, capping off an unbeaten campaign in SWC play.

*Make it six in a row for the girls’ lacrosse contingent. The Nighthawks left no doubt about it with an early scoring barrage en route to a 20-4 thumping of New Fairfield in the title game, held at Brookfield, on May 28. The Nighthawks have had a stranglehold on the crown since 2005.

*This past fall, the NHS girls’ volleyball team won the SWC championship by topping Bunnell of Stratford 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-21) at Bethel High on November 6. The Hawks, despite not having a senior on the roster, rolled to the program’s first SWC title since 2002.

*Newtown’s Lindsay Jossick, Jaclyn Daily, and Sarah Murtha helped the Immaculate of Danbury soccer team win the Class S state title this past fall. Jossick had the decisive goal in a win over Morgan in the finale.

*On the youth sports scene, several baseball teams had outstanding runs, including league triumphs, this past summer. The Newtown Thunder 10-year-old Cal Ripken sluggers won state and New England Regional championships to earn a berth in the World Series in August. The Newtown Blackhawks won the 13-year-old Babe Ruth State Tournament.

*Newtown’s D-15 youth cheerleading team earned the Connecticut State Championship with a strong performance in Ridgefield in November.

*The three Newtown Winter Guard divisions all earned first place in the Musical Art Conference Color Guard Competition in Brookfield on February 13.

Team Notables

Even though several teams fell short in runs at championships, they had runner-up or history-making achievements along the way.

*Newtown High’s boys’ basketball team made a run to the SWC title game, its first appearance since the establishment of the SWC in 1995-96. NHS fell 53-41 to Stratford at Masuk’s gymnasium in Monroe on March 4.

*The NHS girls’ cagers made it 15-for-15. They’ve qualifying for the conference playoffs every year since the SWC was formed.

*On the ice, Newtown High School’s hockey program continued to make strides. The NHS icemen defeated Joel Barlow of Redding in the first round of the Division III state playoffs on March 8, the program’s first state playoff win.

*NHS wrestler Cory Fisher was runner-up in the 145-pound division of the SWC championships, held February 12 and 13 in Bethel.

*Newtown High’s softball team, following up its SWC title, got all the way to the Class LL title game and fell to Westhill of Stamford at DeLuca Field on June 12.

*Newtown High’s boys’ cross country team, this past fall, went a perfect 14-0 in the regular season before settling for a third-place finish in the conference champions in Bethel on October 21.

*Newtown High’s football team reached the South-West Conference title game, the day before Thanksgiving, and was runner-up to Masuk.

*Newtown’s eighth-grade football team, comprising players who had won the state title every year since they were fourth-graders, finally lost a game. The team was 52-0 against New England competition before falling 58-42 to Meriden in the state championship on November 14.

Individual Honors

Newtown High’s track and field participants and swimmers continue to set school records year after year. This past year also featured standout performances by a cheerleader, golfer, luger, and shooters.

*In 2010, NHS track standout John Wlasuk made his mark by setting a conference record in the shot put throw. Wlasuk’s toss of 51-3.5 in the SWC championships on February 6 set a new standard. Wlasuk went on to earn eighth place in the State Open. Wlasuk and distance runner Jake Feinstein both competed in the Nike Indoor Nationals at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston in March. Among the school record-setters was a freshman: sprinter Reagan Cerney. Feinstein competed in the Freshman Mile at the New Balance Outdoor National High School Championships in Greensboro, N.Y., on June 17. Among 24 of the top first-year high school runners from across the nation, Feinstein placed ninth, completing the mile in a personal-best time of 4:30.86. Elise DeRoo was among the Newtown High graduates who were honored for their athletic ability at the collegiate level. DeRoo, who runs track at Colgate University, was named the Patriot League Runner of the Week after shattering the school record in the 5,000 meter run in a time of 17:07.15 in April. DeRoo topped her own feat by garnering the league’s Outdoor Track and Field Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year accolades.

*In the pool, among the record-setting performances were those that came in the State Open. Sandy Hook’s Andrew Golankiewicz, a senior at Fairfield Prep, broke the State Open record in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing in a time of 51.01 to win first place. Newtown High’s Dan Hufziger set a school record that had held since 1976 in the 50-yard freestyle event, making his final touch in 22.06.

*Softball player Kate Bowen had her 100th career hit in a win over rival Masuk on May 17. Bowen and teammate Emma Herring tossed perfect games during their championship run.

*Newtown High golfer Abbey Doski, in May, won the SWC girls’ golf championship for the second consecutive year.

*NHS senior Kelly Stendahl, in March, was named Connecticut State Cheerleader of the Year.

*Newtown’s Sonja and Larry Haskel combined to bring home four gold medals for their tennis play from the Connecticut Senior Games in Manchester in May.

*Charlie Poarch, as an eighth-grader, was named to the US Junior National Luge Development Team.

*Louis and Brian Raab, this past summer, won titles at the 94th Annual Connecticut Trapshooting Association Championship in Hartford.

*Among several runners with Newtown ties to participate in a marathon in 2010 was 1994 NHS graduate Micaela Hurley, who was the fastest female finisher in the Lake Placid Marathon.

*Kevin Hoyt won the 36th Annual Rooster Run on May 22. Jake Feinstein captured the fifth annual Newtown Road Race on September 4. Kevin Hoyt captured the first Turkey Trot win, leading the field in the Turkey Day 5K run.

*Newtown’s Michael Schlesinger, 11, won the Rookie Division of the National Bicycle League Constitution Classic, a series of races, at the Trumbull TRACK in July. Seth Morris won the Connecticut State BMX Championship’s 15-year-old Novice Division in Trumbull in September.

*Newtown High alum Marcus Tracy, a standout soccer player who was named an All-American and Connecticut State Player of the Year, and led the 2004 team to the state title, had his uniform number retired by the Nighthawks on October 25.

*Kelley Sullivan, a 2009 NHS graduate, picked up the sport of rugby this past year and went on to play for the Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based Marist College team. She was selected to play for the Northeast U19 All-Star Team in the USA Rugby All-Star Championship Tournament in November.

All In The Family

Bob Terry, his son Cole, and daughter Kayla all won gold medals in the long jump event at the Nutmeg State Games in August. Newtown High alum Rachel Taback, and her mom, Jacqueline Taback, both won gold medals in the discus and hammer throws at the Nutmeg State Games. What’s more, Jacqueline Taback learned to throw, with help from her daughter, in the weeks leading up to the Games.

Coaching Changes  And Honors

*Brian Cragin, an assistant coach with Newtown High’s boys’ basketball team, was named the Connecticut High School Coaches Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2009-10 season.

*Newtown High School welcomed three new head coaches in the spring season, as Glenn Adams, Dan McIlrath, and Matt Memoli, respectively, took over the boys’ lacrosse, boys’ outdoor track and field, and baseball teams. In the fall, Amanda Shevlin and Zach Gauvin, respectively, took over head coaching duties with field hockey and girls’ swimming. In the winter, Gauvin stepped in to head role with the boys’ swimming team, and Jeremy O’Connell took over for the girls’ basketball squad this winter.

*Newtown’s youth athletics community lost two significant members this past fall. Football coach Chris Stenz and swimming coach Glenn Atkinson both passed away. Stenz, Atkinson, and their families, were honored as part of the annual Giorno and Harmon Memorial 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament at Newtown Youth Academy.

The past year featured many thrilling, as well as heart-breaking, moments on and off the fields and courts here in town. As the calendar turns to 2011, Newtown will again be home to exciting games, championship runs, and top-notch individual, as well as team, performances. Good luck to all of the athletes and coaches as we kick off a new calendar year of sports in Newtown!