By Kim J. Harmon

When it comes to competing against those fierce (or hated) rivals that every team seems to have, apparently it comes down to this: you win some and you lose some.

The Nighthawks had the fortune (good or bad, whatever way one might look at it) of meeting two of their top rivals within the space of a couple of days. First it was Brookfield last Tuesday and then it was Weston last Friday.

The ‘Hawks are rivals with Brookfield merely by proximity, but are rivals with Weston for entirely different reasons. Lose some, win some – just two days after falling to Brookfield, the ‘Hawks earned their second (and best) win of the season with a 98-78 decision over Weston.

Melissa Rushefski (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle) and Ashley Molden (100 butterfly, 100 backstroke) were double winners while Margaret Ashey (200 individual medley), Katherine Matz (100 freestyle), and Liz Sovern (100 breaststroke) were all individual winners.

It was a dominating win for the ‘Hawks, a win earned largely on their efforts in the second half of the meet. Through the first five events, right into diving where the ‘Hawks were without a competitor, Weston had built up a 38-30 lead.

But with a 1-3-4 finish in the 100 butterfly and a 1-2-5 finish in the 100 freestyle, the ‘Hawks quickly erased that eight-point deficit and turned it into a four-point lead, 52-48. And with Rushefski, Ashey and Rachel Rastelli going 1-2-4 in the 500 freestyle, the ‘Hawks quickly expanded that lead to 64-52.

Talk about a fast turnaround.

A 1-3 finish in the 200 freestyle relay increased the lead even more, to 74-56, and allowed the ‘Hawks to coast to the finish. Weston inched a little closer in the 100 backstroke and 100 breaskstroke, but Newtown finished its rivals off with a 1-3 finish in the 400 freestyle relay.

A solid, solid effort.

Too bad, though, the ‘Hawks were not able to draw that success out through their meet with Joel Barlow on Tuesday afternoon at Newtown High. The Falcons have developed a strong program in a short period of time and managed to defeat the ‘Hawks handily.

Diver Tracey Samuels did qualify for the CIAC state meet, though, in the loss.

Newtown dropped to 2-4.

This week, the ‘Hawks will host New Fairfield on Friday at 4 pm and Stratford next Tuesday, also at 4 pm.

Newtown            98

Weston              78

 

200 medley relay - 1. Newtown 2:13.08, 2. Weston 2:14.60, 3. Weston 2:26.15.

200 freestyle - 1. Melissa Rushefski (N) 2:14.21, 2. Nayes (W) 2:19.56, 3. Neufeld (W) 2:42.28, 4. Jessica Kovatch (N) 2:43.59, 5. Chrissy Glander (N) 2:44.83.

200 individual medley - 1. Margaret Ashey (N) 2:31.38, 2. Costello (W) 2:44.74, 3. Atkins (W) 3:00.18, 4. Nikki Singer (N) 3:01.89, 5. Feldstein (W) 3:04.12.

50 freestyle - 1. Sherriff (W) 28.49, 2. Katherine Matz (N) 28.46, 3. Stevens (W) 30.09, 4. Wilson (W) 31:03, 5. Heather Rebb (N) 31.63.

Diving - 1. Guarino (W) 102.4 points.

100 butterfly - 1. Ashley Molden (N) 1:11.46, 2. Costello (W) 1:16.21, 3. Liz Portnoy (N) 1:18.96, 4. Jaime Minalgo (N) 1:19.68, 5. Feldstein (W) 1:35.29.

100 freestyle - 1. Katherine Matz (N) 1:02.07, 2. Kerin Sovern (N) 1:02.96, 3. Hillman (W) 1:04.04, 4. Stevens (W) 1:08.40, 5. Heather Rebb (N) 1:09.08.

500 freestyle - 1. Melissa Rushefski (N) 6:01.00, 2. Margaret Ashey (N) 6:04.54, 3. Nayes (W) 6:16.85, 4. Rachel Rastelli (N) 7:03.46, 5. Neufeld (W) 7:27.89.

200 freestyle relay - 1. Newtown 1:57.34, 2. Weston 2:04.58, 3. Newtown 2:09.18.

100 backstroke - 1. Ashley Molden (N) 1:07.19, 2. Davis (W) 1:19.58, 3. Hillman (W) 1:19.82, 4. Referio (W) 1:28.76, 5. Megan Trednick (N) 1:56.95.

100 breaststroke - 1. Kerin Sovern (N) 1:18.78, 2. Sherriff (W) 1:22.08, 3. Russo (W) 1:26.00, 4. Atkins (W) 1:28.51, 5. Margaret Randall (N) 1:29.34.

400 freestyle relay - 1. Newtown 4:16.4, 2. Weston 4:27.81, 3. Newtown 5:04.28.