Newtown High School’s boys’ swimming team went on the road and defeated New Fairfield 92-51 on January 4. With the team victory already sealed and three events to go there was still some drama and suspense in the pool — at least in one lane. Newtown’s Peter Horan set the New Fairfield pool record in the 100 yard backstroke event, clocking in with an impressive time of 51.35 seconds.

Sure, this did not even go into the books as a first-place finish (officially anyway) since Newtown exhibitioned those last three races, but it was a nice feather in the swim cap for Horan, who is coming off a record-setting campaign that included setting the Class L State Championship mark.

That was a sign of things to come as Horan and the Nighthawks combined to break three more records in the next meet, a home clash with powerhouse Pomperaug of Southbury. The visiting Panthers won 93.5-84.5, locking up the team victory with two events to go. Horan again got into the record books — twice. He broke the NHS pool and team records in the 50 yard freestyle event with a time of 21.44 seconds, and was part of the pool record-setting 200 freestyle relay performance. Horan teamed with Gabe Petertonjes, Max Luci-Bernard, and Connor Kwarcinski to set the new NHS pool standard in that event with a time of 1:31.50.

Results from the New Fairfield meet are as follows:

Newtown’s 200 medley relay team of James Guerrieri, Daniel Naulaguari, Grant Carson, and Kris Luci-Bernard took first in a time of 2:00.30.

Guerrieri won the 200 freestyle race in a time of 2:13.52. Kwarcinski was first in the 200 individual medley event in 2:13.07. Max Luci-Bernard won the 50 free, sprinting to the finish in 23.91. Petertonjes was first in the 100 butterfly in 1:01.29. Kwarcinski took the top spot in the 100 free in 51.17. Horan earned first in the 500, making his final touch in 5:26.03.

Newtown’s 200 free relay of John Barzetti, Jeremiah Stone, Carson, and Kwarcinski, was first in 1:47.28. The winning relay narrowly edged teammates Hayden Bobowick, Oliver Clancy, Naulaguari, and Petertonjes who finished in 1:47.84.

Carson had the fastest time in the exhibition 100 breaststroke race in 1:13.20. The 400 free relay of Barzetti, Naulaguari, Kris Luci-Bernard, and Max Luci-Bernard had the fastest event time in 3:52.34.

Results from the Pomperaug meet are as follows:

The 200 medley relay of Horan, Kwarcinski, Petertonjes, and Max Luci-Bernard came in first in 1:41.33.

Guerrieri was second in the 200 free with a time of 2:08.77. Pomperaug went one-two in the 200 IM and Petertonjes had Newtown’s strongest swim in the race, placing third in 2:22.00. Kwarcinski won the 50 free in 22.44, edging Pomperaug’s closest competitor who came in with a time of 22.76. Petertonjes was third in the 100 butterfly in 59.79. Kris-Luci-Bernard came in third in the 500, finishing in 5:38.63.

Horan took home another first-place finish in the 100 backstroke, making his final touch in 57.08, nearly three seconds faster than the closest competitor. The last two events were exhibition; Kwarcinski recorded the second-fastest swim in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:07.52. In the 400 relay, Newtown’s fastest contingent of Michael Kraminsky, Kris Luci-Bernard, Guerrieri, and Naulaguari was fourth in 3:53.04.

The Nighthawks will host Weston Tuesday, January 17 at 4 pm.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.