2011, A Year Of Excitement, Change, And Bizarre Weather For Athletes

By Andy Hutchison

From changes of the guard in the coaching ranks to championships ... and from new rules and divisional changes in some sports to Mother Nature repeatedly altering plans, 2011 had it all in the world of athletics here in Newtown.

This past year marked the one in which a Newtowner finished his golfing trek through all 50 states. Bill Darrin capped off his impressive feat in Alaska this past summer. He finished just in time for the snow to fall as 2011 featured more than a foot of that white not-so-fluffy stuff in October — yes October, as in green leaves still on some trees. Mother Nature’s mixing up of holidays/trick delivered a white Halloween and postponed sporting events.

Coaches, athletes, and athletic and race directors had to adapt to weather-related alterations to schedules throughout the year.

Divisional changes in high school wrestling, as well as for the Newtown High School hockey team, made for a new look in those winter sports to begin the 2011-12 campaign.

Several Newtown teams, of a variety of ages, experienced winning success during the past 12 months — including one that captured not one, but two titles in the same season: the NHS girls’ volleyball team, which achieved South-West Conference and state bragging rights.

Who says tackle football’s just for guys? A new women’s tackle football team, the Northeastern Nitro, came to Danbury and Newtown’s Lynn Kovack and Christie Caruso joined the hard-hitting women in the spring. The team has since moved to Schenectady, N.Y.

Tammy Marks earned The Bee’s Sportsman Of The Year Award for her hard work as a scheduler for the Newtown Youth Basketball Association.

‘Weather’ Or Not You Like It

The calendar year kicked off with enough snow for residents to ski to work throughout the month of January — and February. That resulted in numerous canceled practices, postponed games, and rare back-to-back game nights for some teams after several straight days off the courts, tracks, mats, and ice surfaces. It was a sign of things to come in a year loaded with weather-related hindrances.

Tryouts for several of Newtown High School’s sports teams were just getting going on August 27 when Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Irene blew away plans. The storm resulted in downed trees and power outages and left the start of school pushed back a week. Sports teams were permitted to resume practices and tryouts a few days before school started, after a handful of days away from the fields. The Annual Newtown Road Race, originally slated for September 3, was bumped to early October, and numerous youth and adult games were put on hold.

Then there was the freak October 29 snowstorm that knocked much of Newtown — and the state for that matter —out of power for several days, a week … in some instances, longer. High school tournament games were put on hold and conference championship games were initially called off until state tournament dates got altered, freeing up time for pinnacle SWC matches.

Record Performances & Individual Championships

Among the record-setting performers were NHS track and field standouts John Wlasuk and Jake Feinstein, both of whom set SWC championship meet records — Wlasuk with a shot put throw of 58-9 and Feinstein with a 1600 meter run time of 4:24.55. Both athletes captured conference championships in the process of setting the new standards, as did fellow Nighthawk Lauren Pettinelli, capturing the 55 hurdles crown with a time of 8.92.

Wlasuk was far from done. He set the Class LL state championship record en route to another title, then won the State Open and New England championships to cap off a memorable winter campaign. In the spring season, he set school records in the javelin and discus throws. Wlasuk won SWC spring track titles in the javelin, discus, and shot put throws. He won the Class LL, State Open, and New England shot put and discus titles. Wlasuk was recognized as the Gatorade Boys’ Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

Feinstein also set a school record in the 3200 and won the SWC’s 3200 meter title in the spring. The distance running standout won the SWC championship, finishing a whopping 25 seconds faster than the next fastest finisher.

Newtown football player Lou Fenaroli set the school’s single season rushing mark in his final home game, a 33-7 win over Bethel, and NHS swimmers Abben Hung and Dan Hufziger both set school records in the pool. Newtown High’s lone girls’ golfer, Abbey Doski, won the SWC girls’ championship for the third straight year. Tennis player Rob Beier won the SWC singles championship.

There were several collegiate standouts with Newtown ties, led by Kevin Hoyt, a cross country competitor at Keene State College in New Hampshire, who won the Little East Conference male Runner of the Year award after a season that included four conference runner of the week honors and a run to the NCAA Division III championships. Hoyt also won the Rooster Run for the third straight year.

Three Newtown Youth Wrestling Association grapplers — Joseph Accousti, Anthony Falbo, and Matt Gonzalez — claimed state championships. Falbo went on to capture the 108-pound New England title.

Newtowner John McCann, a goaltender, helped the Wonderland Wizards Pee Wee B hockey team claim the Norris Division state title. Also on the ice, Newtown skaters Phillip Makris and Liam Gelston, along with assistant coach Tim Makris, helped the Connecticut Riverhawks earn the gold medal at the Can/Am Hockey Tournament in Lake Placid, N.Y., this season. Staying with the on-ice theme but switching gears to curling, Austin Fuori and Grandon Smith earned first place in the Connecticut High School Curling Championship.

Sandy Hook gymnast Jackie Sgobbo captured the 12-year-old division championship in the Connecticut State Gymnastics Competition. Grant Untiedt of Sandy Hook won the rookie division in the Nutmeg BMX State Championship, and was one of several young racing standouts (see related story).

Team Titles And Thrilling Seasons

Newtown High’s girls’ basketball team was the second seed, and a slight underdog to top-seeded Lauralton Hall of Milford in the SWC’s pinnacle game, but won the finals matchup. Both NHS lacrosse teams claimed conference crowns. The girls won their seventh in a row in an edge-of-your-seat 17-16 win over Joel Barlow of Redding in the championship game, and the boys topped New Fairfield for their title. Newtown High’s girls’ volleyball team spiked Joel Barlow of Redding to capture the conference crown, marking the second year in a row the Hawks won the SWC, then beat Southington in three games to win Class LL state bragging rights.

The Newtown High School Varsity Winter Guard earned the Winter Guard International Scholastic National A Class Regional Championship. The Junior, Junior Varsity, and Varsity guards all captured United States Scholastic Band Association Indoor New England Open and South West Conference championships.

In addition to numerous youth teams winning divisional and league championships, several squads made noise at the state level and beyond. Newtown’s U13 boys’ lacrosse team won the CONNY championship. The Newtown Hawks U12 softball team captured the Babe Ruth Softball State Championship. On the baseball diamonds, the Newtown Thunder 11U 50/70 baseball team won the Cal Ripken championship, and the Newtown Inferno 11U 40/60 sluggers heated up to claim the Cal Ripken State Tournament then went on to win the New England Regional tourney. The Newtown Lightning 18U baseball team won the fall championship of the Connecticut Senior Baseball League.

The Newtown Hawks Intermediate/Youth track and field team won the first Western Connecticut Conference championship in the spring. Newtown’s seventh and eighth grade football teams won American Youth Football Colonial League championships, and the eighth graders went on to capture the state title.

The Newtown Nighthawks D15 cheerleading squad qualified for the American Youth Cheer National championships this month.

Several high school teams marched deep into tournament play, only to come up just short. In the winter campaign, the NHS wrestling team earned a runner-up finish in the SWC championships as four Nighthawks reached championship rounds.

The Newtown High football team earned another a runner-up finish in the SWC, falling to Masuk of Monroe for the second straight year. The team’s memorable season, which included a 69-point effort against New Milford, ended with a state playoff semifinal round loss. Newtown High’s girls’ soccer team was runner-up in the SWC tournament.

Changes Carrying Over Into 2012

There were some high school sports rule changes implemented in 2011. The softball field’s pitcher’s circle was moved three feet farther from home plate, matching collegiate regulations. Newtown High’s hockey team set the program win mark with 14 victories in the 2010-11 season, prompting an upgrade from Division III to D-II to begin the 2011-12 campaign. On the wrestling mats, weight division changes were made to create more weight classes for upper weight competitors for the 2011-12 school year.

Coaching changes included Rock Ridge Country Club Professional Bill Flood taking over the NHS golf team; Amanda Hadgraft returned to the helm with the NHS field hockey team after a year away from the Hawks; Longtime NHS wrestling coach Alan Potter retired and assistant Dan McIlrath stepped into the head coaching role.

A gymnastics team was added to Newtown High School’s athletics program, and the squad began practice in December for competition in the 2011-12 school year.

The next calendar year is sure to be another thriller, inevitably — in some instances — a heart-breaker, for athletes of all ages here in town. What will Mother Nature have in store this time around? Who will win titles? What records will be set? Stay tuned, and enjoy the games as 2012 unfolds. Happy Sports New Year!