New Records Set At South-West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships

The Newtown High School girls took fourth place and the boys finished in eighth place at the South-West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships on February 7 at the New Haven Athletic Center.

The girls scored 44 points (Weston won the meet with 144.5, Masuk was second with 86 and New Fairfield third with 54). The boys earned 19 points (Weston, with 95 points, beat out Masuk which had 88, for first).

Several new records were set by Nighthawks at the meet. In the girls’ 55-meter hurdles, Lauren Pettinelli set a new NHS school record and an SWC record in her preliminary round with a time of 9.11. She placed second at the met and was one of three Newtown All SWC Second Team honorees. Kevin Bonacci also set a new school record in the boys’ long jump with a leap of 19-11.25 and Lauren Sudbey tied her own school record in pole vault with a mark of 9-6. Rachel Taback was Newtown’s lone first-place finisher, winning the shot put throw (34-0.5). She earned All SWC First Team Honors. John Wlasuk earned All SWC Second Team mention for his second-place shot put throw of 46-5.25. Medals were given out to the top six finishers in each event. Newtown’s medal winners are as follows:

Boys:

4x800 – Sixth, Austin Baldour, Shane Casey, Drew Woods, Ryan Powers, 9:08.84

1000 – Sixth, Pallmer Lintz, 2:52.62

1600 sprint medley relay – Fifth, Peter Wlasuk, Matt Narel, Palmer Lintz, Peter Kerns, 4:13.11

4x400 – Sixth, Josh Milas, Jimmy Mooney, Matt Genovese, Ken Toal, 3:52.74

4x200 –  Fifth, Kevin Bonacci, Brian Cawley, David Hutchison, Matt Narel, 1:40.48

High jump – Fifth, Kevin Bonacci, 5-6

Long jump – Fifth, Kevin Bonacci, 19-11.25

Shot put – Second, John Wlasuk, 46-5.25

Girls:

4x800 –  Sixth, Cassi Fallon, Kaitlyn Kakadeles, Jennifer VanVeen, Dani Villa, 11:02.90

55 hurdles – Second, Lauren Pettinelli, 9.15

1600 sprint medley relay – Sixth, Kelley Sullivan, Abby Blakeman, Lilly Rodriguez, Cassi Fallon, 4:54

300 – Sixth, Lauren Pettinelli, 45.07

4x400  Fourth, Kelley Sullivan, Lauren Sudbey, Lilly Rodriguez, Kaitlyn Connelly, 4:35.23

High jump – Second, Emily Korth, 4-8

Long jump – Fourth, Emily Korth, 14-5.5; Fifth, Lauren O’Connell, 13-10.25

Shot put – First, Rachel Taback, 34-0.5

Pole vault – Fourth, Lauren Sudbey, 9-6; Sixth, Emily Korth, 9-0.

Also at the SWC Championships, two individuals qualified for the Class LL State Championships which will be held Friday, February 13 at the New Haven Athletic Center. Kevin Bonacci qualified in the long jump with his school record breaking leap of 19-11.25 and Kelley Sullivan qualified in the Girls 55-meter dash with her time of 7.96.

Individual Event State Qualifiers:

Boys:

55 dash – Kevin Bonacci, 6.8

300 – David Hutchison, 39.32; Matt Genovese, 39.88; Ken Toal, 40.20

Long jump – Kevin Bonacci, 19-11.25

High jump – Kevin Bonacci, 5-8

Pole vault – Josh Milas, 10-0

Shot put – John Wlasuk, 46-5.25

Girls:

55 dash – Kelley Sullivan, 7.96

55 hurdles – Lauren Pettinelli, 9.11

300 – Lauren Pettinelli, 45.07

1600 – Erin Begg, 5:48.81

High jump – Emily Korth, 4-8

Long jump – Lauren Sudbey, 15-1; Emily Korth, 14-8.75

Pole vault – Lauren Sudbey, 9-6; Emily Korth 9-0

Shot put – Rachel Taback, 34-0.5