NHS Swimmers Place Fourth In SWC Championships

By Andy Hutchison

MONROE — Newtown High School’s boys’ swimming and diving team competed in the South-West Conference Championships this past week. Following the diving competition on March 2, the swimming events were held on March 4 — both at Masuk High in Monroe. Newtown, with 293 points, finished in fourth place among 11 teams. Pomperaug of Southbury, with 597, won the title for the fifth year in a row. Second and third went to Brookfield and Joel Barlow-Immaculate, with 552 and 311 points.

The Nighthawks had several top-ten finishes with all three relay groupings earning top-five honors, which was pleasing to Coach Zach Gauvin.

“When the snow finally stopped falling we got some good work in,” said Gauvin, alluding to the snow days that resulted in nearly two weeks worth of missed practices in January.

The excitement and energy levels were high at the Masuk pool, as swimmers cheered on their teammates throughout each event. Newtown was in the running for a third-place finish until late in the meet. Despite setting for fourth, the Nighthawks had plenty to be happy about.

Newtown’s 200-yard medley relay team of Sean Fahey, Michael Hubbard, Nick Lafky, and Abben Hung, placed third in a time of 1:47.36.

In the 200 freestyle, Conor Donnelly was 11th in a time of 1:55.40 and Mike Lally was 20thin 2:08.55. Newtown had a top-ten finish in the 200 individual medley, as Lafky placed sixth in 2:09.02.

Abben Hung placed third in the 50 free, making his final touch in 22.61. Dan Hufziger was sixth in the 50, finishing in 22.82. Logan Mammen placed 16th in 24.56, and Hubbard was 20th in 25.13.

In the 100 butterfly, George Delia placed 11th in a time of 1:02.70, and Jill Jagoe was 20th in 1:11.31. Hufziger placed fourth in the 100 free, finishing the race in 50.27. Logan Mammen was 15th in 55.39 and Jordan Simonds placed 17th in 55.94.

Donnelly led the Nighthawks in the 500 free, finishing seventh in a time of 5:12.61. Delia was 13th in a time of 5:31.98, and NHS had a back-to-back finish as Fahey came in 19th in 5:45.28, Lally placed 20th in 5:46.70.

In the 200 free relay, Newtown’s contingent of Hung, Mammen, Hubbard, and Hufziger placed fourth in 1:33.45.

Fahey was Newtown’s top backstroker, completing the 100 backstroke in 1:03.90, good for a 12th-place finish. Also in the backstroke, Francesco Biancardi came in 14th in 1:06.42.

In the 100 breaststroke, Newtown had a five-six finish with Hung in fifth in a time of 1:03.67 and Lafky sixth in 1:04.06. Hubbard was 13th in 1:08.79, and Stephen Mais was 22nd in 1:15.18.

The Nighthawks had a fourth-place finish in the final event, the 400 free relay. Lafky, Delia, Donnelly, and Hufziger finished in 3:31.27.

In the diving competition, Newtown’s Maggie Korth came in fifth with a score of 282.45, Sam Freitas was 10th with a score of 232.95, and Kaitlyn VosWinkel placed 15th with a score of 195.30.