By Kim J. Harmon

The top story of 2004?

Gosh – could it be Andrew Fiscella and Kelley Haines breaking Newtown High School all-time basketball scoring records on the same night? Or Alex Konneker, in her first season, winning three individual titles and sharing in one relay title at the South-West Conference girls’ track and field championships?

Or could it be the Newtown Babe Ruth 10-year-old All Stars qualifying for the Cal Ripken World Series in Indiana? Or possibly the Newtown High School girls’ cross country team winning its third consecutive South-West Conference championship?

Or what about the Newtown High School swim team winning its first-ever South-West Conference championship while running its winning streak to 22 dual meets or the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams capturing CIAC Class LL state championships?

Local sports fans have been taken on a pretty wild ride throughout 2004 and when it comes to deciding what is the top sports story of 2004 – well, good heavens, take your pick.

JANUARY

Kelley Haines drains the 1,000th point of her girls’ basketball career in a 59-47 loss to Kolbe Cathedral … Sean LaPorta scores a pair of goals to lead the hockey team to a 2-1 win over Division I Milford … Andrew Fiscella scores a career-high 39 points in a 75-51 win over New Fairfield, moving him into third on the all-time boys’ basketball scoring list … Kyle Lyddy is named the 2003 Newtown Bee Sportsman of the Year.

FEBRUARY

The Newtown High School cheerleading squad earns a third-place finish at the South-West Conference championships … Scott Gibney, representing MasterCard International, donates $500 to the hockey team …  Kelley Haines and Andrew Fiscella break the Newtown High School all-time scoring records – on the same night. Haines does it in a 53-39 win over Lauralton Hall while Fiscella does it with a 72-55 win over Joel Barlow … the Newtown High School indoor track teams improve finishes at the South-West Conference indoor track championships with the boys finishing fifth and the girls finishing seventh … despite a 5-12-1 record, the Newtown High School hockey team earns the fourth seed in the South-West Conference tournament. The skaters boast a 4-7-1 record in the SWC … Dan McIlrath and Edmund Breitling claim second-place finishes at the South-West Conference championships; four wrestlers earn medals and the team finishes fifth overall. McIlrath goes on to finish third at the CIAC Class LL tournament while Breitling finishes fifth.

MARCH

The Newtown Middle School girls’ basketball team earns a second-place finish at the annual Jockey Hollow Tournament in Monroe … Diver CJ Maurer captures first-place at the South-West Conference swim championships while Steve Truitt finishes third and Bryan Lacouture finishes fourth … Steve Murtha of Immaculate High School is named to the CIAC Division I All-State Hockey Team …  John Ball, a former resident of Newtown and defender for the Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), has his first bobblehead doll given away to 2,500 fans at a Cleveland-Dallas game … The Blue Devils (Junior Girls), Huskies (Intermediate Girls), Wildcats (Junior Boys) and Nighthawks (Intermediate Boys) capture Newtown Youth Basketball In-House championships … Nearly 40 swimmers for the Newtown Torpedoes age group team qualify for the All Star meet to close out a strong 2003-04 season … The Samba TTP soccer team – featuring several local players – opens the 2004 spring season with a championship at the Spring Soccer Blastoff Tournament in Virginia … Jimmy Gaston, 13, of Newtown qualifies for the United States Water Polo Northeast Zone team.

APRIL

Vintage Base Ball – the game of baseball played by 19th century rules – is introduced to Newtown readers for the first time … The Newtown Rampage girls’ 12-and-under travel soccer team wins an Indoor State Cup championship … The Newtown High School cheerleading team finishes the 2003-04 season with a first-place finish at the Western Connecticut State University competition, hosted by the USA Wildcats …  The Newtown High School baseball team throws the first pitch on its newly-renovated diamond; the girls’ and boys’ lacrosse teams also open newly-renovated fields … Colorgraphix wins the The Gym at Newtown Women’s Basketball League championship with a 55-37 win over Denmo’s; Karen Powell (16 points), Colleen Ruiz (15) and Maura Keenan (14) lead the way … Kyle Kirch and Meg Regnery combine for 13 goals in their respective team’s lacrosse victories on April 16; Kirch scores seven goals in a 11-10 win over Notre Dame as Regnery scores six goals in a 20-5 win over Lauralton Hall … Pat Dennen of Newtown sets the 5,000-meter record for the Eastern Connecticut State University track and field team at the Silfen Track and Field Invitational at Connecticut College.

MAY

Glander Field at Fairfield Hills – featuring a new pressbox – is re-dedicated to open the 2004 season; Ginger Glander throws out the first pitch …  The Newtown High School baseball team enjoys the rare opportunity to play ball at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard, the Atlantic League home of the independent Bridgeport Bluefish. The Nighthawks battles arch-rival Brookfield and drops a 10-3 decision … The Newtown High School girls track and field team captures the South-West Conference championship as Alex Konneker wins three individual titles (100, 200 and 400 dashes) and shares in a fourth (4x400 meter relays) … Matt Morrison, a freshman at Newtown High School, captures a gold medal in the 25-yard freestyle at the Regional Special Olympics.

JUNE

The Newtown High School golf team finishes second overall at the South-West Conference championships as senior Ron Shimko fires an 8-over-par 79 and finishes second … The Newtown High School girls’ lacrosse team loses a three-goal lead and falls to Joel Barlow in the South-West Conference championship game … the Hurricanes, Rampage and Raptors capture titles at the Newtown Soccer Club’s annual Memorial Day Kickoff Tournament … the Newtown High School softball team defeats Naugatuck, 2-0, in the first round of the CIAC Class L state tournament (surviving a one-out triple in the bottom of the seventh inning) and then moves on to battle Southington, a team that was undefeated and unscored upon all season … the 4x400 relay foursome of Sadie Ball, Alex Konneker, Tara Gaston and Julie Landin capture a CIAC Class L championship at Willowbrook Park in New Britain … Sergio Ribeiro and Claudia Camargo win titles at the 30th annual Rockin’ Rooster Run, which starts and ends at The Reed Intermediate School … Chase Bank (U14), Creative Mailing (U12), and Villa Restaurant (U10) earn Newtown Babe Ruth Softball League championships … Akash Lamba and Giovanna Devercelli win singles championships at the annual Newtown Open, sponsored by the Newtown Tennis Association … the Newtown Gold battle the Connecticut River Ticks through seven overtimes in the CONNY Senior Boys championship – and lose, 5-4 … A new scoreboard – courtesy of Berliner Gelfand & Co. and Safeco Insurance – is unveiled on the baseball diamond at Newtown High School … Kate Temple, 13, of Newtown captures gold at the Level 6 Gymnastics State Championships at the Wheeler Recreational Center in Bridgeport … Meg Regnery and Nick Magoulas are named Newtown High School Athletes of the Year by The Newtown Bee … Anthony Fiore of Newtown captures first in the 100- and 200-meter backstrokes at the USS/YMCA Invitational at the Cheshire Community Pool … the Newtown Youth Lacrosse Association boys’ Junior A team captures a CONNY championship with a 6-2 win over Pomperaug … Drug Center (14/15), BASE Technologies (Prep 13), Church Hill Physical Therapy (American League), Lindin Consulting (AAA), Onex (Minors) and Taunton Press (U7) capture Newtown Babe Ruth Baseball League championships.

JULY

Lineman Dan Cascone of Newtown signs a National Letter of Intent to play football at the University of Wisconsin while tight-end Brennan Coakley signs a National Letter of Intent to play football at Penn State … Maria Conlon of the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team drops in at the Newtown Parks and Recreation Summer Basketball Camp at the Newtown Middle School and runs some drills with the players … the Newtown High School cheerleaders announce their intentions to begin a fundraising campaign with the goal of compete at the National Championships in Orlando, Florida in February of 2005 … the U12 Newtown Hawks capture a Babe Ruth Softball state championship with a 14-1 win over Stamford … the Newtown Babe Ruth Baseball 10-year-old All Stars put together an incredible summer run, capturing Connecticut and New England Regional championships and qualifying for the Cal Ripken World Series in Indiana where they win two (10-1 over Little Rock, Arkansas, and 11-8 over Olympia, Washington) before finally bowing out to the eventual champion, Fort Caroline of Florida … the offices of Dr Henry Gellert on Church Hill Road are flamingo’d as part of unique fundraising effort by the Newtown High School cheerleaders; the story takes a bad turn, though, when someone steals the flamingo statues off the lawn at Dr Gellert’s office … The Newtown Babe Ruth Baseball 15-year-old All Stars host the Solingen Alligators of Germany in one last game of the German-American Baseball Series organized by Danbury Youth Baseball.

AUGUST

John Ball of Newtown represents the United States at the 2004 FIFA Futsal World Indoor Soccer Championships in China … the Newtown Babe Ruth Baseball 9- and 11-year-old All Star teams bring home New England Regional championships (the 9s top Foxboro, Massachusetts, while the 11s top Marblehead, Massachusetts) … Adam Ellison of Newtown had the opportunity to visit England, Sweden and Denmark as a member of the USSA United Soccer Academy U11 team that traveled to Europe for the Gothia-Manchester and Dana-Watford tours … the announcement is made that the Newtown Youth Basketball Association is becoming independent of the Newtown Parks and Recreation Department … Curtiss & Crandon (A Division) and Chartwells (B Division) capture Newtown Women’s Slo-Pitch Softball League championships.

SEPTEMBER

Ben Gersten captures the Rock Ridge Country Club junior championship with a round of 74 as Kevin O’Connell earns the nine-hole championship with a round of 45 and Lauren Guerra wins the girls’ nine-hole championship … Joel Ziesler of Sandy Hook holds yet another water skiing clinic for disabled athletes, getting together with Gaylord Hospital of Wallingford … the Roadrunners (Girls U12) and Strikers (Boys U12) capture SCOR Tournament soccer championships in Ridgefield to open the fall season … Bob Elliott win his eighth singles title at the Newtown Tennis Association’s annual Bertram Stroock Memorial Tournament at Dickinson Park while Stella Gabor wins her first singles title … UConn holds off UCLA for the Rising Stars Summer Basketball League championship … Christina Gould (girls’ U10), Tyler Ruefenacht (boys’ U10), Veronica Parsloe (girls’ U14), Timo Roehrs (boys’ U14), Ashley Gabor (girls’ U18) and Will Culligan (boys’ U18) win their respective singles championships in the annual Victor Coopersmith Cup tournament … Jake DeVellis scores six touchdowns (four passing, two running) as the Newtown Pop Warner Midgets defeat Bethel, 40-24 … Antonia Militano, formerly of Newtown, debuts as a running back and linebacker for the expansion New York Dazzles in the Women’s Professional Football League … Marcus Tracy – who signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Wake Forest University next fall – scores four goals and assists on three others as the Newtown High School boys’ soccer team defeats Brookfield, 8-0 … Pat McLaughlin and Janet Duffey capture the Rock Ridge Country Club men’s and women’s championships.

OCTOBER

For the second year in a row, the Newtown High School girls’ swim team defeats perennial powerhouse Lauralton Hall – except this time the Lady Nighthawks do so easily and allow themselves to swim the final event unofficially … Kyle Vignone (Pee Wees) and Kyle O’Connor (Junior Midgets) score four touchdowns apiece and lead their respective teams to wins … In one of the best games in two years, the Newtown High School football team comes within an extra point of defeating Bunnell and has to settle for a 20-20 tie – a tie that inevitably keeps the Nighthawks out of the CIAC Class L state tournament … the Newtown High School girls’ cross country team captures its third consecutive South-West Conference championship, riding the efforts of Michelle Brennan, Jen Brill, Sadie Ball, Lindsay Weber, Elise DeRoo, Moira Collier and Kate Stickles … Porco’s Construction earns its second Newtown Sunday Slo-Pitch Softball championship with 21-6 and 21-2 wins over Southbury Printing.

NOVEMBER

The Newtown High School field hockey team qualifies for the South-West Conference tournament for the first time, defeats Masuk in a first-round, overtime thriller and takes New Milford to the limit before falling, 3-2, in overtime … the Newtown High School swim team captures its first-ever South-West Conference swim championship as Abby Atkinson captures three titles (two individual, one relay), Maricate Conlon captures one title and the 200 medley relay team (while finishing second) sets a new school record … the Newtown High School boys’ soccer team wins its third South-West Conference championship in four years, defeating Joel Barlow, 3-1, as Marcus Tracy scores a pair of goals … the Newtown High School football team retains the coveted Boot Trophy with a convincing 35-15 win over New Milford … the Newtown High School swim team finishes second to Ridgefield at the CIAC Class L state championships … the annual John Giorno Memorial 3-on-3 Basketball Team enjoys another successful day at Newtown High School … on back-to-back days, the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams win CIAC Class LL state championships – the boys with a 3-1 win over Norwalk and the girls with a 2-1 win over Trumbull … the Newtown High School football team defeats Masuk, 27-21, in the annual Thanksgiving football game to finish the season at 7-2-1 … Playing for the Connecticut Wave, Meg Regnery, Lindsey Coyle, Amanda Shevlin and Erin Clark represent Newtown at the 2004 National Hockey Festival in Palm Beach County, Florida, over the holiday weekend … the Newtown sixth-grade boys’ travel basketball team visits the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, while participating in pre-season scrimmages and practices at Dunbar Community Center.

DECEMBER

Colby Chilson, Kate Martinelli, Kathy Weiner, Alison Kron and Erin Pendergist help lead the Gymnastic Revolution’s Level 5 team to a third-place finish at the USA Gymnastics state championships at Southern Connecticut State University … Marcus Tracy and Marc Doherty of the Newtown High School boys’ soccer team are named to the All-New England team.