Gauvin Hopes Tough Loss Pays Dividends In The Long Run

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School Coach Zach Gauvin’s hopes for an undefeated campaign were dashed by a tough 3-0 Brookfield squad in a down-to-the-wire 95-91 setback at Newtown High School on Tuesday afternoon. The goal for a South-West Conference championship, however, remains intact — and Gauvin is hopeful that the team’s chances of accomplishing that feat were strengthened by the tough-to-swallow setback.

“Hopefully we learn from it, we get better from it,” said Gauvin, adding that he was pleased with his team’s performance but knows the swimmers will have to push harder in practice to get over the hump come conference championships in late October.

Down by ten points heading into the diving portion of the meet, Newtown pulled even thanks to a one-two-three effort by divers Natalie Poeltl, Noelle Benson, and Gillian Eckwall.

Newtown’s first-place finishes in swimming events came in the 100 yard freestyle with Amy Martinelli, and in the 200 free relay (Charlotte Gray, Zoe Eggleston, Amanda Mele, and Martinelli).

NHS, though, kept the meet close throughout with several second- and third-place results. “It was just back and forth the whole meet,” Gauvin noted.

Newtown (now 2-1) trailed 87-85 heading into the final event, the 400 free relay, and was edged out for first by Brookfield’s top relay team by just 2.01 seconds. Newtown’s top relay contingent of Megan McDonald, Abby Fagerholm, Eliza Eggleston, and Mele held a brief advantage before Brookfield’s top four — which included Madeline Smart, a standout who competed in the Olympic trials — pulled ahead to win the event and help seal the overall victory. “It doesn’t get any closer than that,” Gauvin said.

“I told the girls we’re going to use it to motivate us from here on out. I think, come SWC time, this is going to do wonders for us,” Gauvin added.