Newtown High School's boys' swimming and diving team, coming off a 96-85 win over visiting New Fairfield on January 23, has just past the midpoint of the season and Coach Adam Fielding likes what he is seeing.

"They're right where they're supposed to be," Fielding said after the Nighthawks clocked in with impressive times across the board. "We're in a very good spot."

Some of the Nighthawks, in fact, are actually a bit ahead of schedule.

"Kids are dropping times and they're really not supposed to yet," said Fielding, alluding to the fact there are still four regular-season meets and more than a month before the postseason commences.

"The last two and a half weeks of practice have been phenomenal. They're learning and they're making the small adjustments I'm asking for, and the times will show that," Fielding said.

The times, in the meet with New Fairfield, proved how hard the Nighthawks have been working. And the Hawks did well despite missing standout Colby Delia, out with an illness.

"We had to shuffle quite a bit. He's a big component for the relays and the kids rose to the occasion," Fielding noted.

The 400 yard medley relay team of Peter Fagerholm, David Lawrence, Michael Annesley, and Mason Suba was first in a time of 1:47.13.

Rick Irving was second in the 200 freestyle race, finishing in 1:57.67.

In the 200 individual medley, Fagerholm was first, clocking in at 2:06.45.

Suba won the 50 free, sprinting to the finish in 24.31.

Kyle Gaynor won the diving competition with a score of 238.25.

Annesley and Suba went one-two in the 100 butterfly, with times of 56.02 and 56.34.

In the 100 free, Xavier Williams placed second in 52.71.

Lawrence won the 500 in a time of 5:14.36, and Sean McCleary placed second in 5:42.27.

The 200 free relay team of Irving, Annesley, Williams, and Suba,was first in 1:35.66.

Fagerholm won the 100 backstroke race with ease, coming in with a time of 56.00, and teammate Michael Yu was runner-up in 1:04.33.

Newtown, with the meet won, exhibitioned the final two events.

Lawrence had the fastest time in the 100 breaststroke, finishing the race in 1:09.78.

The 400 relay of Fagerholm, Irving, Williams, and Lawrence had the fastest time, 3:39.04.

Newtown is about to embark on what should be a tough three-meet stretch. The Nighthawks will visit Weston on Tuesday, January 30, at 4 pm. They will visit Brookfield on Friday, February 9, beginning at 7 pm. Then comes a visit to Pomperaug of Southbury on Tuesday, February 13, at 6:30 pm. All three opponents are perennial South-West Conference and state powerhouses and should push the Nighthawks similarly to how Fielding tests his swimmers with rigorous practice sessions.

"It's going to be good for us," the coach said of those meets.

After the Tuesday, February 20, regular-season finale against visiting Joel Barlow of Redding, at 7 pm, the Hawks dive into the postseason - literally. The SWC diving championships are set for Wednesday, February 28 (site to be determined), and the conference championship swimming events will unfold Friday, March 2, at Masuk High in Monroe, beginning at 5 pm.