Generations of wrestling success in Newtown came together for a special ceremony prior to Newtown High School’s varsity match on February 2. The Newtown Wrestling Booster Club held an event to honor 50 years of Newtown wrestling, and everyone from the program’s first coach — Bill Manfredonia — to future Nighthawks representing the Newtown Youth Wrestling Association were on hand for the occasion.

The program got off the ground in January of 1971 and Newtown Coach and Booster Club President Tom Maurath and the Nighthawks recognized a half-century of NHS wrestling in the program’s practice room at NHS. The boosters raised nearly $10,000 to subsidize new mats, mural, peg board, pull up bars, and ten banners that recognize nine team conference champions, two state class team champions, one State Open team champ, several runner-up squads — including a trio of second-place New England finishers — and countless individual standouts.

Manfredonia came out of the Marines in December of 1970 and started teaching at Newtown High School in January of 1971. That is when he started the wrestling program. At the time, there was no youth feeder program in town, and Manfredonia was teaching athletes new to the sport as freshmen and sophomores.

“It’s really good to see how the program’s expanded. It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years,” Manfredonia said. “I’m proud of the parents that have put the energy in to make this work.”

Former wrestlers, including standouts whose names are on those banners, and past coaches attended. Among them was Al Potter, who coached the Nighthawks from 1998 through 2011, and had the same sort of new-to-wrestling situation with team members as when the program started.

“Back then we didn’t have a feeder program,” said Potter, adding that he was pleased with how they developed on the mats. “I’m very proud of all the kids. It was a great experience for me.”

The look back to the past and reflection on all of the individual and team accomplishments Newtown wrestling has experienced is beneficial to the future of the program, according to Curtis Urbina, head coach with the town’s youth program.

“It gives our kids an opportunity to see what was before them and it gives them something to strive for,” Urbina said.

Maurath spoke briefly about the history of the program and touched on the past, present, and future of Newtown wrestling.

“I’m thrilled to have all of this come together. It bodes well for another 50 years of Newtown wrestling,” Maurath said.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.