Throughout not only the past ten months, but the last four years there have been many athletes who have dazzled on the fields, courts, and other playing surfaces. Among them are standouts Riley Powers, Bella Gerace, and Dylan Magazu, all of whom earned Newtown Bee Newtown High School Athlete of the Year recognition. These selections, with input from the NHS Athletic Department and coaches, are based off a combination of leadership, performance, and athletic versatility. Each is a multi-sport athlete who served as captain in at least one sport and will continue his or her career at the collegiate level.

Powers played soccer and ran indoor and outdoor track and field for the Nighthawks, breaking a whopping 13 records despite missing one season due to the impact of the coronavirus and another — her senior outdoor track campaign — due to an ACL tear. Gerace was the go-to player on the soccer and lacrosse fields, as well as on the basketball court. The girls brought so much to their teams and, as a result, are co-athletes of the year. Magazu, meanwhile, led the football team and was a key component on the outdoor track and field squads. All three of these athletes experienced championship success.

Gerace And Powers

Powers earned All South-West Conference, All State, and All New England recognition in both soccer and track. Gerace took home All SWC honors in all three of her sports and earned All State in basketball and lacrosse.

These achievements came as a result of hard work, skill, and dedication.

“It definitely can be a challenge. It’s almost every day,” Powers said of the grueling practice and competition schedules these athletes took on, in addition to their school work.

For Powers, among the biggest highlights were being a part of the state champion 4x400 relay team in her sophomore year outdoor track season and upsetting host Bethel in the South-West Conference Tournament soccer quarterfinals in her senior year. Powers and the indoor track team won the conference title in her junior year.

Not only was Powers versatile in that she did multiple sports, but she was quite the all-around track competitor.

Powers holds the following indoor track school records: 600 meter in 1:35.38; 800 in 2:20; 1000 in 3:02; 1600 in 5:12.96; 3200 in 11:29; Sprint Medley Relay in 4:15.34; Distance Medley Relay in 12:56.50; and 4x800 in 9:36.55. And the following outdoor season school marks: 1600 in 5:02.41; 4x400 in 3:55.70; Sprint Medley Relay in 4:18.06; 4 Mile in 22:08; and Heptathlon with 3,605 points.

“It’s insane. That was missing a COVID season and this injury season,” NHS Track Coach Becky Bourret said.

Powers, despite missing her senior year outdoor slate, was a fixture on the track. The captain made the most of a tough situation by going around to the various groups of athletes, even those competing in events in which she would not typically compete, and provided leadership and assisted her team members. She was very much a part of this spring’s conference championship run.

“She’s super inspiring to a lot of the girls,” said Bourret, adding that Powers, Newtown High’s Scholar Athlete of the Year, encouraged several athletes to join the track lineup.

Among Gerace’s favorite memories from her NHS playing days occurred on the basketball court this past winter when the Nighthawks defeated Immaculate of Danbury on a buzzer-beater basket.

Gerace was the basketball team’s point guard. She set up the offense and handled the ball as much as anybody on the court and helped the Nighthawks to winning seasons and playoff runs each campaign.

“I definitely tried to lead by example and help the underclassmen with anything they needed,” Gerace said of her role as captain in all three sports.

Gerace capped off her Nighthawk lacrosse career with an unbeaten regular season and run to the SWC championship. She had three goals and an assist in Newtown’s 12-7 win over New Fairfield in the title contest.

While all three of her sports are quite different, there is some overlap in defensive strategy with basketball and lacrosse, Gerace said.

Powers was recruited to play soccer at Central Connecticut State University and will study physical education with the vision to become a PE teacher. Gerace was recruited to play lacrosse at the University of South Florida and will study political science (pre-law track).

Gerace and Powers will miss their Newtown High experience, especially the friendships made through sports — not to mention all of those wins (and championships).

“To be able to do what they did for four years, three sports each, is pretty remarkable,” Newtown High Athletic Director Matt Memoli said. “You’re in such an era now of specialization.”

Memoli added that Powers and Gerace are two of the hardest-working athletes he has seen throughout his years of coaching and serving as the Newtown AD.

Dylan Magazu

Magazu, who was a football captain and quarterback — and occasionally lined up as a receiver in addition to playing linebacker on the defensive side of the ball — earned All SWC, All State, Connecticut High School Coaches Association Top 26, and First Team Walter Camp accolades. He helped the Nighthawks win the conference regular season football championship in his senior year. An outdoor track competitor, Magazu helped the boys win the conference title and was part of the winning 4x100 relay team.

A strong all-around athlete who has played sports since kindergarten, Magazu ultimately gave up soccer for football and transitioned from basketball and baseball to track in high school. Magazu stuck with basketball in the Senior League through his senior year.

The switch to track from a varsity standpoint, as well as continuing the game of football, certainly worked out well with Magazu and his teammates.

“To be able to lead these guys like he did was very special to watch,” said Memoli, adding that Magazu went above and beyond with his leadership.

“I’ve enjoyed my time playing sports at NHS. My favorite memory would be my first varsity start for the football team. As a junior coming off of a broken leg freshman year and no season sophomore year, I was initially really nervous. The nerves were gone as soon as I stepped onto the field, throwing a 45-yard post to senior wide receiver Eric Gray,” Magazu said.

Magazu is headed to Elon University in North Carolina to continue football.

“I am very excited for the next chapter. I have already started workouts at Elon,” said Magazu, a tight end and linebacker who has been on campus since June 11.

Magazu is planning on majoring in business administration. “I am really pleased with my decision to go to Elon, and look forward to what the future has to offer,” he said.

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