Date: Fri 28-Feb-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Quick Words:

swim-feature

Full Text:

Swimmers, At 13-3, Enjoy Finest Season Since 1975-76

B Y K IM J. H ARMON

It was 21 years ago that the Newtown High School swim program reach its

highest point ever, a 16-0 season under coach Tom Roberts, and it took all of

that time just to get close.

The 1996-97 Nighthawks - in a rebuilding or reloading phase for the last two

years - have finished up the dual meet season with their second-best record

ever, a 13-3 ledger.

It included losses to Pomperaug, Weston and Bunnell, but it also included

blow-out wins over strong teams like New Fairfield, Brookfield, Shepaug and

Sacred Heart, a team that had been unbeaten in the Naugatuck Valley League

before hosting the Nighthawks.

"We gained a lot of heart and a lot of attitude," said tri-captain Nick

Perrone. "We got back what we had last year and then everyone became stronger

and more versatile."

After finishing up 8-7 a year ago, the Nighthawks - then called the Indians -

lost a pair of outstanding swimmers, Terry McGovern and Dave McCrodden, and

couldn't have expected to become even better.

But they did.

It started with some serious improvement by the captains-elect . . . Adam

Peck, Nick Perrone and Paul McBride. With Peck becoming a contributor in the

freestyle, Perrone becoming a front-line sprinter and quality butterflier, and

McBride turning his versatility up another notch, the loss of McGovern and

McCrodden became less significant, less damaging.

"Everyone who swam last year stepped up and became so much better," said Peck.

"I knew we would have a good team and even though I didn't know about all of

the kids, I expected we could get 10 wins."

Even with Peck, Perrone and McBride reaching a new level, the Nighthawks still

would have struggled if it were not for the arrival of newcomer Tara Fiscella

and a bevy of talented freshmen like Lance Panigutti and Brian McGovern and

divers Alyssa Von Oy and Greg Simoneau.

It was enough for some people to get some big ideas.

"Our last couple of years have been building years," said McBride, "but coach

said that wouldn't cut it this year. Everyone knew Pomperaug and Weston were

the top two teams and Bunnell was sort of surprising, so we hoped to go 14-2

or 13-3. But that was kind of a pipe dream goal that became more realistic as

the season went along."

The Nighthawks opened with wins over Holy Cross and New Fairfield, a stunner

in itself because the Rebels had beaten the Nighthawks the previous two years.

After an easy win over Stratford, the Nighthawks were expecting a close meet

against Brookfield and turned in another stunner . . . an 18-point rout.

"Everyone knew how much it meant to coach," said Peck, "how much it meant to

us to go out there and give it our hardest. They beat us last year and rubbed

it in our face."

Newtown made it as far as 6-0 before running into SWC powerhouse Pomperaug,

which won the meet but not nearly as easily as the Panthers might have

expected.

Perrone said that meet might be one of the defining moments of the season.

"Even though we lost," he said, "we dropped times and stuck close to them . .

. closer than we ever have before."

The Nighthawks had a strong finish in the Wappingers Central Swimming

Invitational in Newburgh, New York, and then came back for the dual meet

season to defeat previously unbeaten Sacred Heart of Waterbury in a close

meet.

Then came easy wins over Jonathan Law, Foran, and Shepaug, the Nighthawks'

eighth, ninth and 10th wins of the season. Shepaug was another powerhouse, a

two-time winner over Newtown the previous two seasons, newly vanquished by the

high-flying Nighthawks.

But after crushing Plainville and Seymour, the Nighthawks ran into their next

obstacle - and their next loss - Bunnell.

The meet came down to the final relay and Newtown missed out on coming out

with a tie by slightly more than a half-second and despite the loss, McBride

saw the positives in it.

"A lot of our meets have not been much of a challenge," he said, "but with

Bunnell it was supposed to be close and it made all of us pull more out of

ourselves. It demanded that extra bit of inner strength."

And it gave Newtown it one goal for the upcoming South-West Conference swim

championships - beat Bunnell.

"We know who is taking first and second," said Peck. "The competition is for

third."

Newtown finished up the season at 13-3, grabbing a win over Masuk and then

closing out the dual-meet schedule with a loss against Weston, setting the

stage for the SWCs.

"We're not going to be peaking," said Perrone. "Everyone will get best times,

I'm sure of it, but we will also be concentrating on doing our best in

states."

But, of course, with Pomperaug and Weston vying for first place in the

conference meet at Flood Junior High School in Stratford, the Nighthawks will

be attempting to avenge the loss to Bunnell.

"Third is good enough," McBride admitted. "There is such a thing as setting

unachievable goals. To say third, that would put us in a more realistic spot."

And to achieve that goal, to be thought of in the same breath as Pomperaug and

Weston, to be considered one of the best teams in school history would all

make the 1996-97 season a tremendous success for the Newtown Nighthawks.