Date: Fri 29-Dec-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

The-Year-In-Sports-1995

Full Text:

The Year In Sports, 1995

The year of 1995 was one of ups and downs in Newtown sports. On a tragic note,

we said goodbye to longtime NHS teacher and baseball coach Tony Urban who died

during summer vacation, while on the lighter side we watched as many local

athletes excelled on the fields of play.

Following is a synopsis of 1995, The Newtown Year In Sports:

January

After winning the Stratford Tournament to start off the month, the NHS boys'

basketball team tied its best start in school history with a 59-51 win over

New Milford. It was the Indians' 12th win of the season and matched the 12-0

start of the 1946-47 Newtown High team.

Newtown High School boys' soccer coach, Larry Ashmore, was presented with The

Newtown Bee Sportsman Award.

February

NHS senior point guard Greg Gallagher moved past Ken Berglund into third place

on the school's all-time career basketball scoring chart, where he would end

his career by making All-WCC and All-State.

The Newtown Board of Education approved a plan for Newtown Middle School to

offer baseball and softball teams for the 1995 spring season.

Newtown High School sophomore Dan Monroe won the WCC wrestling title in the

119-pound division, defeating Bethel senior Tony Maniscalco in the final. A

week later, sophomore Darryl Newman recorded the only Newtown victory at the

CIAC Class L championships. The team, under first-year coach Bob Voland,

finished the season with a 6-10 dual meet record.

Tom Hine pumped in a season-high 30 points to lead the Newtown Middle School

boys' basketball team to a 74-55 win over Rogers Park. Newtown played to a

winning record in its first season under coach Gino LoRicco. Kyle McCullough

was the team's MVP.

March

A poker table fashioned from wood from the old gymnasium floor at Newtown High

School was auctioned off and purchased by Sherri Smith-Baggett for $750, all

of which benefited the Newtown Blue & Gold Booster Club.

The NHS swim team finished third in the WCC avenging an earlier loss to New

Fairfield by slipping ahead of the Rebels.

The NHS girls' basketball team finished its season with an overall record of

15-7, missing out on the WCC Final Four. All-WCC forward Katie Lyddy finished

a fine four-year career third on the school's all-time scoring list with 896

points. Erica Hanson received The Newtown Bee's Free Throw Trophy for having

the best percentage on the team.

NHS girls' soccer coach, Pete Fedorov, formerly gave up his post in a letter

of resignation. Fedorov had coached the team since 1989 and his teams compiled

a career record of 75-26-5 which included three conference titles.

Despite taking ill the night before the meet, NHS sophomore Rachel Gottmeier

placed fourth in the 800 meters at the Class M Indoor Track Championships and

qualified for State Opens.

The NHS boys' basketball team captured the last-ever WCC championship in

thrilling fashion, as MVP Greg Gallagher buried a dramatic three-pointer at

the buzzer to tie the game and send it into overtime, where the Indians held

off Brookfield by a 73-68 score. Newtown went on to lose in the first round of

the CIAC tournament, but its 19-4 overall record was the best in school

history. Joe Youngs was The Newtown Bee's Free Throw Trophy recipient for the

second consecutive year, making him the only repeat winner in the award's long

history.

April

In Newtown Park and Rec Basketball Championship action: Keith Warshany scored

21 points as the Celtics completed a second-straight undefeated championship

season under coach Jason McCallum beating the Jazz 47-44 in the Junior

Division title game; Todd Winner scored 25 points to lead the Spurs over the

Jazz in the championship of the Intermediate Division; In the Girls' Junior

Division the Knicks knocked off the Bulls 43-35 behind the efforts of Laura

Gardner and Meghan Wolcott who combined for 33 points; The Hornets beat the

Knicks 17-16 in the Girls' Intermediate Division as Jayme Beckham (12 points)

and Kaitlin Barry (five) combined for all of the winning team's offense.

The NHS softball team played the first-ever home night game in school history

when it faced Pomperaug under the lights at Treadwell Park. Ali Gianinni and

Sarah Howard had two hits each for Newtown, but the Lady Indians fell 2-1 to

the Panthers.

The NHS baseball team made a trip to Cooperstown to play Pomperaug, but the

game was called because of rain. It didn't stop the two teams, though, from

enjoying a tour of the baseball Hall of Fame.

May

Greg Gallagher and Liz Robilotti of Newtown High School were honored as the

school's recipients of the WCC Leadership Awards.

Caity Brower scored six goals to lead the NHS girls' lacrosse team to its

first win of the season, 12-8 over Ridgefield. Under new coach Christine

Sievers, Newtown went 4-9-1 on the season. Kathryn Koonce led Newtown with 36

goals.    The NHS golf team defeated Brookfield and Pomperaug to claim the

Briggs Division championship, but even at 14-3, 11-3 in the WCC, the Indians

fell short to Weston in their big match to decide the league title.

The NHS girls' track team, led by WCC shot put champion, Liz Robilotti,

captured its first WCC title in 16 years by putting together an undefeated

12-0 season under coach Rick Medve. It was the last WCC girls' track title

ever to be had.

Sophomore pitcher Samantha Byrne fired a no-hitter, striking out ten, as she

led the NHS softball team past Weston, 5-0. Meanwhile, senior shortstop Alison

Bernstein (.439, 15 RBI) was named All-WCC. The team, though, failed to reach

the playoffs finishing with a 13-9 record.

After a two-year hiatus, NHS boys' track and field coaches Russ Weiss and Rich

Pesce returned to lead the team to it's first winning season (8-4) in three

years.

June

Kevin Carolan of My Place Pizzeria fired a no-hitter, striking out nine men

while leading his team to a 6-0 win over Hickey Septic in Little League

baseball action.

NHS baseball co-captains, Jason Winsett and Matt Zelno, were named to the

All-WCC's first team after guiding their team to a 12-8 record in a season

that ended in a 10-6 WCC Semifinal-game loss to Immaculate. Chris Hayward (who

led the team in hitting at .400) and Jon Danko were selected to the All-Briggs

team, while Matt Zavatsky earned Honorable Mention. The Indians started the

season 11-3, but lost five of their last six. Shortly after the season, Tony

Urban resigned his varsity head coaching position after twelve years.

Behind first-year coach John Chiapetta, the upstart NHS freshman baseball team

played to a record of 13-2. Tim Place batted .438 to lead the team while Rich

Barillari's 2.51 ERA was tops. Justin Bandura batted .398 and compiled a 4-1

pitching record.

Jared Tendler of NHS scored a 79 at Ridgewood Country Club to capture medalist

honors at the WCC golf championship. The Indians finished first, avenging

their regular-season second-place finish to Weston.

Brian Monahan and Krista Bell were selected by the CIAC as Newtown High

School's 1995 Scholar Athletes.

The Newtown Middle School softball team finished its first season undefeated

while stampeding through league competition with a potent offensive lineup led

by Shana Eigen.

Dan Shea of Newtown became the first runner to successfully defended his title

as Newtown Rooster Run Champion, finishing the 1995 race in 26:47.

Newtown's Liz Robilotti finished second in the javelin at the CIAC Class L

meet. Robilotti graduated with the school record in the javelin (122-feet-2

inches). Russ Bennett placed second in Class L in both the shot put and the

javelin for the boys' team.

The NHS boys' lacrosse team dropped a tough, 10-8, loss to South Windsor in

the semi-finals of the CIAC Division II lacrosse tournament.

Carol Lipnick and Dan Glezer claimed the singles titles at the annual Newtown

Open, sponsored by the Newtown Tennis Association.

The Newtown Devils 13-and-under girls' team and the Newtown Sidekicks boys'

13-and-under teams of the Newtown Soccer Club each claimed Northwest District

championships.    The foursome of Jim Hunyadi, Paul Gartland, John Larkins and

Kevin Tabellione captured the championship at the fourth annual golf classic

benefiting the Newtown High School football team.

A contingent of Austrian special athletes visited Newtown and stayed with the

family of Jerome Mayer and Kit Dougherty prior to the Special Olympics World

Games in New Haven.

The Ice Cream Shop, led by John Fiscella's 15-strikeout pitching performance,

defeated Castle Hill Cabinets, 4-3, for the Newtown Little League's Majors

Division title.

Behind the pitching of Tommy Ermini, VFW Post 308 defeated Newtown Color

Center, 7-6, to claim the championship in the Newtown Little League's Minors

Division.    NHS lacrosse standouts Kristen Beer and Brian Monahan were the

recipients of The Newtown Bee's Scholar/Athlete Awards.

Shawn Brennan earned The Newtown Soccer Club's Fred Davidson Memorial

Scholarship.

July

Bobby Thomson, who hit the famous Shot Heard 'Round the World for the New York

Giants in that fateful 1951 playoff game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, showed up

to throw out the first pitch at the annual Newtown Little League Diamond

Invitational Tournament.

Brian McGovern of Newtown, 13, qualified for a trip to San Jose for a run at

the 3,000-meter race at the National Junior Olympics.

The Babe Ruth 14-15 All Stars won their first District Championship in ten

years with a 7-4 win over Danbury in the District 4 divisional final.

Meanwhile, the Prep Division All-Star team did not fare quite as well, losing

to Danbury, 12-8, in the tournament finals.

Paul Miller of Branford replaced Steve Pemberton as the new PGA golf

professional at Newtown Country Club.

Tom Fallon of NHS, at age 14, became one of the youngest qualifiers ever in

the Connecticut State Golf Association tournament. He made it past the first

round to match play, seeded 26th, but lost to No. 7 seed Brett Zimmerman.

Shortly after, though, Fallon claimed the Connecticut PGA junior championship

in the 14/15-year-old division at Simsbury Farms.

Pierre Rochman, of Newtown, made his first-ever hole-in-one on the ninth hole

at Rock Ridge Country Club.

A month after resigning as coach of the NHS baseball team, Tony Urban died

unexpectedly while visiting friends in Europe. A scholarship was later created

in his name at Newtown High School.

August

Gold medals at the annual Nutmeg Games were won by Ken Seferi, Jeff

Rucktenwald, Kyle McCullough and Larry Isler in baseball; by Michael Leone,

Marty Schnurr and Michael Schnurr in hockey; by Russ Bennett in track & field;

and by William Brookes in golf.

Jody and Jamie Minalgo of Newtown won gold medals at the State-Line Swim

League championships at Pomperaug High School. The Minalgo's swim with the

Newtown Park and Recreation team. Other medalists included Andrew Kotecki,

Lindsay Sprung, Brittany Welch, Jay Shunter, Lance Panigutti, and Ashley

Welch.    Chrystie Quintiliano, 11, qualified for the US Roller Skating

Championships in Fresno, California after winning the Northeast Regional

competition.    The NHS cheerleading squad won the Superior Cheerleading Squad

Trophy for the second year in-a-row at the Universal Cheerleading Association

Camp at Southern Connecticut State University.

Doug Rose in the `A' Division and Jim Chappius in the `B' Division won their

respective Newtown Slo-Pitch Softball league batting championships.

Farid Haillen of Moscow claimed first place at the 11th running of The Newtown

Bee 10k Road Race. Haillen defeated Peter Simon of Tanzania while shattering

the old record by almost 30 seconds.

NHS grads Brian Gleason and John Ball were named captains of their respective

college teams. Gleason was named captain of the football team at UConn and

Ball captain of the soccer team at Southern Connecticut.

September

Bob Elliott and Diane Gucciardo earned the singles championships at the 22nd

annual Stroock Tournament, sponsored by the Newtown Tennis Association.

The Gervais Brothers upset defending champion Newtown Exxon, 23-12, to capture

its fifth Newtown Slo-Pitch `A' Division championship in six years. My Place

Pizzeria, meanwhile, defeated Apex Glass, 13-10, for its first-ever `B'

Division championship. Tom Wyatt (`A' Division) and Dave French (`B' Division)

copped their respective league Most Valuable Player honors.

At the Second Annual Bonnie DeCarlo Slo-Pitch All-Star Classic, the " A "

Division beat the " B " Division 19-13 as Gary Andrews went 4-for-5 with a

home run and Tom Wyatt was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a homer. Matt Gee was

4-for-5 with a homer for the " B " team and copped the game's MVP honors in a

losing effort.

Newtown High School introduced two new coaches for the fall season, Kim

Berglund (girls' soccer) and Joanne Johnson (girls' swimming) as the school

embarked on a new era with the formation of the new South-West Conference,

which merged the former WCC with seven schools from the CCIAC. The new schools

included Jonathan Law, Kolbe Cathedral, Notre Dame-Fairfield, Bunnell,

Stratford, Lauralton Hall, and Foran.

Rich Pesce, head coach of the NHS cross country teams, won his 100th career

meet as coach of the boys' team as the Indians defeated St. Joseph's in the

opener of the 1995 season.

Promising NHS junior football and basketball star Patrick Reilly was lost for

the season when he suffered a knee injury in Newtown's first pre-season game

against St Joe's.

October

The NHS field hockey team defeated Masuk, 2-1, under the lights in Monroe, to

snap a 22-game winless streak dating back to October of 1993. Melissa Araya

scored both goals in the win.

The NHS football team defeated Pomperaug 28-7 at Homecoming. Quarterback Chris

Petitti won The Newtown Bee's offensive MVP award while junior Greg Darling

won the defensive MVP honor. Newtown then beat New Milford, 35-0, to retain

their hold on the coveted Boot Trophy. Petitti was 12-of-16 for 155 yards.  

The NHS boys' and girls' cross country teams finished the regular season

unbeaten, combining for 32 victories. The girls went on to win the first

South-West Conference title, as senior Marnie Larabee won the race, while the

boys were upset by Joel Barlow. The boys' team went on to finish second at the

CIAC Class L meet while the girls finished third.

Carrie Young scored the game's only goal as the Newtown Soccer Club's

Hurricanes won the Newtown Massachusetts Tournament with a 1-0 win over the

Scarsdale Satellites.

The NHS girls' swim team clinched its first winning season in 11 years with a

98-75 victory over Bunnell and shortly after earned a sweet win over rival

Weston to finish the regular season at 8-4. Freshman sensation Jamie Ryan

broke a long-standing breaststroke record . . . then broke her own record

twice during the season.

November

The NHS boys' cross country team finished fourth at the CIAC State Open, while

the girls' team claimed eighth. Pat Czaplicke led the boys while the girls

were paced by Marnie Larabee and Sarah Zimmerman who both earned All-State

status for the third-straight year.

At its year-end banquet, The Newtown Tennis Association named Jim Ondak and

Beth Wetherill Tennis Man and Woman of the Year. The NTA also presented Sue

Gardner and Don Leavitt with Distinguished Service Awards.

The NHS girls' swim team took third at the first-ever South-West Conference

meet, then sixth at the CIAC Class L meet, and finally 18th at the CIAC State

Open, capping an exciting season under first-year coach Joanne Johnson.

Newtown High's Leigh Hoppmeyer was named to the All-South West Conference

volleyball first-team, while Kristin Denninger made the All-Colonial Division

team. Erica Hanson and Jocelyn Wilcynzki earned Honorable Mention.

The NHS girls' soccer team failed to qualify for the conference playoffs for

the first time in school history as it finished the season 9-6-1 with

five-straight defeats. Junior defender Jan Triani earned All-SWC honors and

was presented with the first-ever Most Valuable Player award named after

former coach Pete Fedorov. Maria Robertson won The Bee's No " I " In Team

Award and, instead, presented it to teammate Lauren Pelletreau.

The NHS boys' soccer team missed out on the SWC playoff tournament finishing

the season at 10-4, but qualified for the state tournament for a 14th

consecutive year under coach Larry Ashmore. Senior Brian Wassman was named

All-SWC and All-State after scoring 12 goals and finishing his career near the

top of the school's all-time list with 27. Junior Dave Miller led the team

with 15 goals.

The Masuk High School football team stunned Newtown, 15-14, in the final

regular season game, locking the Indians out of a return engagement at the WCC

championship.

December

John Ball of Newtown helped the Southern Connecticut State University men's

soccer team win their fourth Division II championship - Ball's second - with a

2-0 win over South Carolina-Spartanburg. Ball, captain of the team, finished

his fine career at Southern when he was named second-team All-America and

later selected in the second round of the National Professional Soccer League

(NPSL) draft by the Cleveland franchise.

NHS senior lineman Mike Powers was named to the Hartford Courant's Class L

All-State football team making him the eleventh NHS player ever to do so.

Powers' teammates Chris Petitti, John Buonanno, and Kevin Lausten were all

named All-Conference.

Chris Daly stepped in at quarterback in the second half and threw three

fourth-quarter touchdown passes as he guided Newtown Exxon to a 20-19

come-from behind win over Bethel Overhead Door. Joe Roberto caught two TD

passes for the new champions including the game-tying score with no time left

on the clock. Captain Dave Samoskevich caught the game-winning PAT pass.

The NHS girls' swim team was honored when it received the 1995 Sportsmanship

Award from the Western Connecticut Swimming Officials Association.    PGA

superstar Fred Couples and his caddy, Newtown's Joe LaCava, copped $550,000 at

the Johnny Walker World Championship in Jamaica.