Swim Team Is Versatile; Competitors Focused On Improving Times

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ swimming and diving team, coming off a 7-3 regular, dual meet season and eighth-place finish in the South-West Conference, will strive to do even better this fall.

It won’t necessarily be so easy.

All high school teams face filling holes left by graduates at some time or another and the NHS swim team has some big ones to plug this time around. Among last year’s graduates were the team’s top four point-getters: captains Emma Atkinson, Lucy Remitz, Ann Hull, and Jaclyn VanWaalwijk. This will leave exceeding last year’s results in the hands of a mostly young group of swimmers.

Among the returnees are senior captain Lizanne Kroon and junior captains Megan Baylis, Katie Fragoso, and Jacque Rosa. Senior Dana Gnerre is another key team member, according to Head Coach Mary Atkinson, whose team is comprising primarily sophomores and juniors. Sophomores whom the coach expects big things from are Leah Barrett, Maggie Atkinson, Krysta Gates, and Maggie Hoolehan. Juniors include Colleen Carroll, Megan Baylis, and Kate Fragoso.

Although the team is young and, to some degree, inexperienced, it does possess some strong points. For one, this Nighthawks squad is a versatile one.

“The best part about the team is we have a lot of versatility. I’m planning to move them around a lot,” the coach said.

With the youth comes enthusiasm and healthy competition within the team as the swimmers  try to better personal times, aiding the team as a whole along the way.

Fragoso’s hope for the Nighthawks is “for everyone on our team to get the opportunity to swim and work on their strokes and compete.”

“I hope that each girl swims to her full potential,” Baylis added.

In addition, each of the swimmers hopes to shave seconds off their times. “I’m hoping to qualify for SWCs and that the team, this year, can do our best and have a good record,” Rosa said.

“This is a really big, fun group. They get excited about the dual meets,” Coach Atkinson said.

The divers include junior Katie Hunt, sophomore Liz Poeltl, and Lauren Sudbey who joined the team for this, her senior year.

“We have a solid group of divers,” Coach Atkinson said. “That should be a strength for us.”

Pomperaug always provides stiff competition and other SWC opponents that are tough include Lauralton Hall, New Fairfield, and Brookfield. The season is scheduled to open Friday at Bunnell. The first home meet is September 23 against Weston.

“I just hope as a team we’ll work together and compete and do really well,” Kroon said.