Swimmers Rebound From Nail-Biting Loss To Beat New Milford

Newtown High School’s girls’ swimming and diving team overcame a tough-to-swallow defeat to knock off New Milford, 97-81 at home on Tuesday.

The Nighthawks earned first place in nine of the 11 swimming events to win with ease and improve to 4-2 heading into the Friday, October 5, meet at Pomperaug of Southbury.

Winning with relative ease on Tuesday was a welcomed bounce-back effort for a team that was coming off close-but-no-cigar setback to Weston on September 27. Newtown, for the second time this season, lost a meet that came down to the final event, and about one second, in a 95-91 setback to visiting Weston.

The Nighthawks held an 87-85 lead heading into the final event, the 400 yard freestyle relay race, but came up just short as the team of Amy Martinelli, Abby Fagerholm, Eliza Eggleston, and Amanda Mele finished in second, just 1.07 seconds behind Weston’s winning contingent.

What’s more, Martinelli ended up less than a second from winning the event, which would have results in a tie.

NHS suffered a similar heart-breaking setback that went down to the wire in a September 18 clash with Brookfield — also a 95-91 defeat. Newtown, in that meet, fell short by just 2.01 seconds in the 400 relay event.

In the defeat to Weston, Newtown’s Megan McDonald was first in the 100 yard butterfly, Zoe Eggleston was first in the 100 breaststroke, and the 200 free relay team of Jane Sclafani, Zoe Eggleston, Mele, and Martinelli earned first.

In the win over New Milford, the 200 medley relay contingent of Kelley Baylis, Sclafani, McDonald, and Charlotte Gray took first. Eliza Eggleston won the 200 free, Bridget Duero won the 200 individual medley, Mele was first in the 50 free, Martinelli won the and 100, McDonald earned another first by claiming the 500. Newtown’s 200 free relay and 400 relay teams also won.

The 200 team of Gray, Zoe Eggleston, Mele, and Martinelli finished first, and the 400 group consisting of Eliza Eggleston, Abby Fagerholm, Mele, and McDonald also came out on top.

The Nighthawks have been looking forward to facing Pomperaug since the Panthers edged them in the final event of the South-West Conference championships a year ago. Friday’s meet starts at 6 pm.

 —AH