When the swim season was just about to begin, 2006 Newtown High School graduate Abby (Atkinson) Chinault was at the Newtown Labor Day Parade when she saw the Newtown High School girls’ swim team members selling bottled water to raise funds for the program.

“I was on the swim team, so of course I bought water when I saw them,” said Chinault, who went on to swim at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Penn. and lived in Washington, D.C. until moving back to Newtown with her family this past year.

Chinault talked to the team members and mentioned how she used to be on the team. NHS junior swimmer Grace Fischer was surprised when she found out who it was.

“I was like ‘oh my gosh I broke your record last year,’” Fischer said. “My jaw went to the floor. I was so surprised.”

Last year, as a sophomore, Fischer broke Atkinson’s 100 yard breaststroke team record which had stood since the fall of 2005; Fischer broke the record by less than a second when she posted a time of 1:08.39. A big swim family in town, the Atkinson name is well-known around the Newtown pool; Atkinson is still on the team record board from when she set the 200 yard individual medley mark in 2005 with a time of 2:12.19.

She was back at her old swimming grounds earlier this fall and watched the Nighthawks compete. After the meet, Fischer caught up with the woman whose record she broke, and met her children Lucy and Jude.

Indeed, a lot has changed since Atkinson (now Chinault) set the standard. It took almost two decades for the breaststroke record to be broken. But don’t blink. It might be rebroken this fall.

Fischer and sophomore teammate Alexa Kwarcinski — who set the NHS pool record in the breaststroke race with a time of 1:09.23 this October 14 — might both reset the record this season and/or in the next year (or two in the case of Kwarcinski) to come. After all, the season is approaching the finish line with just one more dual meet followed by championship season. This is the point of the season when swimmers peak and drop times.

Newtown, coming off a 97-81 win at Masuk of Monroe on October 25, closes out the regular slate at home against Brookfield on Friday, October 28 at 4 pm. Then comes the South-West Conference championship, Saturday, November 5, back at Masuk.

A reason for a record standing so long only to be broken then threatened within a year is a product of the times.

“I think that kids are getting more training, more hours in the pool, and different experiences with different coaches,” said Newtown Coach Becky Osborne, who noted that Fischer and Kwarcinski both compete year-round, at times in out-of-town programs.

“Records are meant to be broken,” added Osborne, who knows a thing or two about that having had her longstanding indoor shot-put event standard at NHS broken during the track and field season in 2018 (her outdoor record still stands almost 25 years later).

“I love healthy competition on our team. It’s a great motivator if used properly,” Osborne added. “But when’s the burnout and what’s the payoff?

Having two strong breaststrokers is something Osborne has to juggle properly and it is not as simple as just letting them compete in that race at every meet.

“I don’t only think about scores and points. I think about the well-being of the swimmers,” Osborne noted.

Due to other swim talents these particular team members possess, along with team needs in other events, as well as looking to not push these athletes too far, Osborne does not have them both compete in the breaststroke event at each meet. In some races, either of these standouts will compete in the 100 yard backstroke race, instead of the breaststroke; these events take place back-to-back. They are also utilized in the 200 medley relay, as well as some of the individual and relay freestyle swims.

“We try to give everybody the best opportunity to do what they need to do,” said Osborne, adding that the swimmers are also put in position to do what is best for the team.

Against Masuk, Fischer and Kwarcinski combined with Ella Seaver and Diellza Limani for a first-place finish in the 200 yard medley relay race with a time of 2:00.65, and they teamed with Limani and Zoe Petertonjes to win the 200 free relay in 1:47.95. Kwarcinski also won the 100 freestyle in 56.39.

Kwarcinski and Fischer both raced in the breaststroke race against Masuk and finished with times of 1:10.99 and 1:12.82, respectively; NHS, having already secured the team win, exhibitioned this event but — not surprisingly — they had the fastest two times, by a lot. The breaststroke tandem is making the most of their situation.

“It’s kind of fun, especially to have the team record-holder in your lane,” said Kwarcinski, adding that the swimmers work together to make each other better in practices.

“It’s definitely a good motivator. It’s great having someone close to you to push you,” Fischer added.

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