By Kim J. Harmon

It was indeed the year for wrestling.

With James Monroe winning a South-West Conference championship, a CIAC Class L state championship and CIAC State Open Championship and with Amanda Morici earning All-American status with a stunning performance at the United States High School Girls’ Wrestling Nationals in Lake Orion, Michigan, it almost went unnoticed that the Newtown High School wrestling team – at 7-3 for the regular season – enjoyed one of its finest campaigns in several years.

Monroe finished his four-year high school career with more than 140 victories, absolutely obliterating Kyle Turoczi’s previous school record of 100 wins. But Monroe wasn’t finished with the SWC, Class L and State Open championships, either. After competing at the New Englands in Massachusetts and Nationals in Pennsylvania, Monroe – nicknamed The Prez – was named during the summer to the Newtown Sports Hall of Fame by a five-person committee.

Morici’s story was equally as inspiring. After losing a season due to injury, she secured a spot on the varsity team as a senior and soon won her first career match. Then she won another. And soon she was wrestling in the South-West Conference championships and did some damage before being eliminated in an epic, overtime battle. Morici went on to perform in the Northeast Regional Girls’ Wrestling Tournament in Peterboro, New Hampshire before winning six matches and placing seventh at the Nationals in Lake Orion.

Of course, there were many other momentous things that happened in 1999 – all few conference championships, some individual championships, a few broken records, and quite a few remarkeable performances by some of Newtown’s finest athletes.

Now, as a new century approaches, take a look back at 1999 . . .

JANUARY

Courtney Steele of the Newtown High School boys’ basketball team scores 36 points in a 71-60 loss to Bunnell. It is the 10th-highest single-game effort in school history. His effort ties a 36-point performance by Randy Gunther in 1982.

A new five-team girls’ senior basketball league debuts with teams like the Killer Green Tomatoes and the Blue News Bears, the Yellow Submarines and Red Devils, as well as the Purple Haze.

The Newtown High School wrestling team trips up South-West Conference power New Fairfield, 32-30, taking the Rebels down through the strength of the middle weight classes.

Catherine Maher scores 34 points (including five, three-point baskets) for the Newtown eighth-grade girls traveling basketball team. It isn’t enough, however, as Newtown falls to Bethel, 55-51, in overtime.

The Newtown High School swim team makes its annual pilgrimage to Newburgh, New York, for the Wappingers Falls Swim Invitational. The Nighthawks take fourth as Kane Kunst, Lance Panigutti and Ryan Eberts lead the way.

Bob Zito announces his decision to leave Newtown High School for Stratford High School. Zito coached the football program to an 84-17-1 record – with two state championships – in nine seasons but returns to his roots in Stratford.

Amanda Morici earns his first varsity wrestling win in the 130-pound class, a decision over Eric Schmedlin of Foran.

Jeff Gasparini sets a new school mark of 2:46.4 in the 1,000-meter run to lead the Newtown High School indoor track team in an SWC Developmental meet at Staples High School in Westport. He broke a 10-year-old record set by Ian Ramsey.

Paul Giarratano of the BOG’s (Senior Boys’ Basketball) and Alyssa Ballard of the Bulls (Junior Girls) can buzzer beaters to lead their teams to victory.

FEBRUARY

The Newtown High School wrestling team hands Stratford High School its first loss of the 1998-99 season, 37-25. The Nighthawks raise their record to 7-2 as Matt Sullivan, Andrew Lysaght and Ross Alpert record early wins and then Paul Giarratano, Steve Selezan, Steve McCulloch and Brian Tomasulo stampede through the middle weight classes. James Monroe finishes with a tough 13-7 win over Marvin Lawson.

Bill Meier is installed as new president of the Newtown Tennis Association, taking over for out-going president Roger Giordano.

The Newtown High School indoor track team claims its third consecutive South-West Conference championship as Janelle Tracy, Laurie Miller, Jeff Gasparini and Erica Masella all win individual titles. Tracy wins the 50-meter dash, while Miller wins the long jump, Masella the high jump, and Gasparini the 3,200-meter run with a new meet record of 10:12.37.

Newtown High School girls’ basketball coach Gregg Simon wins his 100th career game as the Lady Nighthawks crush Notre Dame, 55-34.

High scorers – Greg Taylor scores 52 points to lead the Lizards to a 77-75 win over the Spurs in the Newtown Health & Fitness men’s basketball league . . . Casey Kirch scores 30 to lead the Timberwolves to a 55-46 win over the Celtics in Junior Boys youth basketball action . . . Catherine Maher tops her previous best effort with a 40-point game that led Newtown to an 80-76 win over Bristol in eighth-grade girls’ traveling basketball action.

James Monroe wins his third South-West Conference wrestling championship and is named Most Outstanding Wrestler after defeated Marvin Lawson of Stratford in the final. Monroe finishes the season undefeated, with better than 130 career wins to his credit. Monroe then wins the CIAC Class L wrestling championship, defeating John Dresser of Bristol Central.

Caitlyn Elf records a triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds to lead Newtown to a 80-76 win over Bristol in eighth-grade girls traveling basketball action. Later, Elf records another triple-double (17 points, 10 asssits, 17 rebounds) to lead Newtown to an 81-78 win over Danbury.

Jaime Ryan is named Newtown Bee Sportsman of the Year after a stunning four-year swimming career at Newtown High School sees her accumulate 11 individual and relay team records. Ryan is just a few months away from her first collegiate swim meet at Penn State.

The Newtown High School girls’ basketball team suffers a disappointing 42-33 loss to Masuk in the semi-finals of the South-West Conference tournament.

The Newtown High School indoor track team sets four new school records at the CIAC Class M meet as Jeff Gasparini shatters his own previous mark in the 3,200-meter run with a stunning finish of 9:47.25 – about 30 seconds faster than his old record.

The Newtown Middle School girls’ basketball team finishes up its 1998-99 season with a solid 11-1 record. The Lady Lions’ only loss is to Shelton in the first round of the Jockey Hollow Tournament.

The girls’ and boys’ swim team at Newtown High School get together for the first team in a Battle of the Sexes – a swim meet which serves as a fundraiser towards acquiring a new scoreboard and touchpad system for the pool.

MARCH

James Monroe wins a CIAC State Open wrestling championship win a 7-4 decision over Nick Ciarcia of Xavier, a black belt in judo and a national champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. Monroe later finishes fifth at the New England meet.

Alyssa von Oy claims the South-West Conference diving championship with a new conference record of 369.20 points. The Nighthawks finish fifth as a team.

Jeff Gasparini and Laurie Miller earn All-State honors for their efforts with the Newtown High School indoor track team.

The Newtown High School girls’ junior varsity basketball team finish the season at 17-0.

Erin Jones of the Newtown High School girls’ soccer team announces her intention to attend Providence College in Rhode Island for a Division I soccer career.

Amanda Morici of Newtown High School finishes second at the Northeast Regional Girls’ Wrestling Tournament in Peterboro, New Hampshire. Morici earns two pins and one victory on points during the tournament. She later earns All-American status with her seventh-place finish at the US Girls High School Wrestling Nationals in Lake Orion, Michigan. She wins six matches and loses two.

The Suns (Intermediate Girls) and the Blizzard (Junior Girls) claim Newtown Youth Basketball Association championships.

APRIL

The Sixers (Junior Boys), Pacers (Intermediate Boys), Dawgs (Senior Boys) and Killer Tomatoes (Senior Girls) all claim Newtown Youth Basketball Association championships.

Kate Ryan and Jason Godoy win The Newtown Bee free throw trophy awards at the girls’ and boys’ basketball banquets. Ryan wins with an 88.2 shooting percentage while Godoy wins with a 70 shooting percentage.

Newtown High School holds its first 2-on-2 Basketball Tournament prior to the Nicholas Hayes Memorial Basketball Game, which benefits the Ray Connor Scholarship at St. Rose School. Courtney Steele and Dave Marsilio defeat Shaun Cavanaugh and Bret McEvoy in the finals of the 2-on-2 event.

Four new coaches – Carol Lipnick (girls’ tennis), Ward Januzzi (boys’ tennis), Marsha Caine (girls’ track) and Paul LaFrancesca (softball) – join the coaching staff at Newtown High School.

The Newtown Fish and Game Club holds its annual Fishing Derby at Dickinson Park.

Melissa Eigen of Newtown is named captain of the Stony Brook University women’s soccer team for the fall 1999 season.

Brian Leavitt of Newtown records a hole-in-one on the par-3, 174-yard, 11th-hole at University Park Country Club in Sarasota, Florida. He uses a five-iron for the feat.

The Newtown High School girls’ lacrosse team wins its first six games before losing.

Ken Roberts is named the new head football coach at Newtown High School. Roberts – a former defensive coordinator at Newtown since 1997 – takes over the post from departed coach Bob Zito.

Siobhan Cooper (Intermediate Girls), Chris Martin (Intermediate Boys), Katie Lahey (Junior Girls), and Casey Kirch (Junior Boys) are named Most Valuable Players of their respective Newtown Youth Basketball Association divisions.

MAY

Gregg Simon, a teacher at the Newtown Middle School and coach of the Newtown High School girls’ basketball team, is named new athletic director at NHS. He takes over for position from Joanne Johnson and Jim Casagrande, who filled the position on a temporary basis after the resignation of Bob Zito.

Team Bus captures the Newtown Health & Fitness Men’s Basketball League championship with a 75-69 win over the Sonics. Mark Chernoff led the way with 29 points. Tri-Fit 600 wins the Newtown Health & Fitness Women’s Basketball League championship with a 69-49 win over Computer Warehouse. Tri-Fit is led by Jen Dayton and her 22 points.

Caitlin Collier scores five goals to lead the Newtown High School girls’ lacrosse team to a 15-7 win over Cheshire, which helps raised the Lady Nighthawks’ record to 7-1-1. Collier later becomes the school’s all-time leading scorer when she scores her 51st goal in a loss to Guilford. She breaks the old record set by Kathryn Koonce and Carolyn Anders.

The foursome of Ron Krysanski, Brian Krysanski, Chuck Tilson and Tom Wyatt wins the annual Newtown Blue & Gold Booster Club Golf Tournament at the Newtown Country Club.

Colonial Ford/Subaru of Danbury is announced as the major sponsor the Newtown Open, the annual tennis tournament put on by the Newtown Tennis Association.

Diana Perachio, a Newtown High School sophomore, wins her second South-West Conference singles tennis championship with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Tammy Clark of New Fairfield.

The Newtown High School girls’ track team claims its second straight South-West Conference championship as Janelle Tracy wins a pair of events and Alyssa von Oy wins one. The Newtown High School boys’ track team finishes third at the SWC meet, as the 4x100 relay team of Doug Randlett, Nate Delvecchio, Robb Miller and Grant Werbeck wins a title.

Zack Miller of the Newtown High School boys’ tennis team loses his first match of the season – in the South-West Conference singles final. Later, Millers reaches the quarter-finals of the CIAC Class L state tournament.

Jenn Corkum of Newtown High School signs a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Siena College in Loudonville, New York.

JUNE

The Newtown Soccer Club enjoys another in a long string of successful Memorial Day Kickoff tournaments. The Strikers (U13 boys), Nightmare (U13 girls) and Lightning (U14 girls) all win championships.

The Newtown High School girls’ lacrosse team comes to an abrupt end in the first round of the state tournament with an 11-6 loss to Greenwich despite a four-goal effort by Caitlin Collier. Meanwhile, the boys’ lacrosse team suffers a 13-7 loss to Staples in CIAC Division II quarter-finals.

Newtown High School athletes Helene Powers and Scott Maxwell earned CIAC Scholar Athlete awards while Johanna Francis and Eric Putnam received SWC Leadership awards.

Dan Shea took first place at the annual Rooster Run of the Newtown Parks and Recreation Department.

Akash Lamba and Carol Lipnick claim the singles championships at the annual Newtown Tennis Open. Lamba battles Ritush Venugopal for the men’s title while Lipnick edges Diane Gucciardo for the women’s title. Bob Lapple and Al Turner won the men’s doubles title.

My Place Pizza (Junior Girls softball), Emmett & Glander (Senior Girls softball), Tendler Real Estate (Babe Ruth Prep), Newtown Police Union (Babe Ruth National Majors) and Newtown Hardware (Babe Ruth American Majors) all claim championships in their respective divisions.

JULY

The Newtown Women’s Slo-Pitch Softball League expands to 13 teams and opens its new season.

James Monroe, Kevin O’Sullivan, Owen Gallagher and Lynn Lattanzio are all inducted into the Newtown Sports Hall of Fame.

Botsford Drive In (Babe Ruth 14/15 division) wins a championship over Key Realty.

The new Rising Star Summer Basketball League opens play.

The 10-year-old Babe Ruth All-Star team win the District 4 championship.

John Ball, a former Newtown High School soccer superstar, signs his first Major League Soccer contract with the Chicago Fire, the 1998 MLS champions. After winning two national titles with the Southern Connecticut State University men’s soccer team, Ball also won a title with the Cleveland Crunch of the National Professional Indoor Soccer League.

Tate Hoeffel, Katherine Moberg, Emily Sheehan and Sarah Dacey help lead the Connecticut Super Juniors lacrosse team to a win at the first-ever New England Girls’ Lacrosse All-Star Tournament in Lowell, Massachusetts.

AUGUST

The Babe Ruth 10-year-old All Stars capture the state championship despite an early-round loss to Danbury. And in the champion, Newtown fell down to Danbury, 7-0, before rallying for a shocking, 14-13, win. Kevin Cahalane drove in Joey DeVellis with the game-winner. The 10s later lost out in the Regional tournament.

Sherri Buczek and Scooch Dunleavey won the Newtown Country Club women’s and men’s championships with victories over Joan Crick and Wayne Ramey, respectively.

The Major League Soccer Camp returned to Newtown to help teach youngsters some new skills in the game of soccer and refine the ones they already have.

Newtown finishes first in the Central Valley Fastpitch Softball League with a 14-1 record and then takes first in the CVFL Tournament. Players on the team include Lauren Cascia, Ashley Ferris, Megan LaFlamme, Trina Ramsdell, Stacy Gordon, Krystal Ferris, Rebecca Narel, Sara Blomberg, Kaitlyn Fenton, Chrissie Glander, Erin Murdoch and Amie Walston.

Bob and Debby Tendler are honored by the Congregation Adath Israel at Adath Israel’s first annual golf outing. The Tendler’s are honored as Distinguished Citizens.

Peter Stephenson, Carrie Lipnick, Courtney Fuller and Katie Fuller won singles championships at the annual Coopersmith Cup Junior Tennis Tournament – held in conjunction with the Bertram A. Stroock Memorial Tennis Tournament by the Newtown Tennis Association.

The Newtown Markettes perform so well at a Knicks City Dancers Boot Camp that they earn the right to perform at halftime of a National Basketball Association game in March at Madison Square Garden in New York. The dancers are Mallory McQuail, Amy Andras, Becky McCullough, Amanda Cannata, Emily Cinnewa, Katherine McDonald, Vanessa Cannata, Christine Cinicola, Sarah MacKnight, Jessica Clark, Cathy Byrne and Caitlin DeCosta.

Mike Troy sets a scoring record with 39 points as he leads UMass to a big win over UConn in Rising Star Basketball action. Later, St. John’s defeats UMass for the league championship.

SEPTEMBER

Bob Elliott claims his third Stroock Tennis Tournament men’s singles championship with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Tom Conrod as Wendy Fong wins her first women’s singles championship with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Katie Lavery. The duo of Steve Bigham and Brian Leavitt claims the men’s doubles championship with a 6-7, 6-3, 6-1 win over Matt Guzzetti and Wes Baff. Patti and Kristen Meyer won the women’s doubles title with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Teresa Kennedy and Michelle Vanasse.

Lance Panigutti earns a spot on the Junior National Triathlon team. He finishes 14th at the Junior Nationals at 48th at the World Triathlon Championships.

Hurd Construction wins the Sunday Slo-Pitch ‘B’ Division championship, 20-11, over Hip Hip Huray. For Hurd, it is the first league title since 1986.

Ken Roberts (football), John Kostelis (girls’ soccer), Dave McCrodden and Jen Birrell (swimming), Tom Czaplinski and Jay Edwards (volleyball), Kathy Davey (field hockey) and Marsha Caine (girls’ cross country) all join the Newtown High School coaching staff.

The Newtown High School pool is finally graced with a new scoreboard and touchpad system – thanks, in large part, to an area business which donates $15,000. The swim programs (boys’ and girls’) had already raised $8,900, but were a long way off from realizing their goal when the business came through.

Sloan Schnell of Newtown works as a ball girl at the Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament in New Haven.

Olde Newtown Tavern wins its third straight Sunday Slo-Pitch ‘A’ Division championship with 39-14 and 23-8 victories over Newtown Exxon.

OCTOBER

Former Newtown resident Dan Baker serves as the tournament director for the PGA’s Ryder Cup, which is held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Baker, 32, is a 1984 graduate of Newtown High School and one of two – Joe LaCava is the other – to have an impact on professional golf. In November, Baker will be named new director of the Canon GHO in Hartford.

To local and area basketball coaches and instructors are assembled for Newtown Parks and Recreation Basketball Clinics held throughout the month at the Newtown Middle School and Newtown High School. Coaches and instructors include Gregg Simon, Jody Rajcula, John Quinn, Jack Shpunt, Pat Kelley, Ed Swanson, Bob Campbell, Diane Nolan and Chris Casey.

Troy Simek of Newtown took No. 1 at the BMX Grands in Louisville, Kentucky.

Newtown High School coach and sports benefactor Dan Winsett issues a $10,000 challenge to all area residents and businesses to help the Newtown Blue & Gold Booster Club finish paying off the mortgage on the new press box and concession stand at Bruce Jenner Stadium. Donny Pulieri and Rich Barillari are two of the first to take up the challenge.

The Newtown Pop Warner Pee Wee and Junior Midget cheerleading squads perform so well at the Candlewood Valley Cheerleading Competition at Newtown High School that they qualify for state competition and regionals in Massachusetts.

The Newtown Nightmare took first place at the annual Columbus Day Soccer Tournament in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Players include Brittany Meier, Kim Allen, Becky Corrigan, Kelly Collier, Kate Fenton, Caitlin Weber, Julie Hunter, Caitlyn Murphy,Alex Helfer, Sam Lebin, Kelley Haines, Kristi Johnston, Chelsea Morin, Carrie Lipnick, Sara Wallace and Erin O’Dell.

The Newtown High School boys’ cross country team finishes up a phenomenal regular season at 14-1. The only loss comes to New Milford. The boys later finish third at the South-West Conference championships

Jim Ondak is named Tennis Man of the Year at the Newtown Tennis Association’s year-end meeting.

NOVEMBER

The Newtown Pop Warner Junior Pee Wees are defeated by Monroe in the championship game. The Pee Wees reach the finals with a stunning victory over previously-undefeated Danbury.

The Newtown High School girls’ soccer team see its CIAC Class L soccer run end in Trumbull with a 2-0 loss that drops them to 11-5-1.

The Newtown High School boys’ soccer team is edged by Joel Barlow in the semi-finals of the South-West Conference tournament. Hand of Madison then stops the Nighthawks run at another CIAC Class L state championship appearance.

The Newtown High School volleyball team manages to sneak into the South-West Conference tournament, but is swept by Bunnell in the quarter-finals.

The Newtown High School football team retains The Boot with a rousing 28-7 win over New Milford.

Mark and Emily Fries of Newtown, father and daughter, get to enjoy the annual running of the New York City Marathon together, finishing side by side.

The Newtown Rockets 12-and-under girls’ traveling soccer team claims the Northwest District championships with a 6-0 win over New Fairfield. Players include Casey Frobey, Caitlin Hansen, Erin Clark, Mary Grace Ober, Jill Tanner, Christie Zingoni, Emily Fields, Tara Gaston, Mary Anders, Kayla Mesko, Vicki Cardoso, Siobhan Cooper, Maria Cinquegrana, Megan Rawson, Tori Filler and Alex Konneker.

Goaltender Kari Levinson of Newtown High School is named to the CIAC Class L All-State field hockey team.

Kyle Trocolla of Newtown finishes 24th at the Philadelphia Marathon.

DECEMBER

Colleen Davis of the Newtown High School girls’ soccer team and Bret McEvoy of the Newtown High School boys’ soccer team are named to their respective CIAC Class L All-State teams.

Brian McGovern of Newtown, who attends Fairfield Prep, qualifies for the National Cross Country Championships at Disney World in Orlando with a sixth-place finish at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Cross Country Championships at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx, New York.

Matt Saunders and Drew Narcum see their first action as members of the Newtown High School cheerleading team.

Amanda Marsilio of the Newtown High School girls’ basketball team, one of the top centers in the South-West Conference, is injured in a pre-season scrimmage with Ridgefield High School and will miss the rest of the 1999-2000 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Bill Meier, president of the Newtown Tennis Association, presents a $500 check to Parks and Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian to benefit the Campership Fund.

Alyssa von Oy sets a new school diving record when she scores 248.15 points in a win over Jonathan Law. The performances helps von Oy edged a 23-year-old record set by Larry Newquist back in 1976, when Newtown went undefeated at 16-0.