Date: Fri 13-Feb-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Quick Words:

Indoor-Track-SWC

Full Text:

NHS Indoor Track Team [Girls] Wins 1997-98 SWC Title

BY KIM J. HARMON

WESTPORT -- The domination continues.

Newtown High School girls indoor track coach Brandt Schneider might have had

some worries about the depth and strength of the other teams heading into the

South-West Conference championship at Staples of Westport last weekend, but

the Lady Nighthawks proved just how baseless those worries were as they all

but romped to a second consecutive conference championship.

Oh, New Milford was close, but winning the distance events simply wasn't

enough to carry them past the 'Hawks, who had Janelle Tracy (50- and

300-meters) and Becky Crane (500- and 800-meters) win two individual gold

medals each and Erica Masella (high jump) and Becky Osborne (shot put) win one

gold medal apiece.

And then there was foursome of Cassie Shewmaker, Katie McClure, Shannon Elf

and Tracy, which won a gold medal in the 4-by-240 relay by more than two

seconds over Masuk.

"This might be the best showing of any team in some time," said coach

Schneider. "It was truly a great effort."

Tracy, only a sophomore, is also proving to be the finest sprinter in the SWC

-- indoor or outdoor. Tracy needs her only lock box at home to safeguard the

five gold medals she has won in indoor competition in her first two years at

Newtown High.

And Crane continues to make a case -- with her conference and/or state

championships in indoor track, outdoor track and diving -- for being one of

the finest female athletes the school has ever had.

"We have a lot of stars on this team," said coach Schneider, "and a lot of

good kids in all types of events. Most of them are ready to move up to the

next level."

The 'Hawks went into the meet ready to defend their 1996-97 championship and

were prepared for a much stronger conference. New Milford and Lauralton Hall

appeared to be two of Newtown's biggest challenges and coach Schneider was

worried that their depth could pose problems for the 'Hawks.

New Milford did score a lot of points in the distance events, but the meet

didn't really get close until after the 3,200-meter run, when the Green Wave

took first and third and Newtown only took fifth.

But the 'Hawks took third in the 4-by-800, second in the 4-by-400, and first

in the 4-by-240 relays to leave New Milford behind.

"It was good to win again," said coach Schneider. "It's great to have athletes

like this."

High jump -- 1. Erica Masella (N) 4-10, 2. Qoirk (LH) 4-10, 3. Genest (M) 4-6,

4. Deakin (Br) 4-6, 5. Newicki (LH) 4-4, 6. Kalapos (Bu) 4-2.

Long jump -- 1. Kouluglanis (NM) 14-8, 2. Katie McClure (N) 14-2‹, 3. Bloyd

(Br) 14-2¬, 4. Becky Crane (N) 14-1¬, 5. Kalapos (Bu) 13-2‹, 6. Mihalec (NM)

13-1«.

Shot put -- 1. Becky Osborne (N) 38-8, 2. Naeser (Bu) 31-10, 3. Marino (B)

29-8, 4. Trojavowshi (S) 29-3«, 5. Korchinski (LH) 28-8, 6. Kalapos (B) 28-6.

4-by-800 -- 1. Bethel (10:59.65), 2. Lauralton Hall (11:08.08), 3. Newtown

(11:31.47), 4. Masuk (11:32.68), 5. Stratford (13:04.04).

1000 meters -- 1. Murphy (NM) 3:11.93, 2. Covelli (NM) 3:18.88, 3. Nitray (P)

3:24.88, 4. Plude (Be) 3:29.21, 5. Gormaily (LH) 3:55.51.

500 meters -- 1. Becky Crane (N) 1:23.80, 2. Ormiston (Br) 1:24.56, 3.

Wenstrom (LH) 1:27.23, 4. Wolworth (M) 1:27.57, 5. Marks (NM) 1:27.65, 6.

Gigliotti (LH) 1:28.24.

50 meter hurdles -- 1. Kothrock (Bu) 8.33, 2. Shen (Be) 8.98, 3. Schwager (M)

9.05, 4. Gombar (M) 9.14, 5. Genest (M) 9.50, 6. Cervone (M) 9.78.

1600 meters -- 1. Murphy (NM) 5:31.00, 2. Wing (LH) 5:54.95, 3. Wall (NM)

5:58.32, 4. Miller (LH) 5:59.81, 5. Sara Bomberger (Be) 6:10.99, 6. Kim Snow

(N) 6:11.10.

Sprint medley relay -- 1. Lauralton Hall (5:04.56), 2. Bethel (5:04.63), 3.

Masuk (5:11.35), 4. New Milford (5:16.40), 5. Newtown (5:16.64), 6. Stratford

(5:35.05).

800 meters -- 1. Becky Crane (N) 2:31.44, 2. Covelli (NM) 2:33.17, 3. Pacc

(Be) 2:38.36, 4. McMahon (Be) 2:47.86, 5. McKinnish (M) 2:48.36, 6. King (LH)

2:50.92.

300 meters -- 1. Janelle Tracy (N) 44.82, 2. Ormiston (Br) 45.53, 3. Zerjav

(M) 45.94, 4. Wenstrom (LH) 46.64, 5. DeVitto (Bu) 47.50, 6. Koulaganis (NM(

47.76.

3200 meters -- 1. Murphy (NM) 11:43.77, 2. Wing (LH) 12L55.24, 3. Wall (NM)

12:58.00, 4. Riedsen (Be) 13:14.47, 5. Jacki Baressi (N) 13:21.85, 6. Dobson

(Be) 13:25.47.

4-by-400 relay -- 1. Lauralton Hall (4:43.40), 2. Newtown (4:47.24), 3. Masuk

(4:48.19), 4. New Milford (4:53.23), 5. Bethel (4:55.57).

4-by-240 relay -- 1. Newtown (2:29.37), 2. Masuk (2:31.44), 3. Bunnell

(2:33.49), 4. Lauralton Hall (2:34.01), Bethel (2:40.54), New Milford

(2:43.41).

Boys Respectable

Climbing into respectability.

The Newtown High School boys' indoor track team barely made any sort of impact

at the South-West Conference meet a year ago, crippled by the lack of athletes

on the roster.

But it is a different story in 1997-98.

With a bigger team and more of a chance, the Nighthawks did some climbing into

respectability last weekend with a fifth-place finish at the conference

championship.

The 'Hawks finished with 42 points, 27 behind fourth-place Masuk and 15 ahead

of sixth-place Brookfield.

"Our goal was to finish in the top half," said coach Schneider. "We didn't

quite make it, but we made a step up towards being a legitimate team. You need

numbers in a meet like this and we stepped up. It bodes well for the future."

Reid Warner captured the gold medal in the pole vault with a jump of 13-0.

Jeff Gasparini was second in the 1,600-meter run and the 4-by-400 relay team

finished third. The 'Hawks also got a boost from Nick Rogers in the shot put.

Rogers earned fourth-place with a throw of 34-4, a personal best for him by

over four feet.

Pomperaug won the championship easily.

Pole vault -- 1. Reid Warner (N) 13-0, 2. Williams (Br) 11-0, 3. Lynott (P)

11-0, Senattaman (Br) 10-0, Pacuk (Br) 9-0), Walk (M) 7-6.

Long jump -- 1. Lewbel (P) 18-8¬, 2. Marini (M) 18-4‹, 3. Thompson (P) 18-3,

4. Reid Warner (N) 18-2, 5. Rehm (Bu) 17-4‹, 6. Delre (Bu) 17-4«.

Shot put -- 1. Bertini (Bu) 45-9, 2. Easel (S) 40-6, 3. Williams (Br) 39-6, 4.

Nick Rogers (N) 34-4, 5. Thompson (P) 31-6, 6. Hudak (Br) 26-11«.

4-by-800 relay -- 1. Bunnell (9:00.41), 2. Masuk (9:04.91), 3. Stratford

(10:21.34), 4. Newtown (10:24.70).

500 meters -- 1. Longman (Bu) 1:10.26, 2. O'Grady (P) 1:10.49, 3. Benson (P)

1:13.90, 4. Nettleton (Bu) 1:14.88, 5. Tom Polchowski (N) 1:15.46, 6. Figueroa

(NM) 1:16.09.

1600 meters -- 1. Somok (P) 4:44.23, 2. Jeff Gasparini (N) 4:54.92, 3.

Mirabilio (P) 4:57.17, 4. Tomac (Bu) 5:00.82, 5. Hunsucker (M) 5:00.82), 6.

Pat Dennen (5:05.19).

Sprint medley relay -- 1. Masuk (4:15.90), 2. Bunnell (4:18.34), 3. New

Milford (4:21.59), 4. Stratford (4:26.31), 5. Newtown (4:34.77), 6. Bethel

(4:37.93).

3200 meters -- 1. Kearns (P) 10:23.62, 2. Gannon (P) 10:38.03, 3. Visser (NM)

11:02.67, 4. Pat Dennen (N) 11:06.70, 5. Tomac (Bu) 11:07.56, 6. Benson (NM)

11:17.96.

4-by-400 relay -- 1. Pomperaug (3:52.21), 2. Masuk (3:54.34), 3. Newtown

(4:07.19), 4. Bunnell (4:09.72), 5. Brookfield (4:15.85), 6. New Milford

(4:19.73).

4-by-240 relay -- 1. Bunnell (2:09.14), 2. New Milford (2:12.61), 3. Masuk

(2:13.67), 4. Stratford (2:14.14), 5. Brookfield (2:14.60), 6. Newtown

(2:16.79).