Date: Fri 31-Jan-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Quick Words:

swim-win-sacred-heart

Full Text:

Time To Believe - Swimmers Defeat Sacred Heart

B Y K IM J. H ARMON

It is time to believe - now, more than ever.

There seems to have been a thin air of skepticism hanging over the Newtown

High School swim team, as if a 6-1 dual meet record (heading into last

weekend) was just a trifle bit deceiving, but that skepticism had to be

banished once and for all after the Nighthawks, last Saturday, defeated the

previously undefeated Sacred Heart of Waterbury, 98-87.

Newtown might have figured it needed a some sort of glitch, some sort of

timely disqualification, to beat a team that strong but what coach Brian Reiff

and the rest of the Nighthawks probably didn't figure out until late Saturday

afternoon was that they are just as strong.

Or stronger.

Newtown did get that timely disqualification when Sacred Heart's Fletch

Ostrander was DQed in the 200 freestyle for wearing a watch. Ostrander had

finished first, but the DQ put Todd Burns in first and Nick Taylor in second

and pushed the Nighthawks into an early 18-12 lead.

But even though the DQ afforded Newtown an eight-point swing on the

scoreboard, the Nighthawks were determined that it not become a factor and

proceeded to, despite finishing first in just one other event, win by 11.

"That is, in my opinion," said coach Reiff, "the most quality dual meet win of

the season based on the front line that (Sacred Heart) can throw at you. We

have never won a meet after winning just two events."

The events of the 200 freestyle, while putting Newtown in the lead, also

enabled the Nighthawks to hold off the Hearts as the Hearts' front line

continued to rack up the first-place finishes. Had it not been for diving,

with sophomore Kyle McCullough and freshmen Alyssa Von Oy and Greg Simoneau

finishing 1-2-3, then the Hearts probably would have snuck away from the Otto

Heise pool with the win.

"Sweeping diving was big," said coach Reiff, "but it has been huge all year

long. Sometimes we go into diving down and we come out ahead and sometimes we

go in ahead and come out way ahead. It has been amazing. Diving gives us such

a huge boost."

The Nighthawks went into diving holding onto an eight-point lead and then

exploded out to a 19-point lead. That provided enough cushion as the

Nighthawks' depth was able to offset the strength of the Sacred Heart front

line the rest of the way.

In 12 events, Newtown placed first just twice - once by the Sacred Heart

disqualification - and then finished second 11 times and third 10 times. While

first in individual events brings six points, second and third together net

seven points.

"We're a good, solid team with a lot of depth," said coach Reiff. "We have our

weaknesses, but the kids have risen up."

The Nighthawks will have to rise even higher, though, as their 8-1 record

(following a rout of Jonathan Law on Tuesday) will be put to the test when

Shepaug, Bunnell, Foran, and Weston arise on the schedule.

"Their confidence after last Saturday was sky high," said coach Reiff. "I was

clear about it not being a meet we should win, but being a meet we could win.

"We have beaten some good teams," he added, "but we have four more very good

teams coming up."

Newtown 98, Sacred Heart 87

200 medley relay - 1. Sacred Heart, 1:52.00; 2. Newtown (Hood, Panigutti,

Fiscella, Evans), 2:00.00; 3. Newtown (Lott, Eberts, Peck, Loring), 2:04.00.

200 free - 1. Burns (N), 2:06.65; Taylor (N), 2:08.40; 3. Herd (SH), 2:08.68;

4. Panigutti (N), 2:15.48; 5. Carey (SH), 2:33.64.

200 individual medley - 1. Blake (SH), 2:16.58; 2. McBride (N), 2:20.67; 3.

McGovern (N), 2:23.15; 4. Alden (SH), 2:23.66; 5. Fiscella (N), 2:36.45.

50 free - 1. Vargas (SH), 24.97; 2. Perrone (N), 24.88; 3. Loring (N), 26.29;

4. Peck (N), 26.58; 5. Morales (SH), 27.10.

Diving - 1. McCullough (N), 2. Von Oy (N), 3. Simoneau (N).

100 fly - 1. Vargas (SH), 1:05.19; 2. McBride (N), 1:05.02; 3. Fiscella (N),

1:11.95; 4. Lott (N), 1:13.18; 5. Gannon (SH), 2:06.90.

100 free - 1. Alden (SH), 56.06; 2. Perrone (N), 55.78; 3. Burns (N), 56.89;

4. Herd (SH), 57.41; 5. Peck (N), 1:00.12.

500 free - 1. Ostrander (SH), 5:36.84; 2. Cruess (SH), 5:45.31; 3. McGovern

(N), 5:48.56; 4. Taylor (N), 6:02.47; 5. Eberts (N), 6:44.58.

100 back - 1. Cruess (SH), 1:03.97; 2. Hood (N), 1:05.49; 3. Morales (SH),

1:11.78; 4. Lott (N), 1:12.75; 5. Pannagus (SH), 1:12.78.

100 breast - 1. Blake (SH), 1:07.32; 2. Panigutti (N), 1:12.22; 3. Loring (N),

1:19.40; 4. Eberts (N), 1:20.70; 5. Cruz (SH), 1:29.94.

400 free relay - 1. Sacred Heart, 3:54.17; 2. Newtown (Perrone, McGovern,

Burns, McBride), 4:04.02; 3. Newtown (Fiscella, Peck, Taylor, Panigutti),

4:04.41.

Newtown 96, Jonathan Law 80

200 medley relay - 1. Newtown (Hood, Eberts, Peck, Taylor), 2:01.23; 2.

Newtown. 2:05.97; 3. Jonathan Law, 2:07.19.

200 free - 1. McBride (N), 2:06.40; 2. Burns (N), 2:08.00; 3. Perrone (M),

2:11.35; 4. O'Connor (JL), 2:39.38.

200 individual medley - 1. Peck (N), 2:38.85; 2. Loring (N), 2:39.85; 3.

Giannettino (JL), 2:48.35; 4. Soule (JL), 2:55.31; 5. Eberts (N), 2:55.52.

50 free - 1. Taylor (N), 25.25; 2. Romatzik (JL), 27.15; 3. Evans (N), 27.37;

4. Hood (N), 28.37; 5. Wong (JL), 27.70.

Diving - 1. McCullough (N), 161.10; 2. Von Oy (N), 148.85; 3. Simoneau (N),

142.05.

100 free - 1. McGovern (N), 56.94; 2. McBride (N), 57.34; 3. Panigutti (N),

59.33.

100 fly - 1. Perrone (N), 1:05.27; 2. Giannettino (JL), 1:07.40; 3. Oeck (N),

1:18.35.

500 free - 1. Evans (N), 6:43.54; 2. R. Eberts (N), 6:40.86; 3. Forger (JL),

7:06.25.

Newtown swam the 200 free relay, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, and 400

free relay unofficially.