Whether it is on the fields, cross country course, or tracks, Newtown High School athletes Natalie McLean and Marcus Gerace certainly made their presence felt throughout their four years at Newtown High School. For their efforts and contributions to their teams, the Nighthawk standouts have been named the Newtown Bee NHS Athletes of the Year.

Both of these standouts not only played three sports throughout their careers, but excelled, played at the varsity level in some instances three or four years, and took on leadership roles.

"I think the biggest thing I see with most of them is the versatility. It's such an amazing thing to see," said NHS Athletic Director Matt Memoli, adding that the three-sport athlete is a dying breed, but something he encourages for competitors to avoid burnout and injury from muscle overuse.

"It's been the best experience ever. The coaches, the players, everyone makes me who I am. I'm so sad it's almost over," McLean said following an 18-3 lacrosse state playoff win over Bristol Eastern on June 2, which would prove to be McLean's last game on the Blue & Gold Stadium turf. McLean went out in style with a whopping nine goals in the victory.

"When she's dialed in they're all dialed in. She really sets the tone," said Steph Suhoza, McLean's lacrosse coach at NHS.

During indoor track this past winter, McLean helped the school's 4x800 relay team capture the South-West Conference Championship, joining forces with teammates Natalie del Campo, Clare Csaszar, and Eleanor Smith to win the title. McLean and the Nighthawks also won SWC indoor track titles in 2024 and '25.

McLean will miss her days of playing lacrosse as well as running cross country and track for the Nighthawks. "It's never a dull moment — getting to play with your friends is the best," she said. "It's been so fun. Doing any sport at Newtown is just the best. I feel lucky to be playing anything."

An example of versatility within versatility, McLean is an attack player-turned-midfielder. She will continue her lacrosse-playing career at University of Long Island. McLean plans to study Health Science or Nursing. The standout athlete has played sports throughout her life, including softball, before making lacrosse her main athletic activity.

Both McLean and Gerace have earned All South-West Conference and All State accolades throughout their careers, and both have taken on captain roles.

"She always leads the right way — whether it was cross country or lacrosse they really looked up to her," Memoli said of McLean, an Academic All American. "Not many of our athletes are doing three completely different sports and all at a high level. She's a special kid."

McLean played basketball her freshman year and, Memoli believes, could have been a standout on the court just as much as she was in cross country, track, and lacrosse. McLean put in a lot of miles in cross country and track, and in lacrosse for that matter — often carrying the ball great distances on the field to set up plays or score goals.

Gerace swapped his football pads in the fall for basketball shoes in winter before lacing up for his primary sport of lacrosse in the spring.

"He's a great player but an even better person and better kid," NHS Lacrosse Coach Tony Fitti said. "He's just a consistent hard-working leader."

Gerace has been under pressure as a quarterback on the football team and played a key role for the basketball team, and the moments he has experienced in close, hard-fought games have made him a calm and collected athlete, Fitti said. "No moment's too big for him and it's been a pleasure to coach him," Fitti added.

Gerace will attend Flagler College in St Augustine, Fla. in the fall, where he will continue to play lacrosse.

"It's been the highlight of my life," Gerace said of playing sports at Newtown High following the lacrosse team's 17-5 state playoff win over Fairfield Warde on June 3, the team's final win of the campaign. "It's going to be tough to walk away. I feel like I had so much fun."

As a quarterback, Gerace was the on-field leader, which required an added level of intelligence on top of athleticism, noted Memoli, who watched Gerace grow up as a standout on the playing fields and courts before arriving at the high school.

Gerace played baseball before turning his attention to lacrosse, a move that has paid off as he prepares to embark on a collegiate-playing career while earning a major in Sports Management and minor in Journalism. Gerace has gotten his foot in the door with broadcast journalism, having completed a capstone project called "Hawk Talk," a podcast in which he interviewed Nighthawk coaches this past school year.

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