From record-setting performances to a pair of programs winning their first conference championships and new coaches to repeat title winners, 2018 featured myriad of athletics success stories. In the spring, Newtown High School’s boys’ volleyball team spiked the competition all season long and won its first South-West Conference championship. The girls’ track and field team won its second straight SWC title. During the fall, the NHS girls’ soccer team claimed its first SWC championship, and the football team was the SWC season champion. There was also a Newtown High weightlifting title and many individual championships and records during the last year. Here is a look back at many of the highlights:

On track: Led by the efforts of standout sprinter Carly Swierbut, Newtown High School’s track and field teams — the girls and boys, indoor and outdoor alike — recorded South-West Conference and school records in early February. Swierbut set all-time SWC and SWC championship meet records in the 300 meter dash.

Marley Marston took home the SWC shot-put championship and, in the process, broke Coach Becky Osborne’s two decade-old record as the girls’ track and field team was second to Weston in the indoor conference championships.

In the mid-February Class LL track state championships and state open, Newtown High girls’ and boys’ relay teams set school records. (1600 sprint medley relay comprising Brett Deri, Rory Edwards, Grant Moxham, and Christian Lestik and the 4x400 of Swierbut, Jackie O’Leary, Sarah Houle, and Grace Pettinelli).

Sticking with the track theme during the spring outdoor track and field slate, the sprint medley team of Tom Shkreli, Todd Perrin, Deri, and Moxham, along with the 4x1600 team of Joel Duval, Nick Jacobs, Lestik, and Ryan Escoda broke school marks in the O’Gradys Relays. The 4x100 team of Brianna Lovely, Swierbut, Pettinelli, and Emma Curtis set the school record at Blue & Gold Stadium on May 7. Swierbut claimed more individual school records during the outdoor campaign.

Swierbut won the 400 in the Class LL and State Open championships, and Deri took home the top spot in the 110 hurdles and 300 in states. Swierbut and jumper Zach Crebbin represented NHS in the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.

Making a splash: There were NHS pool records set by relay racers (200-yard medley team of Peter Fagerholm, Colby Delia, Michael Annesley, and Xavier Williams) and diver Kyle Gaynor as the Nighthawk swim team earned a 92-72 win over Joel Barlow of Redding on February 20. Fagerholm won the 100-yard backstroke title in the SWC championship meet, March 3 in Monroe. The medley relay contingent broke the school record in the Class LL state meet in March.

Cheer and dance: The NHS cheerleading and gymnastics teams both took home second-place SWC finishes. Gymnast Emma Delia won the floor exercise as the Hawks came in just behind winner Oxford — it could not have been much — if any — closer, as the teams scored 135.50 and 134.85. Delia went on to win the Class L State balance beam championship and finish second on the beam in the State Open in March.

Newtown High’s dance squad, which was second in the SWC championships, won the Jazz state title February 24 at Hamden High.

Grapplers shine: On the wrestling mats, NHS grappler Aaron Occhipinti was recognized in January for his 100th career win. The Nighthawk grapplers had seven place-winners in the mid-February championships. Occhipinti went on to capture the Class LL state title in the 126-pound weight class. Teammate and 285-pound wrestler Joe Zeller was fifth in the State Open and qualified for the New England championships.

Strong team: Newtown High’s football team showed its strength by claiming the Nutmeg State Games High School Football Weightlifting title in New Britain in mid March.

Underdogs on the court: On the basketball court, the NHS boys proved to be road warriors in the state playoffs, upsetting teams and advancing all the way to the Division II state playoff semifinals. Newtown, seeded 21st, nearly overcame a ten-point deficit to No. 9 Amity in the final half-minute of the semifinal, at neutral site Shelton High. A last-second 3-point bid to tie was blocked. But what a playoff run it was for the underdogs.

First-time champs: In the spring, Newtown High’s boys’ volleyball team defeated perennial powerhouse Joel Barlow of Redding for the first time with a 3-2 win on April 16. The Nighthawk spikers outdid themselves, beating Barlow not one, but two more times, including in the SWC title match. It was the team’s first conference championship. The Nighthawks went unbeaten all the way until a state semifinal round loss to Ridgefield.

The NHS girls’ soccer team title came in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Pomperaug of Southbury, at neutral site New Milford High on November 1; Curtis netted the lone tally.

More NHS success and games of note: The NHS softball team, because of weather cancellations, played four games in as many days in April; as if that wasn’t enough, two of them went to extra innings: A wild 5-4 loss at St Joseph of Trumbull and a 2-0 win over Ridgefield. Softball standout Sara Kennedy collected her 100th career base hit in a 2-1 win over Notre Dame-Fairfield on April 23.

When Harry Eppers singled home a run, Newtown High’s baseball team earned a 6-5 walk-off victory over Bethel on April 18 — this marked the fourth straight regular-season game between the friendly foes, dating back to 2017, that was decided in the final at-bat.

The softball and baseball teams both reached their conference title games; the softball team fell to Masuk of Monroe, and the baseball lineup lost to Bethel.

On the girls’ lacrosse field, Newtown High came from behind to force overtime before Lu Hage netted the game-winner in a thrilling 11-10 edging of host Joel Barlow on May 9.

Newtown’s boys’ lacrosse team reached the conference title game as Tucker Garrity scored six goals — a double hat-trick — in an 11-7 win over Weston in the semis.

The NHS field hockey team trailed unbeaten Immaculate 1-0 late in regulation but tied the game to force overtime and Katie Goyda won it for the Hawks, 2-1 in OT in mid-October.

Houle was a star on the golf course, earning SWC medalist accolades for the fourth straight year in helping the girls win the team trophy. David Brestovansky won medalist honors on the boys’ side as the Nighthawk golfers came in third. Houle went on to win her second straight state title.

On the gridiron, the NHS football team went unbeaten in the regular season, avenging last year’s setback to Bunnell of Stratford along the way. Bobby Pattison, head coach of the Nighthawks, was honored as the New York Jets High School Head Coach of the Week following the victory.

Dan Mason set the football team’s single season touchdown record with 31, accomplished in a Class LL state playoff quarterfinal round win over Darien in late November.

Jacobs was second in the SWC cross country championships at Bethel High in October.

Houle and Evan Eggleston (soccer, basketball, and lacrosse) were honored as the Newtown Bee’s Newtown High School Athletes of the Year.

The NHS boys’ swimming and diving team defeated perennial powerhouse Weston on December 13, and the NHS boys soccer team upset Joel Barlow of Redding and Weston, both of which went on to advance to the conference title game this fall.

New coaches: NHS varsity squads took on some new leaders. Joanna (Barry) Closs took over head coaching duties with the softball team. Charley Amblo (boys’ soccer), Christina Caron (girls’ cross country), and Becky Knapp (girls’ indoor track) also had their first head-coaching campaigns with the Hawks.

Amblo won the SWC Coach of the Year award, and the boys’ soccer team captured the Western Connecticut Soccer Officials Association’s Robert Stirling Sportsmanship award.

Out of town: Newtown athletes helped St Joseph’s lacrosse and football teams capture state championships. Matt Carpenter, Jack Carpenter, Eric Burbank, and Karly Kelly helped the lacrosse team to the state pinnacle, and Kelly and Luke Kirby helped the football team to the title.

Individual and youth standouts: The Newtown Youth Wrestling Association’s elementary and middle school squads both earned runner-up status in the Western Connecticut league championships. A trio of youth grapplers from town earned All American status: Brighton Karvoski, Luca Manfredi, and Shaun Daoust. Karvoski went on to become a national champ over the summer.

The Newtown Torpedoes youth swim team went unbeaten and claimed the Yankee League divisional championship.

Longtime volunteer for Newtown and Connecticut Babe Ruth Baseball Frank Rocca was selected as The Bee’s Sportsman of the Year.

Ali Cordova was selected as the Newtown Youth Football and Cheer Chris Stenz Volunteer Award winner.

Four Newtown skaters — Adrian Wadhwa, Ian Moore, Owen Browne, and John O’Sullivan — helped the Western Connecticut Junior Colonials to a state championship in mid-March.

Youth soccer teams were in the news by earning divisional and state trophies at various age levels. The Newtown Soccer Clubs’ Annual Memorial Day Tournament was a success for the locals as always, with girls’ and boys’ squads crowned as champs.

Youth baseball success included the 9U Warriors and 14U Hammerin’ Hogs capturing district titles.

The Nutmeg Striders track team had a trio of All Americans: Owen Martin, Declan Connolly, and Lela Miller. Striders Ally McCarthy, Elise Barricelli, Eva Barricelli, and Eva Houlihan went to the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Nationals.

Extreme skier Jordan Conrad, of Newtown, won the Flyin’ Ryan Spirit Award.

The D10 and D14 cheerleading squads both earned qualification for regional championships after state success, including the D14 team’s state title.

Porco’s Karate Academy participated in the World Championships during the summer.

Road race success: Two of the races in town were highlighted by tremendous family success. Max Hanson won the Holcombe Hill 5K, and his parents, Eric and Kathryn, were both among the top six in early May race. Stephen Singlak won the mid-June Mad Dash elite course race, and his mom, Melissa, was the top female.

Bill Clark won the Super Scout 5K in April. Kevin Hoyt won the Rooster Run in June. The final run of the Sandy Hook 5K took place in July, and Ryan McNerney was the first across the finish line. Tony Moreno was the winner of the Newtown Scouts Troop 270 Color Splash Run in August. Pat Dennen won the Newtown Road Race on Labor Day. Mark Mitchell won the Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard 5K in October. Mitchell Russo was first in the Turkey Trot.

Not how they wrote it up: It was an odd finish to the Women’s Softball League, with rain halting the late-August title game (already postponed a week because of wet weather) with Black Swan leading Cover Two, but following a vote among team representatives who took into account the league rules, top-seeded Cover Two was deemed the champion.

What is ahead in 2019: There were many more accomplishments and exciting moments on the town’s playing surfaces throughout the year (too many to mention them all) and some potentially exciting news — a skating rink has been proposed for the NYA Sports & Fitness complex in Fairfield Hills. Newtown might have a skating surface to call its own by the summertime. Either way, 2019 promises to be another year of slick athletic performances. Who will win championships or set records? We will find out as the spots news unfolds in the coming months. See you at the games.