Kicking Off the Season: Swim and Dive Team’s Exciting Matchup at Masuk!

Published: Dec 28, 2024 7:00 am

MONROE — The Newtown High School boys’ swimming and diving squad commenced the season with a 92-82 defeat at Masuk High on December 19. Despite the setback, there were notable individual and relay race successes.

Trenton Story triumphed in the diving event, achieving a score of 135.60. Finn Clancy secured first place in the 100 yard freestyle race with a time of 55.14, while Warren Ache claimed the second position in the same event with a time of 56.67.

The 200 free relay team, including Johnny Barzetti, Ache, Duncan Kolb, and Alex Gadbut, finished first with a time of 1:41.30, narrowly surpassing Masuk’s leading relay by just five one-hundredths of a second.

Newtown garnered several second-place finishes. The 200 medley relay team of Oliver Clancy, Finn Clancy, Barzetti, and Leo Van Straten came in second, clocking in at 1:51.89. Gadbut achieved second in the 200 free with a time of 1:58.63. Van Straten earned the second place in the 100 butterfly, registering 59.20. Gadbut finished second in the 500 with a time of 5:27.43. Finn Clancy took second in the 100 breaststroke event, finishing in 1:12.11, with Kolb just behind him in third place at 1:12.83. The 400 relay team consisting of Gadbut, Oliver Clancy, Van Straten, and Finn Clancy placed as runner-up in 3:52.41.

Barzetti finished third in the 50 free with a time of 25.19. Sam Irving secured third in the 500 free, coming in at 6:21.93. Oliver Clancy placed third in the 100 backstroke, timing in at 1:03.67. Kolb finished third in the 100 breaststroke event, stopping the clock at 1:12.83. The 400 relay team of Kyle Albrecht, Irving, Jack Pettit, and Connor Kelly also garnered third place in 4:23.00.

Ryan Eberts, the coach of Newtown, whose team includes many newcomers, remarked that this competition served as a valuable learning experience, highlighting the strong performances of freshmen like Gadbut, as well as Barzetti and Finn Clancy.

“We have a youthful squad,” Eberts stated. “We anticipate ongoing progress from all individuals.”

The Nighthawks will face their next challenge on Tuesday, January 7, with a home meet against Bunnell-Stratford at 4 pm. The team will intensively train during the holiday break, with Eberts mentioning that practices will consist of extensive, varied sessions incorporating time in and out of the pool alongside some yoga.

“The season is still new, and we believe we have plenty of potential for growth,” the coach added.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison is available at andyh@thebee.com.

Johnny Barzetti displayed some rapid performances during Newtown’s season-opening meet. —Bee Photo, Hutchison

Finn Clancy and the Hawks secured several wins in individual and relay competitions against Masuk.

Alex Gadbut showcased strong performances in the season opener.