March 2021

Two weeks into his tenure as Middleton’s boys volleyball coach, it’s become apparent Rob Kleinschmidt will schedule the best competition he can find.

Kleinschmidt did just that last week, and Middleton enjoyed a thrilling few days — splitting four matches against a bevy of state powers.

On March 8, Fond du Lac defeated Middleton, 25-19, 18-25, 26-24. The Cardinals bounced back, though, later that night and toppled Kaukauna, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21.

The Cardinals also downed Madison Edgewood, 25-15, 25-14, 25-20, on March 11. Kimberly, the defending state champion, then edged Middleton, 20-25, 25-11, 20-25, 25-17, 15-13, on March 13.

In Middleton’s loss to Fond du Lac, Cole Sweitzer had 10 kills and DJ McCall added nine kills and three blocks. Nick Stott had 37 assists and Jackson Pertzborn added four digs.

Middleton led Fond du Lac, 24-21, in the third and deciding set. Fond du Lac closed the match with five straight points, though, to prevail.

Storm Murphy, a 2017 Middleton High School graduate, has decided to join the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team as a graduate transfer.

Murphy, a point guard, spent the last four seasons at Wofford and earned All-Southern Conference first-team honors as a senior this year.

The NCAA Division I Council has given all winter-sports athletes in this school year an additional year of eligibility because of the coronavirus pandemic. Murphy elected to play his final season for Virginia Tech and coach Mike Young, who was his coach for two years at Wofford.

“I’m really pumped about it,” Murphy told the Roanoke Times (Va.). “Watching a lot of VT games, I think I’ll be able to fit right in.”

Murphy said Wisconsin, Baylor, Colorado and Missouri all reached out to him last week. But playing for Young a second time appealed to Murphy.

“I know what I’m getting with him,” Murphy said. “I know the offense.

Brett Krenke of Middleton, who is a senior at Edgewood High School in Madison, recently committed to play men's rugby for Indiana University in the fall. He is pictured here with Matt Bremser (left) and Paul Stroede (right), who are coaches with the Middleton Area Rugby Club.

Krenke has played rugby for four years with the Middleton Area Rugby Club (MARC). The team captured first place in the Division 2 state championships in 2018 and third place in the Division 1 state championships in 2019.

Krenke also was named to the Badger Selects in 2018 and 2019 and the Midwest Thunderbirds in 2019. Krenke, a defensive lineman for Edgewood, was named to the 2020 Associated Press All-State football team and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Region team in the fall.

MADISON–Patricia Ann Woods, 80, passed away peacefully on March 5, 2021 surrounded by family and friends after a short battle with cancer. Pat was born on March 17, 1940 in St. Louis, MO, the third of seven children. The family moved to Cape Girardeau, MO in 1946.  She graduated from Cape Catholic High School in 1957. After graduation, the family moved to Springfield, MO where she met and married Stanley Woods in 1961. In 1962 they settled in Madison and raised a family of three boys.

Pat had a wide range of interests and entrepreneurial skills which she learned while working for her father in his restaurants in Cape Girardeau and in his floral business in Springfield. With those skills she had a successful business career including starting her own boutique store in Madison selling interior design merchandise.