Sports

They are off and running.

And if Middleton’s boys volleyball team keeps playing like it did Oct. 26, a sixth straight state tournament berth certainly seems possible.

Middleton cruised past Waukesha North, 25-10, 25-9, 25-10, in a regional final. The Cardinals advanced to a sectional semifinal against Madison West Tuesday.

If Middleton won there, it would meet either Madison Memorial or Kettle Moraine in a sectional final Thursday at Madison Memorial at 7 p.m.

“Since the sport of boys volleyball is growing, some sectionals now have eight teams,” Middleton coach Ben White said. “Our sectional is one of those and it's the first time in quite a few years we've had to play in a regional match. Waukesha North is a team that is definitely rebuilding and it shows as they have multiple players on their team that are freshmen and sophomores with a few juniors and seniors.”

It was a memorable year for Middleton’s girls golf program.

The Cardinals cruised through the Big Eight Conference’s regular season and postseason. Middleton won regional and sectional titles, then finished second at the WIAA Division 1 state meet.

So it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Middleton was well-represented on the all-Big Eight Conference team.

Junior Kate Meier was named the conference’s Player of the Year. Sophomore Glenna Sanderson was named first-team all-conference, while freshman Ellie Frisch and junior Makenzie Hodson were both named second-team all-conference.

Middleton coach Becky Halverson was also named the league’s Coach of the Year.

It’s October.

And that means three things: the weather is getting colder, the leaves are changing on the trees, and Middleton’s boys’ cross country team is heading to state.

Led by top overall finisher Caleb Easton and four runners in the top-eight, Middleton easily secured the WIAA Division 1 Madison West Sectional last Saturday with a score of 31 points at Lake Farm Park in Madison and earned a trip to state. The state cross country meet is Saturday, at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.

Middleton, the defending WIAA Division 1 state champion, won a second straight sectional title and will be headed to state for the sixth consecutive year.

“I have been here for six years and we have made state all six years,” said Middleton coach Brian Finnel, who spent his first three years at MHS as an assistant and the last three as the Cardinals’ head coach. “Consistency is great and it happens because of our athletes’ desire to work hard.

SUN PRAIRIE — The hugs, the handshakes and the tears had ended.

Bryce Carey was among the last people remaining at Ashley Field last Friday. And Middleton’s senior quarterback/defensive back — who could barely stand thanks to a painful calf injury — was having a hard time believing the end had arrived.

“I’m so proud, of all the guys,” Carey said. “We worked so hard … but we just fell short.”

Middleton played its finest game of the year in its WIAA Division 1 playoff opener at Sun Prairie. But third-seeded Sun Prairie scored the final nine points of the game and rallied for a 42-36 win over sixth-seeded Middleton.

Middleton ended the year 6-4, while Sun Prairie improved to 9-1 and will host seventh-seeded Sussex Hamilton (6-4) in a Level 2 game Friday at 7 p.m.

Maddie Clark had four different doubles partners during her stellar tennis career at Middleton High School.

Each one brought something different to the table, and Clark experienced an impressive level of success with all of her partners.

But Clark found the perfect fit in 2018.

Despite never having played together, Clark was paired with Karsen Dettman this fall. The two then proceeded to take the state by storm.

At last week’s WIAA Division 1 state tournament held at Nielsen Tennis Stadium, Clark and Dettman surged to the finals. There, Nicolet seniors Annabelle Crowley and Emma Koppa toppled Clark and Dettman, 6-3, 6-2, in Saturday’s championship match.

But Middleton’s dynamic duo left the state tournament extremely happy with how their weekend — and their first year together — went.

Better late than never.

That’s how Middleton boys’ cross country coach Brian Finnel looked at it.

Middleton, the WIAA Division 1 defending state champions, has had an up and down regular season. But at the Big Eight Conference meet last Saturday — with the Cardinals fully healthy for the first time in weeks — Middleton dominated its star-studded league.

Middleton finished with just 35 points and cruised past runner-up Madison West (59). Sun Prairie (104), Madison La Follette (132) and Madison East (134) rounded out the top five.

“Around the state the expectations are high for our boys’ team and we know we haven't quite hit those expectations most of this season,” Finnel said afterwards. “Some of it was by design, some it was due to illness or small injury setbacks, but moreover we didn't have our fastest seven altogether yet.

Bring on the postseason.

Middleton’s boys’ soccer team was red hot to finish the year, winning six of its last seven games. That helped the Cardinals earn the No. 4 seed in their WIAA Division 1 sectional.

Middleton hosted 13^th seeded Madison La Follette Tuesday in a regional semifinal. If the Cardinals won there, they’d host either fifth-seeded Sun Prairie or 12^th-seeded Badger in a regional final Saturday.

“La Follette has been down on their luck this year, but has frequently shown flashes of greatness,” Middleton coach Ben Kollasch said. “We need to approach them respectfully. 

“Should we advance we get a repeat of our home game against a lightning quick Sun Prairie team. It is tough to beat a team twice and I expect Sun Prairie to be motivated by their loss to us earlier.”

Another year, another Big Eight Conference championship.

Middleton’s sensational girls’ swimming and diving team — which has won back-to-back WIAA Division 1 state titles — appears well on its way to a third straight championship.

The Cardinals wrapped up a perfect conference season by rolling past Madison La Follette, 130-40, last Friday. Middleton went 9-0 in the conference and won every dual meet and invite of the regular season.

“This was a great final meet for us,” Middleton coach Lauren Cabalka said. “We had a goal of going undefeated and winning the Big Eight Conference this season, which is no easy feat.”

Middleton’s quartet of Gabriela Pierobon Mays, Alex Anagnostopoulos, Ally Silvestri and Berkley Smith won the 200-yard medley relay. Smith, Makenna Licking, Abby Utter and Anagnostopoulos won the 200-yard freestyle relay.

And the foursome of Licking, Anna Thomley, Grace Madigan and Madelyn Lawn won the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Jason Pertzborn stood in front of his Middleton football team Monday afternoon.

Pertzborn, the Cardinals’ co-head coach, had watched in agony as Middleton was hammered by Sun Prairie, 35-7, just 72 hours earlier.

And before Middleton started a new practice week, Pertzborn had one request from his Cardinals.

“I said to them, ‘Don’t you quit on me,’ ” Pertzborn said. “I said whatever you do, let’s be sure we get another chance at (Sun Prairie).”

That chance will come Friday night.

Middleton received the No. 6 seed in its postseason grouping and will open the WIAA Division 1 playoffs at third-seeded Sun Prairie Friday at 7 p.m.

VERONA — Let’s get one thing straight.

Until further notice, the word “rebuilding” should not be used when talking about Middleton’s girls golf program.

“Maybe readjusting,” said junior standout Kate Meier.

How about reloading, restocking or replenishing?

Middleton lost three players from its 2017 team that finished eighth at state. With little experience and several questions, expectations were certainly tempered for the 2018 Cardinals.

Late Tuesday afternoon, though, Meier walked around University Ridge Golf Course clutching the WIAA Division 1 runner-up trophy like a mother holding a newborn. The Cardinals took more pictures than some weddings photographers do. And Middleton’s golfers made a human pyramid, then were welcomed back to town with a firetruck escort.

The Cardinals capped one of their most surprising and rewarding seasons in recent memory with a second-place finish at the state tournament.