February 2015

All eyes were on Sean Benedict.

And Middleton’s senior heavyweight was just fine with the extra attention.

The Big Eight Conference wrestling tournament came down to the heavyweight division Saturday at Beloit Memorial High School. And Benedict delivered a memorable performance — for both himself and the Cardinals.

Benedict won the heavyweight division, and that vaulted Middleton past Verona and gave the Cardinals the conference championship.

Middleton finished with 236.5 points and edged runner-up Verona (232) for the title. Janesville Craig (224), Sun Prairie (218) and Madison La Follette (193) rounded out the top five.

“The weight of the team was riding on my back,” Benedict said. “Winning the title is something I will remember for a lifetime.”

So will the rest of the Cardinals.

Middleton had a somewhat uneven performance during the regular season. But the Cardinals picked the perfect time to have their best meet of the year.

His eventual school of choice was just 10 minutes down the street.

But over the last year or two, Middleton senior tight end Mitchell Herl was looking wide and far.

Setting up shop on Monroe Street wasn’t always in the plan.

“I think I kind of always took the UW for granted,” Herl said. “But through this process, I really learned to appreciate everything they have to offer and how great of a school it is.”

And now, it’s a school Herl is about to call home.

Herl, a first-team all-state selection by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, signed a letter of intent to be a preferred walk-on with the Badgers beginning this fall. Herl will almost certainly redshirt in 2015, and then will have four years of eligibility remaining.

They are now in select company. In extremely rarified air.

Middleton’s hockey team captured the outright Big Eight Conference title last week.

The 2010-11 Cardinals were the only other Middleton team to accomplish that feat, and that group eventually reached the WIAA Division 1 state championship game.

Can the 2014-15 Cardinals do the same? Right now, it appears anything is possible.

“Claiming that title was a spectacular feeling for our guys,” Middleton junior forward Casey Harper said. “But as a team, we’re not settling with just that. Now, we are going to check off one goal, and set our sights on the next.”

Junior forward Nolan Kouba agreed.

“Winning the conference championship means a ton to us,” Kouba said. “It was one of the goals we highlighted at the beginning of the season, so to achieve that is an awesome feeling.