October 2024

VERONA — Oh, so close.

One stroke was all that separated Middleton’s girls golf team from adding to the program’s trophy case Tuesday at the WIAA Division 1 state tournament. The Cardinals settled for third place, just behind runner-up Prescott.

But despite not getting their first trophy since taking second in 2022 — and what would have been their 12th gold or silver trophy overall — the Cardinals left University Ridge pleased with what they accomplished.

“Going into (this tournament) not a lot of people thought we’d finish where we finished,” said senior Maddy Wilcox, the Cardinals’ No. 2 golfer who finished tied for 28th individually with a 26-over-par, 170. “We had our sights set high and we believed in ourselves. We knew what we were capable of, and it was really great to go out there and show everybody.”

When Middleton’s girls volleyball team first gathered back in August, the No. 1 goal they identified was winning the Big Eight Conference.

After the Cardinals finished fifth in the league in 2023, such lofty aspirations might have seemed far-fetched to some. Not to these Cardinals, though.

Middleton hit its first target when it defeated powerful Sun Prairie West, 25-23, 22-25, 26-24, 25-21, on Oct. 8 and captured at least a share of the Big Eight title. The Cardinals, who improved to 8-0 in the league, had a chance to win the outright conference title by defeating host Janesville Parker Tuesday.

“The girls set big goals this year and the biggest to the team was winning conference,” Middleton coach Ben White said. “They focused on every match and never looked past anyone.

Middleton’s girls swimming team rolled past Sun Prairie West, 126-43, on Oct. 10.

The Cardinals won 10 of 11 events and had the top three finishers in five of the 11 events.

Middleton’s 400-yard freestyle relay team of Brynn Sundell, Ellie Sundell, Abigail Frommelt and Isabell Frommelt was first. The Cardinals’ foursome of Jane Garlock, Addie Dorn, Lydia Keebler and Aoife Ryan-Kaiser were second, while the quartet of Sulia Miller, Dina Abdel-Megid, Clara Kiehl and Chloe Wedding was third.

In the 200-yard medley relay, Tabitha Kuhl, Rian Jost, Miller and Olivia Rashid finished first, while the foursome of Ellie Wolf, Abdel-Megid, Audrey Alexander and Tae Martin was third.

And in the 200-yard freestyle relay, the foursome of Anna Dart, Addison Haack, Garlock and Miller finished first, while the quartet of Izzy Ensenberger, Kayley Burt, Ryan-Kaiser and Keebler was second.

Troy Teff led a contingent of his Middleton classmates — who were being honored on Senior Night — when the Cardinals hosted Madison La Follette in a Big Eight Conference prep football game on Oct. 10.

Oh, what a night it was for the Cardinals, who showed no mercy on the visiting Lancers.

Junior quarterback Joey Passaglia and Teff connected on three first-quarter touchdown passes as Middleton dominated La Follette, 49-0, to secure a berth in the upcoming WIAA Division 1 playoffs.

The Cardinals are Hartland Arrowhead share the state’s longest string of playoff appearances in Division 1, qualifying every season since 1996.

Middleton improved to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Eight Conference, while La Follette fell to 1-7, 1-5.