Middleton golfers storm to second at state
MADISON — Ellen Close teared up — repeatedly.
Amanda Beckman let the tears of joy flow.
Vivian Cressman beamed with pride.
And Becky Halverson had a perma-grin that might not go away for weeks.
Middleton’s girls golf team — a group packed with potential, but struggling with consistency — put it all together at the WIAA Division 1 state tournament held Monday and Tuesday at University Ridge. The Cardinals compiled a two-day score of 645 and finished second behind defending state champion Westosha Central (626).
Union Grove (660), Brookfield East (662) and Waunakee (665) rounded out the top five.
“God, I’m so proud of all these girls,” said Close, a junior who made massive strides in 2022. “We all came in here just to play our best, we wanted to play our best and we did. We played amazing and there’s just no words for how proud I am. I’m really happy.”
This was the Cardinals’ 22nd trip to a state tournament held at University Ridge and was their second-best score. Middleton’s 645 team score would have also won 21 of the 27 previous Division 1 state tournaments held at University Ridge.
The Cardinals just happened to run into a buzzsaw from Westosha Central, which posted the second-lowest score in state history, just two shots off the record of 624 set by Hartland Arrowhead in 2016.
Afterwards, Middleton was ecstatic — and emotional — after rising to the occasion with back-to-back sensational rounds.
“Nobody would have believed you if you told them we’d be second,” said Beckman, a senior making her fourth trip to state. “I would have hoped we could do it, but we really pulled through these past few days. It’s incredible to see the whole team put in their best effort and have a good time. That was our main goal here.”
This was one of the deepest and most talented fields the state tournament has seen in years. And Middleton entered in a bit of a funk.
The Cardinals were second at the Reedsburg Regional and won the Middleton Sectional over the past two weeks. In both events, though, the Cardinals shot approximately 15 shots higher than their season average.
So when the tournament began, Middleton was an afterthought to many. Instead, the Cardinals got their groove back and posted the second-best round on both days of the tournament.
“This field was incredible,” said Cressman, Middleton’s No. 1 golfer. “Everybody is so good, that even being in the top four or five teams would have been great. But to be able to take second, we take that as a really big win.”
Halverson has enjoyed unparalleled success during her 10 years as Middleton’s head coach.
In that time, she’s led the Cardinals to three state titles, three second place finishes and three third place showings. Middleton has also reached the state meet all 10 years under Halverson.
But the Cardinals’ coach called this runner-up finish “one of our better trophies” after her team lost two standouts from the 2021 squad and struggled late in the season this fall.
“This was a great group of kids that I don't think most people thought would be second at state,” Halverson said. “Top-five? Sure. But not top two.
“But the girls worked really hard the last week. We had a lot of fun competitions and kept it light. And then they came out and played terrific golf.”
They sure did.
Middleton fired an opening round 315 — its second-best score of the year — and sat comfortably in second place. Westosha Central led with a 307, but the Cardinals held a solid lead over third place Brookfield East (320) and fourth place Union Grove (325).
“(Monday) just showed what we were capable of,” Close said. “We all knew it was in us. (Monday) gave us so much confidence leading to (Tuesday) that we knew we could do it. We knew we could play well.”
Cressman had a brilliant first round with a 2-over-par 74 that left her in sixth place individually. Cressman made four birdies and shot an even-par 36 on the front nine.
Close, who took her game up several notches this season, made three birdies and shot a 79. But the key to Middleton’s success came from the bottom half of the lineup.
Beckman, a staple in the program since her freshman year, had been up and down of late. But she fired an opening round 80 in which she had just 30 putts.
“My putter was insane,” Beckman said.
And sophomore Maddy Wilcox carded a personal-best 82 from the No. 5 spot in the lineup.
“I think we got four scores that were good and that was just huge,” Cressman said. “We had like three good ones most of the year, and then we would have to count one that we really didn’t want to count.
“But we were able to get four really good scores. We knew everybody could play a good round. It was just if we could put it together and I think we did a really good job of that.”
The second day brought much of the same.
Heavy winds and intermittent rains made it tough for the golfers. And the final grouping of Middleton, Westosha Central, Brookfield East and Union Grove saw their scores jump by an average of 14.8 strokes.
The Cardinals’ score rose to 330, making it impossible for them to catch Westosha Central. But they were never in danger of falling out of second place either.
“Coming in, I thought it was a five- or six-team race,” Halverson said. “And for them to come out and be in second place — and a solid second — is pretty incredible.”
Cressman capped what will be an all-state season with a second-day 77 in which she played the final eight holes at 1-under-par. Cressman finished with a two-day total of 151 that left her in a tie for fifth place individually.
“I kind of embraced the struggle of golf a little bit more this year and it’s worked out really well,” said Cressman, who will be one of the favorites to win state in 2023. “I’m happy when I go golf now and that was the biggest thing. How do we make golf fun again?”
Beckman capped her career in style with a second straight 80 that left her in 18th place individually. Beckman didn't have a birdie, but also had just one hole all day where she scored worse than a bogey.
“I finally got her to believe in herself,” Halverson said of Beckman. “We believed in her and something just clicked. We told her she’s probably the most experienced golfer in the tournament, so just go show it — and she did.”
Beckman was thrilled to end her career on such a high.
“I was definitely having a hard time, so my main thing was a mindset shift,” Beckman said. “I told myself you’ve got to be confident. You know what you’re doing. Like I said, I’ve been on this team for four years. I know exactly what I’m doing. And having everybody out here supporting me was just terrific.”
Close shot a second-day 83 that was highlighted by a birdie at the par-4, 15th hole. That capped a season in which Close improved more than anyone in the program and finished the state meet in a tie for 22nd place.
“I completely fell in love with the game,” Close said of her past year. “I have met so many people along this journey and they’ve helped me so much. They helped me not only want to play golf but to fall in love with it.
“Last year it was tough to get me out on the course, but this year I’m always pushing to get out there. These girls make it so much fun. They make practice fun and make playing the game such a blast.”
And Wilcox shot a second-day 90 that was higher than her opening round, but still allowed her to finish in a tie for 39th place individually.
Afterwards, the Cardinals received a fire truck ride through town. They celebrated during a festive team dinner.
And they basked in an accomplishment they knew was possible — but at times, didn’t always look probable.
“Not many people thought we could do this the way we were playing,” Halverson said. “But it’s an incredible group of girls. I’m just really happy for them.”
Oct. 10-11
WIAA Division 1 girls state golf tournament
Team scores: 1. Westosha Central 307-319 — 626; 2. Middleton 315-330 — 645; 3. Union Grove 325-335 — 660; 4. Brookfield East 320-342 — 662; 5. Waunakee 334-331 — 665; 6. Arrowhead 343-332 — 675; 7. Oconomowoc 342-334 — 676; 8. Kaukauna 353-347 — 700; 9. Tomah 347-355 — 702; 10. DSHA 360-357 — 717; 11. Bay Port 364-355 — 719; 12. Stevens Point 390-392 — 782.
Middleton scores: Vivian Cressman 74-77 — 151; Amanda Beckman 80-80 — 160; Ellen Close 79-83 — 162; Maddy Wilcox 82-90 — 172; Abby Schroeder 88-93 — 181.
