Sports

ASHTON — Many would agree that there was no better place to be on Sunday than watching a Home Talent League game at the local ‘Field of Dreams.’

The two best teams in the Northern Section — Middleton and Ashton — went head-to-head for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

There was certainly a lot of offense, as both teams combined to amass 16 runs, 23 hits and four home runs. The visiting Middleton 29ers had the edge where it mattered most, though.

First baseman Alden Cleary blasted a three-run home run and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, while left fielder Drew Farrell came on in relief to slam the door and spark Middleton to a thrilling 10-6 victory over the host Ashton A’s on Fan Appreciation Day.

“This was a game we had marked when the calendar came out,” said Cleary, who finished with three hits. “We knew it was going to be a big game. They have great fans, and it’s a fun place to play.”

Middleton’s girls sports programs have been some of the best in the state for years now.

And that certainly didn’t change during the 2024-‘25 school year.

Middleton’s girls swimming team won a state title. The Cardinals’ girls golfers were third at state.

And several teams won Big Eight Conference titles behind memorable performances from a bevy of standout athletes.

That made picking Middleton’s ‘Best of the Best’ as hard as ever.

Last week, we picked the top performances on the boys side. This week, we’ll award the top girls.

Team of the Year

Girls swimming

Middleton’s girls swimming and diving team had to feel pretty good about themselves as they walked out of the Waukesha South Natatorium in Nov., 2023.

Middleton’s boys ultimate frisbee team capped off a memorable season with a dramatic 12-11 victory over longtime rival Madison West in the state championship game last month. This was the fourth straight year the two teams met in the final, with Middleton capturing the last two state titles.

Middleton led by as many as four in the second half, but Madison West mounted a furious comeback to tie the game, 11-11, forcing a universe point finale. The final possession was a showcase of composure and teamwork, culminating in a pass from Evan Natzke to Turner Booth for his sixth goal of the game and Middleton’s second consecutive state title.

Another week.

Another dominant win.

Middleton’s Home Talent League team moved to a perfect 11-0 with a 7-0 blanking of visiting Waunakee on Sunday.

Brady Schmitt threw eight scoreless innings to earn the win, while Drew Farrell pitched the ninth.

Schmitt struck out six, walked just one, and gave up six hits. Schmitt also threw strikes on 76 of 107 pitches (71.0%).

Farrell then threw a perfect ninth, striking out one.

Easton Zempel had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. Farrell also went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Hayden Hellenbrand went 2-for-4 and scored two runs and Alden Cleary went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

“Brady pitched fantastic and got some great defense behind him,” Middleton player/manager Jacob Ross said. “Easton (Hellenbrand), Hunter (Bindl), Alden (Cleary) and Nolan (Smith) all made great defensive plays.

Middleton’s boys sports programs have been some of the best in the state for years now.

And that certainly didn’t change during the 2024-‘25 school year.

Middleton’s boys soccer team and boys swimming teams won state titles. The boys volleyball team reached the state finals, while several individuals either won — or challenged for — state titles.

That made picking Middleton’s ‘Best of the Best’ harder than ever this year. But we’ll give it our best shot.

This week, we’ll honor the boys, and next week we’ll award the girls.

Team of the Year

Soccer

Eight returning starters.

A sensational 16-person senior class.

And a state championship already in tow.

Résumés like these don’t appear often.

Bo Derek.

A flawless gymnast.

And Middleton’s Home Talent League team.
What’s the common thread with all three of these?

They’re all perfect 10s.

The 29ers continued their tremendous HTL season with a pair of wins last weekend and moved to 10-0 overall.

Middleton defeated host Black Earth, 3-0, on July 3. The visiting 29ers then routed Reedsburg, 10-1, on Sunday.

Middleton holds a one-game lead over Ashton (9-1) in the Northern Section’s East Division. And overall this season, the 29ers have outscored their opponents by a collective score of 78-13.

“It was a good weekend beating two tough teams on the road,” Middleton player/manager Jacob Ross said.

In the 29ers’ win over Black Earth, Drew Farrell threw a complete game, five-hit shutout. Farrell struck out seven, didn’t walk a batter and threw strikes on 75 of 105 pitches (71.4%).

There are certain things that have always held true.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

Food, water and shelter are fundamental and unchanging basic human needs.

And the WIAA has always moved at a snail’s pace, alienating many of its members along the way.

That was the case again last week as the WIAA’s Advisory Council voted down recommendations from its basketball coaches to implement the shot clock and expand the number of state tournament qualifiers to eight in all five divisions.

Recommendations that earned majority vote from the Advisory Council advanced to the WIAA Board of Control for another vote. Then, the recommendations that received majority vote from the Board of Control would have been implemented for the 2025-26 season.

With a majority of coaches in favor of both a shot clock and state tournament expansion, many were both frustrated and exasperated by the WIAA’s decision.

Middleton’s girls soccer team had an incredibly special season.

The Cardinals won the Big Eight Conference for the first time since 2018. Middleton played 14 games before suffering its first loss of the year. And the Cardinals finished the season an impressive 14-2-5 overall.

So it made perfect sense that Middleton landed a league-best 10 players on the all-conference team.

Senior defender Payton Rademacher, senior midfielder Ursula Annstaett and sophomore midfielder Brooke Lister were all named first-team all-Big Eight. Senior keeper Lydia Paulsen, junior defender Bea Norman and junior forward Zoe Sharaf were named second-team all-conference.

And senior midfielder Addy Frantz, junior forward Izzy Frantz, freshman forward Sydney Hewuse and junior keeper Kylie Carbon all received honorable-mention all-conference honors. In addition, Middleton coach Mary Duffy was named the Big Eight’s Coach of the Year.

They finished in second place in one of the toughest conferences in the state.

They won a regional championship.

And they went 13-3 in the second half of the season to finish the year 18-9.

So it was no surprise Middleton’s baseball team had six players earn all-Big Eight Conference honors.

Senior pitcher Bennett O’Connor and junior shortstop Jackson Guerrero were both named first-team all-conference. Junior pitcher Joey Passaglia and junior outfielder Tyler Vogt were named second-team all-league, while senior infielder Ray Feinberg and senior outfielder Ethan Harris were named honorable-mention all-conference.

O’Connor went 9-2 with a 1.33 ERA and earned first-team all-conference honors for a second straight season. O’Connor had 70 strikeouts and allowed just 50 hits in 63.1 innings pitched.

O’Connor will also play in the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association All-Star game on June 27-28.

They enjoyed a breakout season, dominating the Big Eight Conference and finishing third at the WIAA Division 1 state tournament.

So it was no surprise that Middleton’s terrific boys golf team landed five players on the all-Big Eight Conference team.

Juniors Reis Von Ruden, Sammy Forslund and Luke Weiss were all named first-team all-conference. Junior Berrin Reiter earned second-team all-conference honors, while junior Sam Wolf received honorable-mention all-conference honors.

Middleton coach Tom Cabalka received Coach of the Year honors, and Madison West’s Frank Colbert was the league’s Player of the Year.

In addition, both Forslund and Von Ruden were named second-team all-state by the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin and Weiss was named honorable-mention all-state.

“Our  golfers had a fantastic tournament series winning the regional, sectional and finishing third at state, with only two great teams ahead of us,” Cabalka said.