Sports

Middleton’s girls gymnastics team had a long wait for their first meet of the season. That wait finally ended last Saturday, and the Cardinals gave an impressive performance.

Middleton finished in second place of the seven-team Red Division of the Mount Horeb Invitational.

Verona won the meet with a 143.0750 score. Middleton was second at 130.500 and Monona Grove was third (130.3250).

“For our first invite of the season, I am so incredibly proud of how my girls did,” Middleton coach Alexis Cairo said. “Of the six girls that competed, four of my girls competed in all four events … and we had eight PRs at this competition.”

Middleton sophomore Aspen Goth was fourth in the all-around competition with a 34.425, while junior Abby Arnold was eighth (32.60). Junior Ana Bollig was 15^th (31.225) and senior Anja Schmidt Voils was 23^rd (28.125).

Middleton’s wrestlers finished in seventh place at the 24-team Ripon Invite on Dec. 30

Waukesha West won the meet with 585.0 points. Middleton finished with 235.0 points.

Middleton’s Sam Zanton finished first at 157 pounds, while Aiden Bell (138) and Pavil Jones (144) both placed third.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ performance.

113 — Kyle Mock (6-6) placed 9th and scored 17.0 team points.

Round 2 - Sam Peterson (Lena) 12-3 won by fall over Mock (Fall 0:57)

Round 3 - Baron Dowland (N. Fond du Lac/St. Mary`s Sp.) 9-6 won by medical forfeit over Mock

Round 4 - Desmond Thomas (Fond du Lac) 1-4 won by medical forfeit over Mock

Round 5 - Alex Hayes (Portage) 3-5 won by medical forfeit over Mock

9th Place Match - Mock received a bye

126 — Tavish Frank (7-5) placed 13th and scored 10.0 team points.

Round 1 - Frank received a bye

Middleton’s boys swimming and diving team went three weeks between competitions during their holiday break.

You would never known it, though, by watching them at the Marquette Invitational last Saturday.

Middleton won the star-studded, 28-team event with 323.5 points, while Brookfield’s co-op was a distant second with 226.5. McFarland (219), Waukesha South’s co-op (212) and Madison West (163.5) rounded out the top five.

“We did an incredible job,” Middleton coach Wes Lagerhausen said. “It was an extremely fast meet and we were fortunate enough to contribute to that in a big way alongside other teams after winter break training.”

Middleton junior Sam Wolf set two new meet records — in the 200-freestyle and the 100-breaststroke. In all, six meet records were broken.

Middleton’s swimmers also posted season-best times across the board.

Back-to-back state championships in boys and girls swimming and boys soccer.

A state title in boys lacrosse.

Conference championships everywhere you turn.

And several individuals that earned trips to state tournaments.

All of those were achieved during another banner year for Middleton sports in 2024.

Here is the Times-Tribune's rankings of the top-12 stories of 2024.

1) Boys soccer repeats

Eight returning starters.

A sensational 16-person senior class.

And a state championship already in tow.

Résumés like these don't appear often.

So from the time Middleton’s boys soccer team assembled for its first practice on Aug. 19, there was one — and only one — thing the Cardinals believed would make their season a true success.

“Back to back,” dynamic senior midfielder Jimmy Murphy said. “That was really the only goal.”

MADISON — It’s a strange dichotomy, really.

On one hand, Middleton’s boys basketball team has one of the worst records in the state at 0-5.

On the other, the Cardinals remain a remarkably optimistic bunch.

Middleton lost all three of its games last week, falling to 0-3 in the ultra-competitive Big Eight Conference and 0-5 overall.

The Cardinals dropped an 85-69 decision to conference favorite Verona on Dec. 10. Middleton then lost two games at the 60Eight Tournament last weekend — first a 69-54 setback to Romeoville (Ill.) last Friday, then a 74-64 defeat to Oshkosh North last Saturday.

The 0-5 start is the worst of the 19-year Kevin Bavery-era. Still, the Cardinals believe big things are possible once 7-foot center Will Garlock, a University of Wisconsin recruit, returns from an ankle injury.

Many of the state’s elite teams descended on Brookfield Central High School last Saturday.

And what they learned is that two-time defending WIAA Division 1 state champion Middleton will be awfully hard to dethrone this winter.

The Cardinals won the nine-team Barracuda Invitational with 634 points, easily outdistancing runner-up Brookfield co-op (424). Hartland Arrowhead (358), Madison Memorial (333) and Sun Prairie West (310) rounded out the top five.

Middleton also cruised past Janesville Parker, 140-30, last Friday.

“The two meets went really well,” Middleton coach Wes Lagerhausen said.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week.

BARRACUDA INVITATIONAL

Middleton junior standout Max Carter won all three of his individual events and the Cardinals won nine of 15 events overall and rolled to the team title.

Middleton’s hockey team won two of three games last week.

Middleton edged Sun Prairie, 2-1, in two overtimes on Dec. 10. The Cardinals slipped by Janesville, 4-3, on Dec. 12.

And Middleton fell to No. 1-ranked Stevens Point, 6-2, last Saturday.

The Cardinals are now 6-1 overall and 4-0 on the Big Eight Conference.

Here’s a recap of Middleton’s week:

• Middleton 2, Sun Prairie 1 — Ethan Glimme scored in the second overtime and lifted Middleton past Sun Prairie. Patrick Passini and Thomas Sutcliffe assisted on the play.

Sun Prairie took a 1-0 lead just 7 minutes into the game. Middleton tied things just 2 minutes later when Passini scored on assists from Ehrhardt and Covey.

Neither team scored in the second or third periods, as well as the first overtime. Glimme then finally notched the game-winner at the 6:28 mark of the second overtime.

Middleton’s wrestlers defeated Sun Prairie East/West, 53-18, in a dual meet on Dec. 10.

Middleton wrestlers Kyle Mock at 113 pounds, Alborz Dehnavi (150), Sam Zanton (157), Finn Grauwels (165) and Reed Falk (190) all notched pins.

The Cardinals’ Pavil Jones earned a 19-3 win at 144 pounds. And MHS wrestlers Lucian Borseth (120), Grady Hargrove (132) and Adler Plamann (138) all received forfeits.

106: Double Forfeit

113: Kyle Mock (MIDD) over Jackson Bescup (SPWE) (Fall 4:55)

120: Lucian Borseth (MIDD) over (SPWE) (For.)

126: Double Forfeit

132: Grady Hargrove (MIDD) over (SPWE) (For.)

138: Adler Plamann (MIDD) over (SPWE) (For.)

144: Pavil Jones (MIDD) over Lou Swingen (SPWE) (TF 19-3 4:21)

150: Alborz Dehnavi (MIDD) over Dion Mehmeti (SPWE) (Fall 2:41)

157: Sam Zanton (MIDD) over Naim Allen (SPWE) (Fall 0:59)

165: Finn Grauwels (MIDD) over Benjamin Gore (SPWE) (Fall 3:52)

Sophia Ynclan is one of the better shooters in the Big Eight Conference.

Middleton’s senior guard put those skills on display last Thursday.

Ynclan made five 3-pointers, scored 23 points and helped power the Cardinals to a 62-54 win over Madison East.

The Cardinals, who lost their first six games of the year, won their second straight contest. Middleton is now 2-6 overall and 2-4 in the conference.

Ynclan’s 23 points were a career-high and she added eight rebounds. Senior post Macey Blazek had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and junior guard Brooke Michelotti added 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

In addition, junior guard Rowan Borne had eight points, three steals and six assists.

Valerie Richardson led Madison East with 20 points.

Middleton built a 35-22 halftime lead, then held off a second half charge by the Purgolders.

Middleton’s football team landed several players on the all-Big Eight Conference team.

Junior quarterback Joey Passaglia, senior defensive linemen Quone Burks and Torin Pettaway, and senior outside linebacker Corbin Falk were all named first-team all-conference.

Burks was also named first-team all-state and the Big Eight’s Defensive Interior Lineman of the Year, while Pettaway was named the league’s Defensive End of the Year.

Senior offensive linemen Amare Calvin and Jacob Cushman, senior tight end/fullback Drew Cooney, junior running back Elijah Jackson, senior wideout Troy Teff, junior wideout Chase Rogers, junior linebacker Tyler Vogt, junior safety Oliver Wenning and junior punter Jackson Guerrero were all named second-team all-conference.