Sports

Middleton’s boys soccer team has enjoyed a fine season. But the Cardinals’ path to the state tournament will be a daunting one.

Middleton received the No. 6 seed in its WIAA Division 1 Sectional. The Cardinals will host 11^th-seeded Oconomowoc in a regional semifinal on Oct. 19.

If Middleton wins there, it would face either third-seeded Sun Prairie or 14^th seeded Madison La Follette in a regional final on Oct. 23.

The sectional semifinals are Oct. 28 and the sectional finals are Oct. 30.

Verona received the No. 1 seed, followed by Hartland Arrowhead, Sun Prairie, Kettle Moraine, Waunakee, Middleton, Madison West, Mukwonago, Madison Memorial, Badger, Oconomowoc, Madison East, Beloit Memorial, Madison La Follette, Janesville Craig and Janesville Parker.

Every tee shot mattered.

Each approach was vital.

Every putt was integral.

Middleton’s girls golf team was pushed to the brink at the WIAA Division 1 Oregon Sectional on Monday. But the Cardinals — ranked No. 1 by the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin all year — held off a charge from Waunakee.

Middleton shot a 319 and edged Waunakee (321) to claim the sectional championship. The Cardinals remained undefeated on the season.

The top two finishers at the eight-team sectional qualified for the state tournament, which will be held Monday and Tuesday at University Ridge.

Middleton will now be gunning for its third straight state championship and fourth since 2015.

“It means a lot to win sectionals,” Middleton coach Becky Halverson said. “We are proud of the girls for their ability to focus on the task at hand.”

Middleton’s girls golf team has already taken a dip in Lake Michigan together.

So who knows what the Cardinals will do if their goal of a perfect season is attained.

Middleton, which tops the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin Division 1 state rankings and is in the hunt for a third straight state championship, hasn’t lost a match this season.

Yet that isn’t a primary concern of the team.

“We definitely expect to win, but we can’t be overconfident about it,” said senior captain Ellie Frisch, a UW-Green Bay recruit. “Before every match we say we can’t take it for granted. We can’t be overconfident. Winning all of our matches would be something great, but we have to take it one at a time.”

The streak seemed likely to end when Middleton trailed by 13 strokes at the turn at the Portage Regional at the Portage Country Club last week.

VERONA – There aren’t many high school football teams that can match the size of Middleton’s starting offensive line, which averages 6-foot-2 and nearly 280 pounds.

Led by senior co-captain and left tackle Jack Alexander, the Cardinals put that asset to good use in ruining Homecoming for host Verona last Friday night.

Middleton took the opening kickoff and drove nearly the length of the field for the opening score to grab a lead it would never give up en route to a 30-0 victory over the Wildcats in a Big Eight Conference football game.

The Cardinals (5-2 overall, 5-0 Big Eight) won their fifth consecutive game and remained tied with Sun Prairie for the conference lead. Middleton hosts Sun Prairie on Friday on Homecoming at 7 p.m.

Middleton’s boys volleyball team is currently ranked No. 5 in the latest Wisconsin Boys Volleyball Coaches Association poll.

And the Cardinals continue to show why they’re held in such lofty regard.

Middleton reached the semifinals of its own star-studded invite last Saturday before losing to No. 1 Kaukauna, 25-19, 25-19. The tournament featured 10 of the top-13 teams in the state and the Cardinals went 4-2 overall.

“Overall it was a good day for our guys,” Middleton coach Rob Kleinschmidt said. “Finishing third in this tournament is very good, since the other top finishers were the No. 1, 2, and 3 ranked teams in the state. The guys showed a lot of good things.”

Middleton opened by going 2-1 in pool play.

The Cardinals defeated Appleton West, 25-20, 25-19 and toppled Brookfield Central, 25-13, 25-16. Middleton then fell to No. 3 Muskego, 25-19, 25-21.

They are the champions.

Again.

After Middleton’s girls tennis team won the Big Eight Conference’s regular season dual meet title, the Cardinals added another championship to their list of accomplishments last Thursday.

Middleton won the Big Eight’s conference tournament held Sept. 29-30 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

The Cardinals finished with 47 points and edged runner-up Madison West (39). Verona was third with 36.

Middleton captured championships at four flights.

Rose Ryan and Ashley Andler finished first at No. 1 doubles. That duo defeated Madison Memorial’s Nikita Remesh and Elizabeth Wu, 6-4, 6-1 in the final.

Middleton’s No. 2 doubles team of Amy Li and Bella Conrad defeated Madison Memorial’s Elfin Wiriyan and Emily Cai, 6-2, 5-7, 10-4, in the finals.

It took six weeks and more than half of the season.

But now, after being ignored all year long in the state polls, Middleton’s girls volleyball team is finally getting some recognition.

The Cardinals were among ‘Others Receiving Votes’ in the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association Division 1 poll this week.

That came on the heels of another terrific week for Middleton.

The Cardinals notched hard fought, 3-2 wins over both Verona and Janesville Craig last week. Middleton then went 3-0 at the Menomonee Falls Quadrangular last Saturday.

The Cardinals now lead the Big Eight Conference with a 7-0 mark. Janesville Craig is second at 4-2.

Middleton is also 26-3 overall.

“I think this week showed a lot of mental resilience,” Middleton coach Maddie Vogel said. “I could not be more proud of them.”

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week:

It took six weeks and more than half of the season.

But now, after being ignored all year long in the state polls, Middleton’s girls volleyball team is finally getting some recognition.

The Cardinals were among ‘Others Receiving Votes’ in the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association Division 1 poll this week.

That came on the heels of another terrific week for Middleton.

The Cardinals notched hard fought, 3-2 wins over both Verona and Janesville Craig last week. Middleton then went 3-0 at the Menomonee Falls Quadrangular last Saturday.

The Cardinals now lead the Big Eight Conference with a 7-0 mark. Janesville Craig is second at 4-2.

Middleton is also 26-3 overall.

“I think this week showed a lot of mental resilience,” Middleton coach Maddie Vogel said. “I could not be more proud of them.”

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week:

Middleton boys soccer coach Kevin Pauls likes to challenge his team with a demanding schedule.

While it can lead to short-term pain at times, Pauls and the Cardinals believe long-term gains often follow.

That’s certainly what Middleton is hoping for after an arduous week saw it go 2-2-1.

The Cardinals lost a Big Eight Conference game to Verona, 7-1, on Sept. 28. Middleton rebounded with a 6-2 win over Janesville Craig on Sept. 30, then the Cardinals went 1-1-1 at the Burlington (Iowa) Invite last Friday and Saturday.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week:

• Verona 7, Middleton 1 — The visiting Wildcats scored three goals in the first half and took a 3-0 lead at the break. After Middleton scored to open the second half, Verona ran off four straight goals.

“Verona was the better team,” Pauls said. “I don't think they were truly 7-1 better than us, but better. We made more mistakes on the night and they were able to capitalize on them.”

Middleton’s girls swimming and diving team won the start-studded Cardinal Relays last Saturday.

The meet was originally slated for Middleton, but moved to Beloit Memorial due to plumbing issues at MHS.

Middleton finished in first place with 422 points, while Madison West was second at 378. Madison Memorial (344), Verona-Mount Horeb (342) and Stevens Point (318) rounded out the top five at the seven-team invite.

“We had a good meet at the Cardinal Relays, winning the meet and eight of the 11 the events in the meet, and finishing second in the other three,” Middleton coach R.J. Leiferman said. “I was very happy with the way our girls supported each other on the relays, as well as the way girls stepped up and swam fast in events that may not have been their best.”