Sports

Middleton’s girls tennis team is off to a terrific start.

And if the Cardinals keep this going, they may add some more hardware to the WIAA Division 1 state championship they won in the spring.

The Cardinals opened the year 5-1, including a 3-1 mark in the I-94 Challenge held last weekend against some of the best schools from the Milwaukee-area.

“We had a huge weekend this past weekend being able to play some of the top schools in the state,” Middleton coach Matt Given said. “We walked away with a 3-1 record and gave ourselves plenty of opportunities to walk away 4-0.”

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ terrific start:

I-94 Challenge

• Middleton 5, Nicolet 2 — The Cardinals swept all three doubles matches and knocked off the Knights.

Rose Ryan and Lydia Sabat won at No. 1 doubles for Middleton, while Ashley Andler and Cate Ohly prevailed at No. 2. Grace Olson and Keena Cheng won a three-set tiebreaker at No. 3.

Middleton softball standouts Olivia Hebert and CC Hiorns both received all-state honors.

Hebert, a senior catcher, was named first-team all-state by the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association. Hiorns, a senior center fielder, was named honorable-mention all-state.

Hebert, who was also named the Big Eight Conference’s Player of the Year, had one of the finest years in school history.

Hebert batted .592 with a .673 on-base percentage and a 1.316 slugging percentage. She had 13 home runs, 52 RBI, 12 doubles, scored 39 runs, walked 14 times and had just two strikeouts.

Hebert, who was also intentionally walked 10 times, was Middleton’s first Big Eight Conference Player of the Year since 2007.

The R.J. Leiferman-era is off to a roaring start.

Leiferman, the first-year coach of Middleton’s girls swimming and diving team, watched his Cardnals roll past Madison East, 140-30, last Friday.

“It was a good first meet, and the girls swam well overall,” Leiferman said. “It was fun to get to see the girls in competition for the first time after a great first couple weeks of practice, and we had great swims from both varsity and junior varsity swimmers.”

That’s for sure.

Middleton finished first, second and third in 10 of 11 events and had the top two finishers in the other event.

In the 200-yard medley relay, the quartet of Lily Mair, Serena Haack, Molly Haag and Lauryn Brown were first. Sophie Benson, Abby Ensenberger, Eva Anagnostopoulos and Piper Garcia-Hall were second, while the foursome of Emma Kleine, Natalie Charles, Isabell Frommelt and Ryanne Woodall were third.

On one hand, Jack Alexander was giddy to put on his football pads and hit someone this past spring after the season was in jeopardy due to COVID-19.

On the other, Middleton’s standout offensive lineman left with a bitter taste in his mouth.

“I don’t think any of us were super happy going 3-3,” Alexander said of Middleton’s record this spring. “I think a lot of us feel like we definitely need to step up.”

And that’s exactly what Middleton believes it’s now capable of.

The Cardinals open their 2021 season with a trip to Bay Port Thursday at 7 p.m. Middleton will feature a potentially dynamic offense, a defense loaded with possible playmakers and a hunger to get back to the top of the Big Eight Conference for the first time since 2015.

She built arguably the strongest girls swimming program in the state.

Her athletes excelled in and out of the pool.

And the future looked as bright as the past.

When Lauren Cabalka glanced down the road, though, one thing was missing.

Time with her own family — husband Jeremy and children Mila (8) and Leo (4).

So Cabalka recently made the tough decision of stepping down as Middleton’s head coach. Former MHS boys standout R.J. Leiferman will take over the program, while Cabalka will stay on as an assistant for at least this year.

“When we started our family, I always said ‘I will never spend more time with other peoples' kids than my own,” Cabalka said. “Eight years later, and here I am, finally realizing how quickly time goes by and where my priorities need to be. 

ASHTON – It was a perfect, sun-splashed afternoon for baseball Sunday, and the host Ashton A’s brought their ‘A’ game.

Right-hander Derrick Rothwell tossed seven innings of shutout ball, and designated hitter Luke Ballweg led a long-ball fueled, 12-hit attack with two home runs as Ashton overwhelmed Middleton, 12-1, in a semifinal game in Home Talent League Northern Section play.

The A’s (11-2) advanced to the Northern Section championship game against the host Sauk Prairie Twins (13-0) in Sauk City on Sunday at 1 p.m.

“The top two teams are going at it. That’s the way it should be,” Ashton manager Dave Adler said. “Who knows? The last time we beat Sauk Prairie was in 2018. They’ve had our number for a few years, but we’ve had their number, too.”

The shoes are immense.

The expectations remain sky high.

Good thing for Middleton’s girls swimming program they found a familiar face to try and keep things rolling.

Longtime Cardinals coach Lauren Cabalka — a former MHS standout — stepped down recently to spend more time with her family.

Middleton turned to R.J. Leiferman — another former MHS standout who swam collegiately at the University of Minnesota — to replace Cabalka. And the Cardinals hope passing the baton from one legend to another means Middleton’s tradition of greatness will continue.

“R.J. will be excellent,” Middleton athletic director Jamie Sims said. “Lauren did some amazing things with the program, and we think R.J. can keep it going.”

They hoisted a gold ball for the second straight season.

That was the first time in school history such a remarkable achievement took place.

Still, there will always be a ‘What if?” element to the state championship Middleton’s girls golf team claimed this spring.

Through no fault of their own, the Cardinals played their 2020 fall season in the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19. Middleton was definitely in the minority, though, as 74% of schools throughout the state (129 of 175) chose to play girls golf last fall.

So while the Cardinals won a state championship in May, it came against a field of just 31 schools. When Middleton won the title in Oct., 2019, it bested a whopping 102 other schools on its way to capturing gold.

Now, when the Cardinals start their new season Aug. 16 at the Brookfield Central Invite, they’ll be thrilled for a “return to normalcy” where they can prove their mettle against the entire state — not just a portion of it.

When we saw them last, there were hugs, tears of joy and one massive celebration.

Middleton’s girls’ tennis team stunned top-ranked Neenah and captured the WIAA Division 1 alternate-fall state championship in May.

It was the second state title in program history and the Cardinals’ first since 2013.

Now, with six of Middleton’s top-10 players back, the Cardinals are hoping to make a run at consecutive state titles.

“We will once again have a young team, but we are super excited to just be out playing again as it truly feels like we just got done competing,” Middleton coach Matt Given said. “This will be another special group of ladies who will leave their mark on MHS tennis.”

The Cardinals certainly left their mark last spring.

Middleton rolled past Ashwaubenon, 6-1, in the state semifinals. The Cardinals then edged Neenah, 4-3, in the championship match.

They struck early.

They struck late.

And they certainly didn’t let up in the middle.

Middleton’s Home Talent League team routed visiting Muscoda, 18-0, in the first round of the Northern Section playoffs Sunday in a game called after seven innings.

Middleton now travels to Ashton for a second round game Sunday at 1 p.m.

“We got on the board early and kept the pedal down,” Middleton manager Brandon Hellenbrand said. We were able to get some runs across early due to some walks and hit by pitches, but our bats kept going the rest of the game. I was really happy how we swung it today.”

Middleton erupted for eight runs in the first inning, scored three in the third and added seven more in the fifth.

Brady Schmitt was the winning pitcher, working all seven innings. Schmitt gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out six.