Sports

The conditions bordered on miserable. Rainy, slippery, soggy, muddy.

But the day itself was a historic one for Middleton’s boys cross country team.

The Cardinals finished fourth at last Saturday’s WIAA Division 1 state meet held at Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids. That was the highest finish in school history.

“The boys had a very successful cross country season,” Middleton coach Cindy Bremser said. “It took them the first month to have all the players run on the same team and then they improved each competition.”

Cardinals junior Gus Newcomb, who led Middleton with a fifth place individual finish, thought the Cardinals could crack the top-three. But Newcomb was still happy where Middleton finished.

The result isn’t what they wanted.

The effort, the intensity, truthfully really the entire season was something everyone was awfully proud of.

Middleton’s boys soccer team dropped a 2-1 decision to Madison West in the WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinals last Thursday.

The Cardinals finished the year 16-4-1, while the Regents defeated Sun Prairie in the sectional finals two days later.

“This game was a game the players can be proud of,” Middleton coach Ben Kollasch said. “This was a game that players left all their effort on the field. There were no other options, no unused tactics, just an opponent that would not fall.

The goal was outlined after their first practice of the season.

They spent the next 10 weeks bettering themselves, and destroying almost everyone that crossed their path.

Then last Saturday, Middleton’s dynamic girls swimming and diving team made their primary objective a reality.

The Cardinals won the Big Eight Conference meet held at Beloit Memorial in remarkably impressive fashion. Middleton posted a whopping 563.5 points and easily outdistanced runner-up Verona/Mount Horeb (466.5). Madison Memorial (441), Madison West (345) and Sun Prairie (246) rounded out the top five.

It came out of nowhere.

It was fast and ferocious, like a summer thunderstorm or a blitzing linebacker.

Middleton’s football team was leading Sun Prairie, 9-0, early in the second quarter of a WIAA Division 1 first round playoff game last Friday. Then, in a matter of just 3 minutes, 40 seconds, Sun Prairie scored a stunning 21 points.

Middleton never fully recovered and suffered a 30-23 defeat, ending what had been a sensational season much earlier than it ever envisioned.

“You’re never really ready for this moment,” Middleton senior linebacker Garrett Graf said. “Sun Prairie played a (heck) of a game. But this was a terrific group of seniors and we worked our tails off week after week. It’s just disappointing to have it end this quick.”

Middleton, the Big Eight Conference champions and the No. 2 seed in its bracket, ended the year 8-2. Middleton also fell to 8-12 in the postseason under 12^th-year coach Tim Simon.

Gus Newcomb is thinking big.

Dreaming bigger.

And maybe, those visions will become a reality on Saturday.

Middleton’s boys cross country team won the WIAA Division 1 Waunakee Sectional last Saturday. Now, the Cardinals are aiming for the sky at Saturday’s state meet at Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.

Madison La Follette is the state favorite. But after the Cardinals lost to the Lancers by just one point at the conference meet, they realize anything is possible.

“As a team, we want a state title,” Newcomb said. “After being beat by La Follette at conference by only one point we realized is possible.”

Anything seems possible right now for Newcomb and the Cardinals.

Newcomb ran a brilliant race and won the Waunakee Sectional. Newcomb finished the 5,000-meter course in 16 minutes, 34.8 seconds.

That helped Middleton win the sectional with just 42 points, easily outdistancing runner-up Madison Memorial (74).

Bradan Allen has scored one big goal after another all season long for Middleton’s boys soccer team.

So it was no surprise as the Cardinals’ season hung in the balance last Saturday, Allen came up large once again.

With Middleton and Madison Memorial tied, 1-1, in a WIAA Division 1 regional final, Allen was tackled in the box with just 30 seconds left. Allen converted the ensuing penalty kick allowing Middleton to escape with an enormous 2-1 win.

The third-seeded Cardinals advanced to the sectional semifinal at second-seeded Madison West Thursday. The sectional final is Saturday at 1 p.m. at Lake Geneva Badger.

“Both the wins against Memorial now have proven our resilience as a team,” Middleton coach Ben Kollasch said. “This team needed to prove to itself more than anyone else that they could live up to their own hopes and expectations. They do not know how to quit and they continue to get stronger with each game together.”

The Big Eight Conference is far and away the top league in the state.

Four of the top six teams in the state reside in the Big Eight. Teams take turns beating each other up.
So to go through the guillotine that is the Big Eight is a remarkable feat.

That’s exactly what Middleton’s girls did, finishing their perfect season with a 136-34 win over Janesville Parker/Evansville last Tuesday.

Middleton finished the conference dual meet season 9-0.

The Cardinals will now set their sights on winning the Big Eight Conference meet, which will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Beloit Memorial.

Back and forth they went, in a postseason thriller Saturday night.

Middleton’s girls volleyball team seemingly seized control of its WIAA Division 1 regional final at Monona Grove. But back stormed the Silver Eagles.

Eventually, fourth-seeded Monona Grove edged fifth-seeded Middleton, 25-17, 19-25, 22-25, 25-18, 15-12 and captured the regional title.

Middleton’s season ended sooner than it had hoped, while the Silver Eagles now meet top-seeded Verona in a sectional semifinal Thursday.

“We would have like to go further into the sectional, but there was a reason that they were seeded fourth and we were fifth seeded,” Middleton coach Franco Marcos said. “We were trying to pull and upset and came up short.”

The Cardinals had a rough start, hit -0.171 in the first set, and fell into a 1-0 hole. Middleton played better in the second set, breaking away from a 14-all tie and tying the match up.

Middleton’s boys volleyball team enjoyed a terrific week.

The Cardinals rolled to the title at the Big Eight Conference tournament. Middleton also received the No. 1 seed in its sectional when the postseason begins Nov. 3.

“It was a fun day for us as we pushed each other,” Middleton coach Ben White said of the conference tournament. “People got to play some positions they normally don’t play and the lineups were pretty even.”

Middleton went 3-0 in pool play, then rolled past Madison La Follette, 25-19, 25-20, in the semifinals.

In the title match, Middleton upended Madison Memorial, 25-15, 25-20.

“This was the first conference tournament in over 20 years that we have held,” White said. “It was a good opportunity to give a lot of people playing time and opportunities to get on the court. I thought we did a nice job all day as a team. 

Their timing was impeccable.

Kaisey Skibba, a singles player most of her life, blossomed into a doubles standout at the perfect time.

Abbey Webber, always a sensational doubles player, took her game to a new level when the stakes were the highest.

When the two combined forces, the rest of the state paid the price.

Webber and Skibba combined to win the WIAA Division 1 girls state doubles championship last weekend at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. The Cardinals’ dynamic duo became the first Middleton doubles team to win a state title since Jill Karofsky and Kristin Moe in 1982.

“This weekend was amazing,” Webber said afterwards. “Kaisey and I had a lot of fun. We both played our best tennis this weekend, which is great to do when it really matters. I will definitely remember this weekend, even though it seemed to go by quickly.”

Skibba agreed with her teammate.