Sports

Brookfield — Their biggest meet of the young season was about to begin.

Nerves surrounded Middleton’s girls swimming team.

That’s when Cardinals head coach Lauren Cabalka gathered her team and delivered a simple message.

“I said, ‘We are a different team than we were three weeks ago. Let's show them who we are,’ ” Cabalka said.

Middleton did that — and then some.

The Cardinals won the star-studded, 13-team Brookfield East Invite last Saturday. Middleton finished with 439 points and toppled runner-up Verona-Mount Horeb (404.5). Madison West (343), Brookfield East (237) and Brookfield Central (225) rounded out the top five.

Back on Aug. 29, Middleton lost a dual meet to Verona-Mount Horeb, it’s first Big Eight Conference loss in more than four full seasons. So for the Cardinals this was not just redemption, but an opportunity to measure their progress.

With Madison La Follette coming to town last Friday, Middleton’s football team figured to face its toughest test yet this season.

Thanks to another stingy effort by the defense, it turned out to be no contest.

After yielding an early score, the Cardinals shut down the Lancers and cruised to a 28-7 Big Eight Conference victory in a battle of unbeatens.

“Our defense was real sharp tonight, played fast, played assignment football, and made plays when plays needed to be made,” Middleton coach Tim Simon said.

La Follette (3-1 overall and in the Big Eight Conference) entered the game ranked ninth in the latest Associated Press state poll, while Middleton was just outside the top 10. This fact was not lost on senior defensive end Alex Wills of Middleton.

“They’re ranked No. (9) in the state,” said Wills. “We showed them who’s better.”

They’ve hit the back nine of their season.

And Middleton’s girls golf team is still in prime position to achieve all of its hopes and dreams.

The Cardinals prospered during an immensely challenging week.

Middleton tied Big Eight Conference favorite Verona during a triangular last Wednesday. The Wildcats finished the league dual meet season 8-0-1, Middleton improved to 6-0-1, and if the Cardinals can win a triangular Wednesday at Beloit Memorial, the two teams will share the regular season crown.

Middleton also finished third at last Saturday’s star-studded, 23-team Janesville Parker Invite. The Cardinals also finished fourth at last Monday’s Crusade Fore a Cure held at Maple Bluff.

“We will have some time now to really focus and get to where we need to be for the postseason,” said Cardinals coach Becky Halverson, whose team has just one match this week. “Every practice is with a purpose and we are going to put it all out there with no regrets.”

Many of the state’s best girls golf teams invaded Pleasant View Saturday.
And Middleton found out what it knew all along: it matches up quite nicely with anybody in Wisconsin.

Middleton finished in a tie for second at the 24-team Cardinal Invite.

Madison Edgewood won the event with a 322 team score, while Middleton and defending state champion Hartland Arrowhead tied for second at 324. Milton (325) and Verona (327) rounded out the top five.

“I am really pleased with our showing at the Cardinal Invite,” Middleton coach Becky Halverson said.

With good reason.

Middleton’s Loren Skibba and Morgan Narowetz both carded 5-over-par 77s. Alexis Thomas shot an 81 and Rachel Thornton had an 89.

“Morgan Narowetz really stepped up this past week for us,” Halverson said. “I'm so happy for her. Having two 77's from Morgan and Loren definitely helped.  

They might have established themselves as the team to beat in the Big Eight Conference.

And they proved to the Milwaukee-area schools that they’re certainly for real.

Middleton’s soccer team enjoyed another strong week, beginning with a 2-1 win over conference foe Verona last Tuesday. The Cardinals then tied Menomonee Falls, 2-2, and rolled past Germantown, 7-3 at the Kettle Moraine Quadrangular.

Middleton, ranked fifth in the latest Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association poll, showed it deserves its lofty ranking.

The Cardinals had their hands full during a tight win in Verona. But Middleton got goals from Ivan Khamenka and Braden Allen and prevailed.

Junior defender Colin Ledin also had a terrific game.

“We squeaked through,” Middleton coach Ben Kollasch said. “A tough win due to some beautiful play, lots of us scrappy work and a goal line clearance from Colin Ledin.

Last week was a long one for Middleton’s girls swimming team.

The Cardinals had seven days to stew over a loss to Verona-Mount Horeb. And Middleton’s next meet couldn’t come fast enough.

When it finally arrived last Friday, the Cardinals were ready and cruised past visiting Madison East, 132-38. Middleton improved to 2-1 in the Big Eight Conference.

“This was a much better meet for us,” Middleton coach Lauren Cabalka said. “The girls had a long weekend to recover after a tough loss.  

“The girls came back in a much better place and ready to move forward. After a solid week of practice, the girls were back in their comfort zone and ready to swim the way they are capable of swimming.”

And that’s what the Cardinals did, capturing 10 first place finishes in the 11 events and sweeping the top three spots in seven events.

Middleton’s boys cross country team began its season with a third place finish at the Verona Invite last Saturday.

Madison La Follette won the 21-team meet with 46 points. Madison West (51), Middleton (134), Baraboo (139) and Madison Memorial (160) rounded out the top five.

“The Big Eight (Conference) has some very good runners with West and La Follette stacked up front,” Middleton co-coach Cindy Bremser said. “All the boys ran aggressively.”

Cardinals sophomore Gus Newcomb led Middleton with an 11^th place overall finish, completing the 5,000-meter course in 16 minutes, 47 seconds. Junior Christian Lindblom was 20^th (17:03), freshman Jack Radar was 28^th (17:18), junior David Marrone was 36^th (17:28) and senior Andrew Plumb was 39^th (17:40).

The message was simple. The execution was sublime.

Middleton’s girls cross country team went to the star-studded Verona Invite last Saturday with the following mantra: ‘The Pack Attack is back.’

And back they were.

Middleton, which has finished fourth at state the last two years, showed it could be in store for another banner year. The Cardinals won the 22-team event with 67 points, edging Madison West (68) by one point for the title.

Madison Memorial (89), La Crosse Logan (118) and Madison Edgewood (132) rounded out the top five.

For Middleton, this was pack running at its finest. The Cardinals’ top seven runners all finished within 34 seconds of each other.

In the grand scheme of things, the play had no real impact on the end result.

In other ways, though, it was a microcosm of the passion, drive and smarts Middleton’s football team is playing with.

Early in the fourth quarter of Middleton’s 40-6 win over Madison East Friday, a snap went over the head of Cardinals punter Declan Whinnery. The Middleton senior chased down the rolling ball, but immediately had three Purgolders breathing down his neck.

Whinnery raced to the left, and even though he’s a right-footed kicker, he unleashed a 40-yard punt with his left foot.

The punt was a highlight-reel moment. Making it even better from Middleton’s perspective is East was flagged for roughing the punter, and the ensuing first down eventually led to the Cardinals’ final touchdown.

“That was an amazing play by Declan,” Middleton coach Tim Simon said. “Really amazing.”

It was a night of amazing for the Cardinals.

Isaac Mezera and Cindy Bremser set the bar.

Then Middleton’s boys cross country team told their co-head coaches to move it up.

The Cardinals coaches told their team a top-10 finish at state should be a goal this year. Middleton’s runners have even loftier aspirations, though.

“The guys think Cindy and I are setting the bar too low when we say we'll be a top 10 team in Wisconsin this season,” Mezera said.

It’s easy to see why.

Middleton surprised the cross country world a year ago when it’s extremely young team qualified for state and finished 15^th there.

The Cardinals return their top five runners from that team and welcome a handful of gifted runners. So for many, a top-10 finish just doesn’t seem like enough.

“Having our top-five back means a great deal to the program, the individuals, and the coaches,” Mezera said. “I can honestly say that this squad is the best boys team in my 13 years with the program.”