Sports

Their quartet was battered and bruised, wounded and wobbly.

But Middleton’s 3,200-meter relay team had the resolve and determination to never give up. And that mantra paid off in spades last weekend.

At the WIAA Division 1 girls state track and field meet held at UW-La Crosse, Middleton’s 3,200-relay team finished second overall. That performance helped spark the Cardinals to a ninth place finish as a team.

Middleton’s 3,200 was certainly one of its most talented outfits — and proved that in La Crosse. But the Cardinals overcame a series of injuries to make it happen, which made the final results even sweeter.

“I'm so incredibly proud,” said Middleton junior Rachel Wians, who ran the first leg of the 3,200. “We faced some injuries midway through the season, but we were lucky enough to have enough depth to put together a team and still qualify.”

With ace Kasey Miller laboring on the mound, Middleton’s baseball team needed to step it up offensively.

And, boy, did it ever.

The Cardinals banged out 16 hits and used an eight-run third inning to overwhelm Waunakee 14-4 in five innings in a WIAA Division 1 regional final in Middleton Thursday.

“One through nine we’re such a solid team,” Miller said. “We’ve been waiting for a game like this. Just for us to break out and everyone put it all together in one game was nice.”

Miller wasn’t feeling well from the get-go and he struggled on the mound, allowing four runs on four hits with a pair of walks in just three innings of work.

“Walking out for the second (inning) my stomach kind of turned and, even in the warmups, you could tell it wasn’t on,” Miller said.

Miller eventually gave way to lefty Garrett Knutson and Knutson held the Warriors (12-13) scoreless over the final two innings.

Time and time again, they were expected to wilt.

To succumb to the higher seed and go quietly into the night.

But Brian Bellissimo and Xavier Sanga didn’t like that blueprint. So Middleton’s tennis standouts tore it up and made themselves a new one.

Bellissimo and Sanga — who entered the WIAA Division 1 state tennis tournament unseeded — had a weekend to remember. Middleton’s duo defeated three teams seeded in the top-10 and stormed to a sixth place finish.

“We were really happy to be there and we just played really loose,” said Sanga, a freshman. “The whole time we played good solid tennis, and some great things happened.”

Bellissimo agreed.

“We were playing loose and just having a lot of fun,” said Bellissimo, a sophomore who played singles a year ago. “And as we kept winning, our confidence kept going up and up.”

It was a great weekend for two Middleton doubles teams.

If it’s going to be one-and-done for Jake Van Emburgh, this isn’t what he envisioned.

Middleton’s freshman tennis phenom had one thought on his mind heading into the WIAA Division 1 state tennis meet: winning a title.

Van Emburgh’s quest fell short, though, when he lost to Brookfield East sophomore David Horneffer, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the state semifinals last Saturday.

Van Emburgh bounced back and toppled Homestead’s Danny Coran, 6-2, 6-2 in the third place match. Meanwhile, defending state champion Felix Corwin defeated Horneffer — his teammate — for the state title, 6-3, 6-3.

“Having beaten (Horneffer) so many times in a row, I overlooked the player he was a little bit,” Van Emburgh admitted afterwards. “On top of that I was not 100 percent healthy during that match … things I would rather not discuss.”

BARABOO — Russell Wilson may have said it first. But imitation is certainly the sincerest form of flattery.

And Middleton’s boys golf team has no problem impersonating Seattle’s Super Bowl winning quarterback.

Shortly before the 48th Super Bowl in February, Wilson uttered the now famous phrase, “Why not us?”, then led his team to a memorable rout of Denver.

The Cardinals’ golfers have adopted that same phrase this spring, and a championship could soon be in their future, as well.

Middleton rolled to the title at Tuesday’s WIAA Division 1 Baraboo Sectional held at the Baraboo Country Club. The Cardinals shot a stellar 305 to finish first, while Holmen was second at 309 and also earned a trip to state.

Middleton, which has won four state titles since 1997 — will be making its first trip to state since the 2011 team captured gold.

OCONOMOWOC — He had a racket in his hand at the tender age of three.

By the time he was six, he was practicing 90 minutes a day.

Today, he’s one of the country’s elite tennis players in his age group.

After just one season, freshman Jake Van Emburgh is arguably the best tennis player in the history of Middleton High School. And by the end of this weekend, there may be no argument about it.

Van Emburgh will take aim at the WIAA Division 1 individual state title Thursday through Saturday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Van Emburgh (21-1) is the No. 2 seed, behind only defending champion Felix Corwin of Brookfield East.

No Middleton player has ever won an individual state tennis title.

“That’s certainly the goal and one of the reasons I came out for high school tennis,” Van Emburgh said after winning the No. 1 singles title at the Oconomowoc Sectional last Thursday. “Hopefully I can make it happen.”

Ashley Stormer walked off the field at Olbrich Park on Tuesday afternoon with tears streaming down her face, but her head held high.

The Middleton senior pitcher had just thrown one of the best games of her four-year prep career, but in the process learned a bitter life lesson she will never forget.

“It’s a tough way to end but I’m so proud of my team,” said Stormer after Middleton suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Madison La Follette in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal game that eventually came down to a disputed umpire's decision earlier in the game.

“It’s been an amazing season. These girls are my family. They mean everything to me. We already had the talent, but coach (Cherie) Hellenbrand really taught us how to use it.”

Their timing seems right on the mark.

And if it continues, Middleton’s baseball team could be ready to embark on a memorable postseason.

The Cardinals, who have reached the state tournament six times since 2002, received the No. 2 seed in their regional. Middleton has a first round bye, then hosts either seventh-seeded Waunakee or 10th-seeded Tomah in a regional final Thursday at 5 p.m.

If the Cardinals advance, they will host a sectional on June 10. Holmen, the state’s second ranked team and the proud possessors of a 21-1 record, could be Middleton’s foe in a sectional final.

“I’d be lying if I said you don’t think about that,” Middleton senior standout catcher Jackson Keeler said of facing Holmen for a trip to state. “I mean, that would be great and a lot of fun.

“But we have to take it one game at a time and make sure we get there. It’s a fun thought, but it doesn’t mean anything unless we get there.”

Liz McMahon, Middleton’s gritty gutty goalie, jumped as high as she could for as long as she could.

Cardinals coach Mary Duffy had tears of joy streaming down her face.
And a wild crowd of more than 1,200 fans rushed the field.

In one of Middleton’s more memorable soccer games in years, the Cardinals toppled Madison Memorial, 2-0, last Friday.

The win gave Middleton the outright Big Eight Conference championship for the first time since 2008.

“It is not easy to win a Big Eight title and it hasn't been done for a while at Middleton, not in these girls’ careers before now,” an elated Duffy said. “It was pretty amazing. What a wonderful group of girls to win.”

McMahon was an integral part of Middleton’s girls basketball team winning a Big Eight title this winter. And McMahon said this experience was just as memorable.

The goal has been there since Ernest Winters stepped onto the track back in March.

And day-by-day, week-by-week, it’s grown more and more realistic.

Winters, one of the state’s elite sprinters, finished first in the 100- and 200-meter dashes at last Friday’s Madison Memorial Sectional. Now, Winters will gun for state titles in both of those events at the WIAA Division 1 state meet Friday and Saturday at UW-La Crosse.

“Yes my goal is to go out and to perform to the best of my ability,” Winters said. “I have a big chance for the 100 and the 200. I just need to execute those.”

Middleton certainly executed at sectionals, winning seven events and capturing the title with 125 points. Holmen was a distant second with 85 points.

The Cardinals are now sending nine individuals and three relay teams to state.