Sports

VERONA — There were countless opportunities.

One chance after another to change the one-sided nature of this rivalry.

So when it was over, and host Verona had toppled Middleton, 5-1, in a girls softball game last Friday, Cardinals head coach Cherie Hellenbrand was understandably frustrated.

“They have a reputation as the team to beat and they’ve earned that,” Hellenbrand said of the Wildcats. “But we had chances to win this game. We just need more confidence.”

By winning this early Big Eight Conference showdown, the Wildcats improved to 5-0 in the league, 6-0 overall and moved into sole possession of first place in the league. Middleton fell to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the league.

Mary Duffy is no different than the rest of the soccer world.

She’s a competitor, a fighter. And settling for a tie isn’t something Duffy is typically thrilled with.

But Duffy — Middleton’s girls soccer coach — was all right with a tie last Friday night.

Middleton traveled to Kettle Moraine, the No. 3 team in the state, and battled the Lasers to a 1-1 tie. Considering the Cardinals are a relatively inexperienced team working in several new pieces, Duffy left highly encouraged by the result.

“Of course, like every competitive player, I want to win,” Duffy said. “However, the results we wanted to see weren't just the ‘W.’ I wanted to see how the girls would stand up against a tough opponent.”

Middleton, which is now 3-0-1 on the young season, stood up extremely well.

The outdoor season has arrived for Middleton’s girls track and field team.

And the Cardinals seem ready for a memorable six-week run.

Middleton rolled at the Madison East Triangular last Tuesday. The Cardinals cruised past Verona, 92-54, and toppled the Purgolders, 115-31.

Middleton also won its own triangular last Thursday, besting Janesville Craig, 130-16, and topping Madison Memorial, 89-57.

“Overall, we are off to a great start to the outdoor season,” Middleton coach Tara Franklin said. “Our indoor meets were limited in entries, but they definitely got us heading in the right direction.”

Middleton had several terrific showings at the Madison East Triangular.

The 3,200-meter relay team of Victoria Trantow, Milena Martin, Katie Schmidt and Emma Larson was first (10:58). Lauren Smith won the 100-meter hurdles (16.8) and Sara Gaab was second (16.9).

Middleton’s boys track and field team has been the gold standard inside the Big Eight Conference the last two years.

But the Cardinals discovered last Tuesday they’ll have to take things up a notch to stay atop the league.

At the Madison East Triangular last Tuesday, the Cardinals defeated the Purgolders, 115.5-30.5. But Middleton also fell to Verona, 81-65.

The Cardinals then rolled past Madison Memorial, 89-57, and Janesville Craig, 89.5-5, at the Middleton Triangular last Thursday.

“The dual meets don’t count towards the conference champion,” Middleton coach Isaac Mezera said. “All the glory goes to whoever wins the conference meet, so I'm confident we'll fare better against Verona when it counts. However, it seems that they might be our closest competition for the conference title this year.”

Middleton did have several outstanding performances at the two triangulars.

They were so close, they could smell the hardware.

A putt here. A chip there.

Had things gone just a tad differently last June, Middleton’s boys golf team could have captured a state title. Instead, the Cardinals’ sensational season ended with a fourth place finish at University Ridge.

But now, with Middleton’s new season here, hopes are high for even bigger and better.

Middleton returns three standouts from last year’s team and added a high-level transfer. And while the state tournament remains nearly two months away, the Cardinals seem to have all the ingredients to hoist a state title.

“I truly believe we have all the elements to make a deep run in the playoffs this year,” Middleton junior Joey Levin said. “But the key is to not put too much pressure on ourselves like we did last year.”

Junior Brady Thomas agreed.

It’s the best of both worlds, really, for Mitchell Herl and Alex Wood.

Before the two Middleton High School seniors move onto the next stage of their lives, they get to turn back the clock. And they get to help others in the process.

Both Herl and Wood were selected to the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star Game.

The game will be held July 18 at 6 p.m. at UW-Oshkosh’s Titan Stadium, and both Herl and Wood will play for the South Divisions Large Schools.

The WFCA All-Star Game benefits the patient care programs at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. And both Middleton players are excited to do their part and give back.

“The main motive for me, and all the other players participating in this game, is to help children who may never be able to play their favorite sport, those who deeply need the help,” Wood said.

Cherie Hellenbrand believed her Middleton girls softball team could challenge for a Big Eight Conference title this spring.

Two games into the conference season, the Cardinals are making Hellenbrand look prophetic.

Middleton rolled past Madison East, 11-0, last Tuesday in a game stopped after five innings due to the 10-run rule. The Cardinals also toppled Madison La Follette, 9-2, Monday afternoon.

Middleton is now 2-0 in the Big Eight and 3-1 overall.

“We are off to a great start,” Hellenbrand said. “We are starting to come together with solid pitching, defense and setting the tone with our bats.”

The win over La Follette Monday was extremely sweet for the Cardinals.

Middleton fell to the Lancers, 2-1, in a controversial sectional semifinal game last season. But this time around, the Cardinals got some revenge.

Middleton pounded out 15 hits and used a five-run third inning to break open a 2-2 game.

The baseball season has just begun.

But Middleton has already dug itself a hole.

The Cardinals dropped a pair of Big Eight Conference games last week. And Middleton fell to 0-2 in the conference and 1-4 overall.

Janesville Parker drilled the Cardinals, 10-1, last Tuesday. Verona then toppled Middleton, 6-2, last Saturday.

“We have not been able to square up on pitches,” Middleton manager Tom Schmitt said. “We knew our young players lacked experience of hitting the ball at this level, but thought they would be able to produce more quality at bats at this point. We are working daily to get the timing and mechanics necessary to be a good hitting team.

“These hitters need to make some adjustments and it is coming slowly. Pitching-wise we need to locate our pitches better. We are getting ahead of hitters, but then fail to execute an out pitch or allow the hitter to work back to a hitters count.”

Long time Big Eight Conference baseball rivals Sun Prairie and Middleton will again join forces to advance pediatric cancer research during the Cardinals Strike Out Cancer game on Saturday. The conference game will be played at Sun Prairie High School at 2 p.m.

The second annual fundraiser game will benefit the American Family Children’s Hospital pediatric cancer research efforts. This year’s event will work in tandem with Caps for a Cure, a longstanding fundraiser started by 9-year-old Kristina Schultz in 2006 of Sun Prairie. 

Schultz succumbed to acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2007 and would have graduated from high school this year. 

Proceeds from her ideas and efforts have topped $160,000 raised statewide for American Family Children’s Hospital’s research, $90,000 of which was raised in Sun Prairie.

Cardinals Strike Out Cancer hopes to boost that dollar amount past $100,000.  

The goals never really change.

The reasons may surprise you, though.

Like every girls soccer team, Middleton will aim for a state championship this season. And Cardinals’ head coach Mary Duffy has reasons that might be different than many of her peers.

“Our goals are similar as every year: win that gold ball,” said Duffy, whose team begins its season Saturday. “But it isn't for reasons that many think of.

“What I know these girls want is a great experience, a memorable end to the school year, a chance to compete and play with their teammates. And if it ends earlier than we want or it ends with a gold ball, there will still be tears because we will be sad to not be playing with each other again.

“So what we want is to continue to play together for as long as possible, and to do that, to play with these amazing seniors for as long as possible, that includes state.”