Sports

Middleton’s girls gymnastics team is trying to get healthy.

The Cardinals are hoping to field their preferred lineup soon.

In the interim, Middleton is doing a nice job of hanging tough everywhere it goes.

Middleton finished third among Division 1 schools at last Saturday’s Mount Horeb Invite. The Cardinals also dropped a Big Eight Conference dual meet to Madison Memorial, 135.125-133.475 last Thursday.

Middleton competed without standouts Aryn Skibba and Lucy Bergenthal.

Madison West and Madison Memorial shared the team title in Mount Horeb with 132.950 points. Middleton was a close third (132.250), followed by Watertown (131.675), Verona/Madison Edgewood (124.025) and Madison East-La Follette (112.375).

“Very close meet, but the girls did an awesome job,” Middleton coach Kari Steck said. “There were a few falls counted in our team score, but consistently lower scores all around than we've seen this year.”

Luke Lengfeld looks at the calendar and knows time is of the essence.

Middleton’s boys swimming and diving coach understands the postseason is just three weeks away. But Lengfeld is confident in the direction his team is trending.

Middleton gave another strong performance last Friday, defeating both host Verona and Beloit Memorial in a triple dual. The Cardinals toppled the Wildcats, 105-65, and bested the Purple Knights, 137-33.

“The guys swam well,” Lengfeld said. “The outcome was some fast times.”

Indeed.

Middleton’s 200-yard medley relay team of Hans Kunsch, Rory Slattery, Lex Peterson and Lars Haskins was first in 1:54.03. The Cardinals’ quartet of Andrew Collier, Will Zocher, Derek Pettit and Harrison Bielski was also second (2:00.85).

Jacob Aegerter won the 200 IM (2:23.24), while Slattery was second (2:27.93) and James Mai was third (2:29.12). Peterson won the 100-meter fly (1:01.34) and Pettit was third (1:03.12).

SUN PRAIRIE — Kevin Bavery was part befuddled and part agitated.

Middleton’s boys basketball coach thought his team had turned a corner. Bavery believed his team had discovered the answers to their early-season troubles.

Then, Thursday night, Middleton had its most uninspired effort of the year.

Host Sun Prairie built a double-digit lead, held off a late Middleton rally and notched a 59-52 win.

Middleton, one of the preseason favorites in the Big Eight Conference, fell to 5-5 overall and 3-5 in the league. Sun Prairie improved to 6-5, 4-4.

“I don't get it,” Bavery said afterwards. “We had two days off and that should have been the freshest our legs were all year. Instead, we played with absolutely no energy.”

Middleton senior forward Demond Hill made 5-of-6 field goals and scored 10 points. Senior guard Luke Schafer added 10 points and senior guard Derek Rongstad scored nine.

Sure, maybe everything isn’t going exactly the way Middleton girls basketball coach Jeff Kind would like.

But the Cardinals keep winning games. And that’s something Kind isn't arguing with.

Middleton built an 18-point lead against visiting Janesville Craig last Friday. And after the Cougars battled back, the Cardinals held on for a 72-66 win.

Middleton remained in first place in the Big Eight Conference at 7-0 and improved to 9-2 overall. The Cougars (4-3, 7-3) fell to fifth place in the league.

“We are continuing to improve and are winning games despite not being at the point yet where we can just shut the door on a team and close them out,” Middleton coach Jeff Kind said. “When we get to that point we'll be a team to be reckoned with.”

The Cardinals are already a group to be reckoned with.

Middleton’s boys basketball team welcomed the new year with a bang last Saturday night.

Facing arch-rival Verona on Coaches vs. Cancer night, the Cardinals gave their best effort of the season.

Senior guard Luke Schafer led Middleton with 15 points, including a pair of three-pointers, as the host Cardinals roared to a 24-point halftime lead and routed Verona, 55-39.

Middleton, which won its second straight game and fourth in five outings, improved to 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the Big Eight Conference. Verona is also 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the league.

“The big thing is that every record in this league means nothing,” Middleton coach Kevin Bavery said. “We gave Madison Memorial its only loss and Janesville Parker its only win so far in the league to date. Verona is sitting there with some real solid play and is capable of beating anybody on any given night.”

Middleton raced to a 9-2 lead, and the Wildcats never came closer.

They’ve hit the halfway point of their season.

They’ve been skating for the better part of two months now and have 12 games in the books.

And Middleton hockey coach Steve Libert still isn't sure exactly what he has.

“Kind of Jekyll and Hyde,” Libert said.

It’s easy to see why Libert feels that way.

Middleton rolled past Onalaska, 5-2, last Friday. The Cardinals then fell to Madison West, 3-2, last Saturday.

Middleton is now 6-5-1 on the year and sits in third place in the Big Eight at 4-2-1 (nine points).

“On a positive note we are definitely better this week than we were last week,” Libert said. “Our 5-on-5 play looked as good as it has all year, and since that is 85% of the game, that is a good development. The team showed they could take what they learned in practice and apply it in a game.”

Middleton’s boys swimming team finished in seventh place at the 26-team Milwaukee Marquette Invite last Saturday.

Madison West won the event with 259.5 points, while Hartland Arrowhead (213), Muskego (192.5), Chicago-Fenwick (Ill.) (191) and Madison Edgewood (183.5) rounded out the top five.

The Cardinals finished with 174.5 points.

Middleton’s 200 yard medley relay team of senior Hans Kunsch, junior Rory Slattery, junior Lex Peterson and senior Lars Haskins finished second overall in 1:40.14.

Kunsch was sixth in the 100 yard backstroke and Slattery was sixth in the 100 yard breaststroke.

Haskins was sixth in the 50 yard freestyle (22.48) and Peterson was eighth in the 100 yard butterfly (56.38).

The 400 yard freestyle relay team of senior Cooper Green, senior Josh Reddemann, sophomore Jacob Aegerter and Haskins was seventh (3:26.59).

Middleton’s wrestlers finished in 12^th place at the 18-team Bi-State Classic in La Crosse on Dec. 27-28.

Holmen won the event with 215 points, while Eastview (195.5), Hudson (164), Burlington (159.5) and La Crosse Central (158.5) rounded out the top five.

Middleton finished with 130.0 points.

Taggart Haase had a big tournament for the Cardinals, finishing in fourth place overall at 170 pounds.

After receiving a first round bye, Haase pinned Tristan Lind of Burlington in 1:04. Haase then pinned Brandon Bahr of West Salem/Bangor in 1:32.

In the quarterfinals, Haase defeated Duncan McKinney of Holmen, 7-0. After losing in the semifinals, Haase defeated Brady Wetter of Dodgeville, 4-0. But in the third place match, Haase was pinned by Ellsworth’s Logan Kemmerer.

Sean Benedict also placed fifth at heavyweight.

Sports fans around Middleton have come to expect greatness. And why not?

For decades now, that’s exactly what the sports teams around town have delivered.

This year was no different. Here’s one person’s opinion of the top-10 stories of 2013.

1. Grabbing the gold

It was the goal from the first day they stepped onto the courts. A state title.

This, of course, is what every team strives for. But with Middleton’s girls tennis team, fantasy became reality.

The Cardinals defeated Eau Claire Memorial, 5-2, in the WIAA Division 1 state finals. It was the first girls state tennis title in school history.

“It feels awesome to win state,” said sophomore Kaisey Skibba, Middleton’s No. 2 singles player. “Our team has worked so hard all year there’s nothing that feels better than to win state.”

Baylie Gold, who plays No. 2 doubles, agreed with Skibba.

Max Oelerich will be the first to admit it: the 2013 portion of Middleton’s boys basketball season hasn’t gone according to plan.

But with 2014 here, Oelerich and the rest of the Cardinals are feeling pretty good again.

Middleton closed out 2013 with a 74-56 rout of host Madison Edgewood last Saturday. The Cardinals improved to 4-4, and in this season of great expectations, headed to the new year with renewed hope and optimism.

“I think this first half was more of a reality check,” said Oelerich, a senior forward. “We thought the Big Eight would be awfully good, and then we found out just how good it really is.

“But I think we’ll go into 2014 now with a chip on our shoulder. And I think we’re all excited about the direction we’re headed.”

Middleton brought back the overwhelming majority of a team that reached the sectional semifinals a year ago. But the Cardinals have struggled to a .500 start and a 2-4 record in the Big Eight.