Sports

Thrilling victories. Magnificent individual performances. Memories to last a lifetime.

These are the norm inside the remarkably successful sports programs at Middleton High School.

And 2012 was certainly no different.

MHS provided area sports fans with a bevy of highlights this past year. Here’s one person’s view of the top-10.

1. The beat goes on

The losses were extreme. Expectations weren’t high.

When Middleton’s girls basketball team began the 2011-’12 campaign, few believed they would continue their recent run of success.

“I think going into the year, people were like, ‘Middleton, they’ll have an average year. They’re not going to be as good as they were last year,’ ” Middleton guard Mika Passini said. “But I think going into the season with that mentality motivated us a lot more.”

It showed.

To the surprise of many, Middleton put together its typical sensational season.

Offense has been a problem for Middleton’s girls basketball team at times this season.

And that was the case once again last Saturday.

Host Verona slowed the pace and slowed the Cardinals in a 37-22 Wildcats victory.

Middleton fell to 3-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big Eight Conference. Verona improved to 5-3, 4-1.

Janesville Parker leads the league with a 5-0 mark, while Verona, Sun Prairie and Madison La Follette all have one loss.

Middleton played without standout forward Liz McMahon and never could get rolling.

The Wildcats used a 7-0 run between the first and second quarters to go ahead, 14-4. Verona then held a 16-6 lead at halftime.

Things didn’t improve much in the second half, as Verona stretched its lead to 27-11 through three quarters.

The Wildcats then maintained a comfortable advantage throughout the fourth quarter.

Finding a branch of consistency to grab ahold of has been a tough thing for Middleton's boys basketball team this winter. And that was the case again last Saturday.

The Cardinals dug a 15-8 hole after the first quarter, played catch-up all night, and fell to host Fort Atkinson, 49-45.

Demond Hill, Kade Schultz and Max Oelerich all scored eight points to pace the Cardinals.

Middleton fell to 4-4 on the year and remained 4-3 in the Big Eight Conference. Fort Atkinson improved to 5-2 overall.

The game was tight throughout. Fort led, 21-17, at halftime and 34-28 through three quarters.

Middleton kept charging in the fourth quarter, but never could seize control.

Middleton next faces Madison Edgewood Friday at 7:30 p.m.

It was a rough week for Middleton's hockey team.

The host Cardinals dropped a 3-1 decision to league-leading Verona Saturday. Middleton also fell, 5-1, to Madison West on Dec. 18.

Middleton, which is 6-3 overall, has now slipped to third place in the Big Eight at 4-2. Verona (7-1, 6-0) leads the league.

Middleton took a 1-0 lead against Verona when senior defenseman Jake Bunz had an unassisted goal less than nine minutes into the game.

But the Cardinals never did score again. And Verona scored one goal in every period to eventually prevail.

Against West, Middleton trailed, 1-0, midway through the first period. Then Bunz got the equalizer with assists from Nico Campbell and Ethan McLeod.

But the Regents took a 2-1 lead after the first period, tacked on two second period goals and another in the third.

Middleton is now off until Jan. 4 when it hosts Onalaska.

VERONA — The fall was nasty, unnecessary, and borderline dirty.

Whether or not it derails Middleton’s season remains to be seen.

The Cardinals notched an impressive 62-51 win at Verona last Thursday. But it came with a price.

Late in the first half, Cardinals standout guard Derek Rongstad had a steal and was heading in for a breakaway layup. Verona’s Scott Ndobegang undercut Rongstad, though, causing him to take a nasty spill.

Rongstad used his left hand to break the fall, but instead broke a bone in that same hand. The injury will sideline him until at least mid-January.

Amazingly, the three-man officiating crew elected not to call a foul.

“It was an emotional game and that play certainly set the tone,” Cardinals coach Kevin Bavery said. “But there are a lot of times in life where you need to take the high road.

“We didn’t get the call and guys were mad. But we just have to play above that.”

Middleton did exactly that.

With a showdown against Sun Prairie looming, Middleton’s boys basketball team was dealt a huge blow last Friday.

Welcome back!

That’s what Middleton’s girls basketball team was singing from the top of its collective lungs after destroying Madison East, 56-28, last Friday.

The Cardinals were giddy to welcome back preseason all-state forward Liz McMahon. McMahon missed the first month of the season with a broken finger, but made her debut a memorable one with a game-high 18 points.

“It's very good to have Liz back,” Cardinals coach Jeff Kind said. “She gives us some added scoring and opens things up for us on offense just by being a threat to score.”

Middleton improved to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big Eight Conference. The Cardinals are in a three-way tie for second place in the league, one game behind Janesville Parker.

But with McMahon back, Middleton has a chance to become the kind of team Kind envisioned before he lost his best player.

Middleton hockey co-coach Steve Libert called the Cardinals’ past week “strange.”

That’s a perfect way to describe it.

Middleton, ranked seventh in the latest state poll, won two of its three games last week and improved to 6-1.

The Cardinals toppled Janesville, 4-2, last Tuesday and routed Madison East/La Follette, 13-0, last Thursday.

Interestingly, the Cardinals’ best performance probably came in their 1-0 loss to Ashwaubenon last Saturday.

In between, Middleton had a brush with the athletic code and will be without three players for six games.

Middleton opened the week with a solid win at Janesville. The Cardinals trailed, 2-1, heading to the third period. Middleton then rallied for three goals in the final period.

“We left some hockey on the ice,” Libert said. “We played, but did not play with any get up and go. If a Janesville player was ahead of us or challenging us we let them have the puck.”

It was another terrific week for Middleton’s wrestling team.

The Cardinals took a big step towards winning the Big Eight Conference with a 45-24 win at Janesville Craig last Tuesday.

The Cardinals then finished third at the 13-team Appleton West Invite last Saturday. Appleton North and Little Chute won the tournament with 198 points each, while Middleton was a close third (195.5).

“We did really well,” Middleton coach Kent Weiler said. “But we also didn’t go all that way to lose. We knew it was pretty close.”

Middleton senior Jake Cain improved to 18-0 on the season by winning another championship at 138 pounds. Taggart Haase also finished first at 170 pounds, while Wyatt Cory was third at 195. Brett Cain (113), Grant Laurent (152) and Lon Yeary (220) all finished fourth.

Jake Cain had a memorable day, pinning all five of his opponents. Cain was also named ‘Outstanding Wrestler’ of the tournament.

It wasn’t the outcome they wanted.

But there were several encouraging performances in Middleton’s 97-77 loss to Madison West in a boys swimming meet last Thursday.

“The West meet went well,” Cardinals coach Luke Lengfeld said. “We didn't get the outcome we were looking for, but the boys swam very well and battled to the end. 

“There were a few races that we lost that we needed to win to take the meet. Even though we lost the meet I was very happy with how the guys swam and competed.”

There were several positives in the loss.

Middleton’s Jackson Uselman won the 100-yard freestyle (48.50) and the 200-yard freestyle (1:49.59). Zack Parkin won the 50 yard freestyle (22.01), Nick Lund won the 100 yard fly (54.68) and Matthew Kim was first in the 100 yard breast stroke (1:04.40).

Middleton’s 200-yard free relay team of Uselman, Jack McGovern, Lund and Parkin was also first (1:29.20).