They were supportive of each other.

They were terrific friends.

And they were sensational golfers.

Middleton’s version of the ‘Fab Five’ — Dain Johnson, Luke Weiss, Sammy Forslund, Reis Von Ruden and Charlie Jambor — helped the Cardinals enjoy a memorable season. And the quintet each received all-conference honors for their efforts.

Johnson, a senior, and Weiss, a sophomore, both were named first-team all-Big Eight Conference. Forslund and Von Ruden, both sophomores, along with Jambor, a senior, each received second-team all-conference honors.

Johnson also received third-team, all-state recognition from the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin, while Weiss, Forslund and Von Ruden earned honorable-mention all-state honors.

Middleton’s five standouts helped the Cardinals win the Big Eight Conference title, capture regional and sectional crowns, and finish seventh at the WIAA Division 1 state meet.

The Hitters Tennis and Pickleball Club in Middleton will host a Pickleball Championship to benefit Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) on June 29-30.

This two-day event will raise funds and awareness for the JDRF. The event promises a weekend of competitive play and community spirit, drawing pickleball enthusiasts from across the region to support a cause that impacts millions of lives.

JDRF is the leading global organization harnessing the power of research, advocacy, and community engagement to advance life-changing breakthroughs for type 1 diabetes (T1D).

“We’re thrilled to host this event and support JDRF’s mission to find a cure for type 1 diabetes,” said event organizer Greg Isermann. “Our club is committed to community engagement, and we believe this championship will bring together players and supporters for an incredible cause.”

Entry fee is $40 per person.

Divisions and Schedule of Play are as follows:

Middleton’s girls softball team had a sensational season, going 18-10 overall and reaching a WIAA Division 1 sectional final.

And the Cardinals were justly rewarded when the all-Big Eight Conference teams were announced.

Senior second baseman Mackenzie Zimmerman, sophomore catcher Hailey Stroede, junior pitcher Megan Button, and junior first baseman Grace O’Connor were all named first-team all-conference.

Sophomore infielder Annika Jafferis and senior outfielder McKenzie Pertzborn were both named honorable-mention all-Big Eight.

In addition, Zimmerman was named honorable-mention all-state by the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association.

Zimmerman led the Cardinals with 35 hits and batted a whopping .398 with a .456 on-base percentage. Zimmerman had three home runs, six doubles, three triples, 24 RBIs, scored 27 runs and walked 10 times.

Three years ago, as Parker Van Buren was beginning his volleyball career at Loyola University, he wrote down a list of goals.

Near the top of the list were the words: ‘First team all-American.’

“It seemed like an unrealistic goal when I wrote it down,” Van Buren said.

Hardly. Anyone that watched the 6-foot-9 Van Buren dominate during his days at Middleton High School understood what a rare talent he was.

And Van Buren has proved that to the country during his time at Loyola, where he was recently named a first-team all-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Van Buren, a 2020 Middleton graduate, is also the first MHS alum to receive Division 1 first-team All-American honors.

In addition, Van Buren was named the Player of the Year in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.

ASHTON – As the adage goes, it’s not how you start, but how you finish.

Ashton’s Home Talent League team took the opposite approach, though, Sunday, starting strong and never letting up.

Ashton shortstop Keegan Fleischman jumped on the first offering from Cross Plains starter Logan Schultz and lined a ball to right field for a base hit. That sharp single lit a fire under the A’s and led to a five-run, first inning outburst which helped Ashton cruise to a 6-1 victory over visiting Cross Plains on Father’s Day.

“I just wanted to be ready for that first pitch,” said Fleischman, who played at UW-La Crosse this spring. “If it was down the middle or around the plate, I’m swinging.”

Ashton player/manager Logan Ziegler said Fleischman’s first-pitch single was a great way to start the game.

Middleton’s boys Ultimate Frisbee team recently won their first-ever state championship. The Cardinals defeated 12-time defending state champion Madison West in the title game, 13-3.

Senior captain Koen Reiter led the Cardinals with six goals in the championship game and sophomore captain Evan Natzke had five assists. Sophomore Turner Booth led Middleton with two blocks, and the Cardinals had just three turnovers in the title game, including no drops.
Middleton, ranked No. 19 in the nation, put together the best season in team history, culminating in a state tournament where they outscored their opponents 65-8.

While the Cardinals had nine seniors many of their top contributors were underclassman, giving them hope of being nationally competitive in the future.

“It’s a great group of kids that grew a tremendous amount throughout the year,” coach Ryan Natzke said. “It was exciting to finally get a title and there’s a lot of good things ahead of us.”

Waunakee freshman Malia Zillman is one of the most athletic, agile and skilled goal keepers to pass through the area in quite some time.

If soccer doesn't work out for Zillman, though, she can always fall back on a career in psychology.

In a WIAA Division 1 sectional final at Burghy Soccer Stadium last Saturday, host Middleton and Waunakee went to a shootout in a scoreless game. And as each Cardinal approached for their penalty kick, Zillman had a message for them.

“I was just saying, ‘You can score. You can score. Put it in the net. Come on, you’ve got it,’ ” Zillman said. “Normally they’re used to goalies yelling at them, swearing at them and stuff like that. But I was telling them they can do it. Reverse psychology.”

Perhaps it was Zillman’s mental tricks, or her overall brilliance in the cage. But Zillman stopped all four of Middleton’s penalty kicks, allowing the Warriors to prevail, 2-0, on penalty kicks in the scoreless tie.

WALES — Walk tall and carry a big foot.

That’ how Middleton senior defender Sophie Kasel approached the biggest shot of her young life.

Kasel had a chance to play hero during Middleton’s WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal at Kettle Moraine on June 6 and took full advantage. The Cardinals led the host Lasers, 4-3, on penalty kids and Kasel had the opportunity to end things and send Middleton to its first sectional final since 2019.

Kasel took her sweet time approaching the ball, and the large Kettle Moraine crowd let her hear about it. Finally, Kasel fired a shot past standout keeper Erika Panella into the right corner of net giving the Cardinals a 5-3 win in penalty kicks in what had been a scoreless match.

“I’m not going to let anyone tell me what to do,” Kasel said of a crowd that was boisterous as Kasel approached her shot. “I move at my own pace and I get ready by myself.

PRAIRIE DU SAC — Bryce Duhr didn’t waste any time making an impact when Cross Plains took on perennial power Sauk Prairie in a Northern Section Home Talent Sunday League amateur baseball game.

Duhr deposited a curveball from Sauk Prairie starting pitcher Connor Leister over the right-field fence for a three-run home run in the top of the first inning.

But the euphoria from that blast didn’t last long for the visiting Businessmen.

Sauk Prairie used a six-run outburst in the second inning to storm back and hold off Cross Plains, 11-7, on a sun-splashed and windy Sunday afternoon at Chuck Hall Memorial Field.

Cross Plains manager Randy Meinholz said the Twins’ quick strike offense wasn’t a surprise.

“They are tough outs and always have been and probably always will be,” Meinholz said. “Sauk is Sauk. They’re just a tough team to beat.”

Drew Farrell has become the most senior member of Middleton’s Home Talent League team.

And much like a vintage Cabernet Sauvignon, Farrell seemingly improves with age.

Farrell threw a complete-game, four-hitter and led Middleton to a 3-1 win over host Black Earth in a game held last Friday.

The 29ers improved to 3-1 on the year, while Black Earth slipped to 2-3.

“Black Earth is a really tough team,” Middleton co-manager Jacob Ross said. “Playing Black Earth on a Friday night is something I personally, and our team as a whole, looks forward to each year because of the cool atmosphere. And it is always a really close, tight game.”

Farrell was the difference in this game, though.

Farrell walked just one, and after giving up a second inning run, blanked the Bombers the rest of the night.