February 2013

Wed
20
Feb
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Middleton-West ready for Round 3

 

Players and coaches alike will tell you that the basketball season can be a grind.

It opens in mid-November. It drags through the long and gloomy winter months. And it doesn’t end — for some teams — until mid-March.

Middleton, though, hopes the end is still a few weeks away.

The Cardinals begin their second season Friday when they host Madison West in a WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal at 7 p.m. If Middleton prevails, it will most likely travel to Sun Prairie for a regional final Saturday at 7 p.m.

“West has been kind of an enigma, as they have been really up and really down throughout the season,” Middleton coach Kevin Bavery said. “But there is no denying their collective talent. They have all the pieces.”

Middleton finished the regular season 12-10 overall and tied for third place in the Big Eight Conference at 10-8. West went 7-11, 8-14.

Wed
20
Feb
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Middleton's boys fall twice

This certainly isn’t the way Middleton boys basketball team wanted to enter the postseason.

But in a week mired by a pair of excruciating losses, all was not lost for the Cardinals.

Middleton fell at Big Eight Conference champion Sun Prairie, 72-70, last Tuesday. But the host Cardinals needed a 27-foot three-pointer at the buzzer from Nebraska recruit Nick Fuller just to force overtime.

Middleton then lost at Madison La Follette, 68-63, last Friday in a game that was nip-and-tuck the entire way.

While Middleton enters the postseason on a two-game losing streak, it did go 8-4 down the stretch. The Cardinals also finished the regular season 12-10 overall and tied for third place in the Big Eight at 10-8.

Wed
20
Feb
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MHS gymnasts win Big 8 title

They could have let the unexpected falls break their spirit.

They could have allowed the early setbacks to linger throughout the day.

But that’s not how Middleton’s girls gymnastics team is wired. Not even close.

At the Big Eight Conference meet Saturday at Janesville Craig, Middleton suffered four early falls in the balance beam. Since each fall counts as a deduction of 0.5 points, that set the Cardinals back 2.0 points.

But Middleton rebounded in a big way and battled back to edge Verona/Madison Edgewood for the title, 141.10-140.90.

“I was not expecting that high of a team score,” Middleton coach Kari Steck said. “But I think it shows the girls just what they are capable of.

“After the meet, several girls came up to me and said, ‘If we can get a 141.1 with four beam falls, think of what we can do if we stick our routines!’ It really motivates the girls to know there is room for improvement.”

Wed
20
Feb
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Middleton girls are heating up

 

SUN PRAIRIE — If there was any doubt, Middleton’s girls basketball team erased it last Thursday.

Middleton went to Sun Prairie to face its greatest challenger for the No. 3 seed in the postseason. But Middleton made sure there was little debate and cruised to a 51-40 win.

Middleton junior forward Liz McMahon led the way with 19 points and 14 rebounds. McMahon also played stifling defense on Sun Prairie’s McKayla Yentz, limiting the Marquette recruit to just 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting.

“I’m really happy,” McMahon said afterwards. “This game was really big for seeding and it was a game we really needed.”

Sun Prairie was Middleton’s greatest challenger for the No. 3 seed in the sectional. But when Middleton defeated Sun Prairie for a second time this year, there was little debate over which team should be the higher seed.

Wed
20
Feb
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Middleton Community Orchestra Presents Winter Concert on February 27

The Middleton Community Orchestra (MCO) will present its Winter Concert on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Middleton Performing Arts Center. As the show nears, MCO co-founders Larry Bevic and Mindy Taranto recently took a few moments to reflect on the burgeoning community orchestra.

Tue
19
Feb
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No 'Fair Share' in Contract Ratified by Teachers' Union

The Middleton Education Association (MEA) teachers’ union on Valentine’s Day ratified a new contract proposal for the 2013-2014 year. Despite the romantic date on which the vote occurred, emails obtained by the Times-Tribune show there was no love lost between the two parties while they hashed out the deal.

The contract will go before the Middleton-Cross Plains Area Board of Education for a vote on Monday night.

Under the new deal, salary increases would be determined at the school board’s discretion. Teachers who took part in a Health Risk Assessment would maintain their current 12 percent contribution toward health insurance. (Those not completing the assessment would contribute 15 percent toward the annual insurance premium.)

Tue
19
Feb
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Cain takes aim at state wrestling title

Urgency.

If there’s one word that best describes Jake Cain’s mindset this weekend, it’s urgency.

Cain, a senior wrestler at Middleton High School, is back in the WIAA Division 1 state tournament for the third time in his magnificent career.

Cain fully understands, though, that this is his last — and best — chance at a state title. And the 138-pound Cain intends to make the most of his opportunity.

“This being my last season I'm essentially all in,” said Cain, who is 48-1 this season. “I have to win this year. No exceptions. That's not to say that it's going to be easy. At this point everyone is good and nobody can be taken lightly or overlooked.”

Cain qualified for the state tournament after winning his weight class at last Saturday’s Middleton Sectional. Middleton sophomore Shay Haase also finished second at 160 pounds and earned a trip to state.

Tue
19
Feb
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Tardiness costly for MHS' girls basketball team

 

Jeff Kind felt terrible.

Being late isn’t like him. And in one of the rare instances Kind was tardy, it was costly.

Kind, Middleton’s girls basketball coach, thought his postseason seeding meeting Sunday was at 1 p.m. Instead, it was at noon.

So when Kind arrived at 12:50 p.m., the meeting was already wrapping up.

Because Kind was not present when the postseason seeds were being voted on, Middleton is not allowed to host any games at the regional level.

“I feel terrible about it,” Kind said afterwards. “It’s nobody’s fault but my own.”

The good news is Kind’s Cardinals received the No. 3 seed, which is what Middleton expected. The bad news is the Cardinals’ first game — a regional semifinal against sixth-seeded Madison West — will now be at West on March 1 at 7 p.m.

Tue
19
Feb
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Uselman leads MHS swimmers at state

 

MADISON — If competitors weren’t aware of Jackson Uselman’s final kick, they were certainly found out about it at last Saturday’s WIAA Division 1 boys state swimming meet.

Uselman, a senior swimmer for Middleton, surged past the competition to capture the individual title in the 200-yard freestyle. Then, Uselman did it again while taking third in the 500 freestyle.

Uselman’s heroics led Middleton to a fourth-place finish in a meet held at the UW-Natatorium.

Uselman trailed Baileu Biwer of Eau Claire Memorial/North well into the 200 freestyle, but shot past Biwer on the final turn and cruised to victory.

“(Biwer) really took it out fast and I knew if I wanted to have a chance to win it I had to keep up with him,” Uselman said.

Uselman won the race in 1 minute, 41.87 seconds, while Biwer finished a distant second in 1:43.44.

Mon
18
Feb
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GAB: Getting Rid of Same Day Registration Would Cost More Than $13 Million

MADISON, WI – Eliminating Election Day voter registration in Wisconsin would cost taxpayers between $13.1 million and $14.5 million, according to a staff report released Monday by the Government Accountability Board.

 The Final Report on the Impacts and Costs of Eliminating Election Day Registration in Wisconsin is being released well in advance of the G.A.B.’s next meeting on March 20 to give the public and legislature ample time to read it before the Board considers it, said Kevin Kennedy, director and general counsel.

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