June 2018

Thu
28
Jun
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Seven soccer players named all-Big Eight

Before the 2018 girls’ soccer season began, Middleton head coach Mary Duffy gathered her seniors together.

Duffy, who’s been in the program 13 years and has been the Cardinals’ head coach for eight, had a simple message.

“I said, ‘This is your season. You set the tone,’ ” Duffy recalled. “I’ll be here next year for another one, but this is your last. How do you want it to be?”

Turns out, it was a memorable one.

Middleton won a second straight Big Eight Conference title and climbed to the No. 1 spot in the state rankings. The Cardinals eventually were knocked off in the sectional semifinals, but their bevy of achievements left quite an impression on the voters for all-Big Eight Conference honors.

Thu
21
Jun
Thu
21
Jun
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Four MHS golfers named all-Big 8

Middleton’s boys’ golf team had a memorable season.

The Cardinals won the Big Eight Conference dual meet title and tied for sixth at the WIAA Division 1 state tournament.

As a result, all five Cardinals earned all-conference honors.

Sophomore Kip Sullivan and senior Andy Zucker were named first-team all-Big Eight. Freshman Jacob Beckman, sophomore Carson Frisch and sophomore Tommy Kriewaldt were all named second-team all-league.

To figure a golfers’ score, the Big Eight Conference calculated:

• Three conference match scores vs. course rating.

• Three at large, non-conference invites vs. course rating.

• The Big Eight Conference Tournament (mandatory) vs. course rating.

For example, if a golfer shot a 75 and the course rating was 71.1, the number for that match would be 3.9.

Thu
14
Jun
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Schmitt steps down as Middleton's manager

It was mid-March when Tom Schmitt saw the light.

Middleton’s long time baseball manager was in Winterhaven, Fla., watching his oldest son Brennan and his University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team.

Brennan’s Eagles still had a handful of games to play. But Tom Schmitt headed back to Middleton to coach the 2018 Cardinals, a group that included his youngest son, Brady.

It was at that moment, Schmitt realized his heart was in two places at once. And that was a tricky path to navigate.

So earlier this week, after a sensational 16-year run as the Cardinals’ skipper, Schmitt resigned.

Brennan Schmitt has two years left at UW-La Crosse and Brady will try out for the Eagles this fall. Now, with a far more flexible schedule, Tom Schmitt will be able to see his two sons instead of trying to follow their progress on his phone.

Thu
14
Jun
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Soccer Cardinals fall in sectional semis

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

That sentiment by the great Dr. Seuss makes plenty of sense in theory. And down the road, Middleton’s brilliant 2018 girls’ soccer team may be able to look back and smile.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, though, last Wednesday was more about tears.

Middleton suffered a painful 1-0 loss to visiting Janesville Craig in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal. The top-seeded Cardinals lost for the first time in 2018 to a team from Wisconsin and finished their year 13-2-3, while the fourth-seeded Cougars improved to 12-3-4.

Afterwards, Middleton’s players were both stunned and saddened that the end had arrived for this remarkably special group.

“It’s hard to lose and you just don’t expect it,” said Middleton senior forward Lexi Schultz, a tireless performer who gave a memorable effort in defeat. “That’s kind of what sucks about it, is that you’re just not mentally prepared for it.

Thu
14
Jun
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Four softball Cardinals earn all-Big 8 honors

Middleton’s girls’ softball team had a rough season on the field, going 9-14 overall.

But the Cardinals were well-represented when it came to all-Big Eight Conference honors.

Senior first baseman Jessica Parente was named first-team all-conference. Parente was the only player on the first team that wasn’t from Sun Prairie or Verona.

Freshman Olivia Hebert was named second-team utility and honorable-mention all-conference as a catcher. Junior third baseman Ashley Bindl was named second-team all-conference, while senior second baseman Sophie Schafer was named honorable-mention all-league.

Parente was named all-conference for the fourth consecutive season. Parente was a second-team utility player in 2015, a second-team catcher in 2016 and a first-team first baseman in 2017.

Thu
14
Jun
Thu
07
Jun
Thu
07
Jun
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Middleton Man Discusses Long Road to Recovery After Heart Attack, Car Crash, Organ Transplant

MIDDLETON–Scott Kirkpatrick remembers getting in his car on the morning of July 1, 2017 to go to Weight Watchers. That would be the last thing the Middleton man would remember of the month of July.

Scott had a massive heart attack while driving and was doing 80 mph down Gammon Road near West Towne. Video cameras showed the car speeding down the busy street and turning sharply to avoid a head-on collision, instead, barely clipping another car before smashing into a tree.

“I have been a Christian my whole life, and I truly believe someone was in the car with me that day that turned the wheel,” he speculated.

When emergency personnel arrived on the scene, they had to extract Scott from the vehicle using the Jaws of Life. Scott appeared conscious and was talking to EMTs when they arrived. They rushed him to the hospital and had to revive him twice with a defibrillator.

Thu
07
Jun
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Future is bright for MHS golfers

VERONA — In many ways, this year’s WIAA Division 1 boys state golf tournament was about the present — and the future — for Middleton’s boys’ golf team.

The Cardinals were the youngest of the 16 teams at state, featuring three sophomores, one freshman and a senior. Middleton’s four underclassmen were all making their first-ever trips to state.

So despite a sixth place finish at the 36-hole event held Monday and Tuesday at University Ridge, Middleton left this brilliant course full of hope.

Sure, the Cardinals were hoping for a better overall finish. But with 80% of its lineup expected back — and several young and promising players in the program — this might have been just the beginning for Middleton.

“I think we got a lot of experience from this tournament,” said sophomore Carson Frisch, who plays No. 2 in the Middleton lineup. “That will definitely help going into next year and helping us handle big pressure situations.”

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