Sports

Thu
29
Feb
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Girls gymnasts fall short at sectionals

It’s been five years since Middleton’s girls gymnastics team reached the WIAA Division 1 state meet.

The 2024 Cardinals didn't end that slide, but they came awfully close to doing so.

Middleton finished in third place at the Sun Prairie Sectional on Feb. 22. The top two teams qualify for state.

Verona/Madison Edgewood won the meet with a 146.850 team score, while Sun Prairie was second at 134.950 and earned the final spot to team state. Middleton (132.6250), Waunakee/DeForest (129.3750) and Watertown (125.10) rounded out the top five at the eight-team sectional.

Middleton’s Ana Bollig was ninth on the vault with an 8.350, while Abby Arnold was 11th (8.350), Aubrey Anderson was 13th (8.3250) and Sophie Pop-Vicas was 19th (8.250).

Thu
22
Feb
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Hockey Cards one win from state

There were tough times the last few years.

Moments when Middleton hockey coach Dan Truehl had to close his eyes to envision a night like the one his Cardinals experienced on Feb. 20.

Truehl’s eyes were wide open, though, on Tuesday when his Cardinals played their biggest game in several seasons. And boy oh boy, did Middleton deliver a winning performance.

Ethan Glimme and Wyatt Ehrhardt both had goals for Middleton, while goalie Ian Eberle stopped all 18 shots that he saw. That winning combination allowed the uptart Cardinals to upend host Verona, 2-0, in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal.

Middleton, which was the No. 3 seed in the sectional, advanced to the sectional finals for the first time since 2016 and will meet top-seeded Madison Edgewood. That game is Friday at 7 p.m. at Sun Prairie Ice Arena.

Wed
21
Feb
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Zanton, Falk headed to state

And then there were two.

Middleton sophomore Sam Zanton and freshman Reed Falk secured their first berths in the annual WIAA Division 1 individual state wrestling tournament, which begins at the Kohl Center on Thursday.

Zanton (42-0) remained perfect, finishing first at 150 pounds, while Falk (27-3) finished second at 190 pounds at the West Salem/Bangor Sectional last Saturday.

The top two finishers at each weight class advanced to the state tournament.

“It feels pretty good. Two is pretty much par for Middleton,” said Middleton interim head coach Kevin Meicher, who became Middleton’s second state champion when he won the 126-pound title as a freshman in 2016. “I feel like when I was in high school, we always got two to state. I was aiming for more, obviously, but two are good for our first year.”

Tue
20
Feb
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Sweet repeat for Middleton swimmers

WAUKESHA — Caden Van Buren and his pals on Middleton’s boys swimming and diving team began crunching the numbers late Saturday afternoon. And the positive results had the Cardinals’ salivating.

You see, Middleton coach Wes Lagerhausen had promised to pay for dinner if Middleton won the WIAA Division 1 state meet by at least 100 points. And midway through the meet held at the Waukesha South Natatorium, it looked like Lagerhausen would be breaking out his plastic.

“Halfway through the meet it was like, ‘Can we do it? Can we get food?’ ” said Van Buren, one of Middleton’s sensational sophomores. “All this team wants is food.”

Well, that’s not entirely true.

The Cardinals crave both food and state titles. On this day, they were thrilled to head home with the latter.

Tue
20
Feb
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Middleton receives No. 10 seed

BROOKFIELD — A big week would have likely landed them a top-eight seed, a home game and a world of momentum.

That didn't happen, though.

Middleton’s boys basketball team dropped two of three games last week, falling to 12-10 overall and 10-6 in the Big Eight Conference. In a tightly grouped sectional, those two losses loomed large as the Cardinals received the No. 10 seed.

Middleton will travel to seventh-seeded Janesville Craig for a WIAA Division 1 regional final on March 1 at 7 p.m. If the Cardinals upset the Cougars (15-8), they would meet the winner of second-seeded Waunakee and 15th-seeded Janesville Parker in a regional final on March 2.

Sat
17
Feb
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Hockey Cards win regional title

The sand was just about all the way through the hourglass when Cam Semrad, Charlie Jambor and Wyatt Ehrhardt came to the rescue.

New life. The Middleton boys hockey team’s season was resuscitated.

Not only that, Patrick Passini’s heroics in the third overtime of Tuesday night’s thrilling WIAA Division 1 regional championship game at Capitol Ice Arena meant the Cardinals’ postseason dreams didn’t die.

Ehrhardt’s goal with a minute remaining in the third period — on a frenzied sequence started by Semrad and Jambor — helped Middleton stave off elimination. Then Passini’s highlight-reel winner with 63 seconds to go in the third overtime delivered a 3-2 victory for the third-seeded Cardinals over sixth-seeded La Crosse Aquinas co-op, sending Middleton into Tuesday’s sectional semifinals against rival Verona.

“This is a game that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” said Passini, a sophomore forward.

Indeed, it was a dandy.

Thu
15
Feb
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MHS swimmers gunning for a repeat

MADISON — Lofty — “rising to a great height; impressively high,” according to Merriam-Webster — is the perfect adjective for the Middleton boys swimming and diving team’s goals this winter.

That list of goals doesn’t just include results, though.

It also includes the process.

“Just trying to have fun — trying to have more fun than last year, which is hard because last year was fun, too,” sophomore Sam Wolf said.

The Cardinals are having their most fun yet following Saturday’s WIAA Division 1 sectional meet at Madison West High School, where they claimed six first-place finishes among the 12 events and cruised to the team title.

Middleton finished with 372 points and easily outdistanced runner-up Madison Memorial (329). Verona (285), Madison West (273) and Sun Prairie West (229) rounded out the top five at the 11-team sectional.

Thu
15
Feb
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Five MHS wrestlers win regional titles

WAUNAKEE – After months of preparation, Middleton’s young wrestling team entered the postseason with high hopes.

But the Cardinals were dealt a serious blow when two-time senior co-captain and returning state place-winner Bryce Falk, who was ranked ninth at 175 pounds by Wisconsin Grappler, was scratched from the starting lineup.

Falk suffered an ankle injury during practice early last week while working out with his younger brother, Reed, who has been his practice partner all season.

“I felt really bad about my brother’s injury because he was predicted to go far at state,” said Reed Falk, a freshman, who was ranked eighth at 190 pounds. “So, I’m trying to make it to state for him and obviously for me, too.

“After what happened in practice, and it was kind of my fault that he got injured, I just really need to make it to state for him.”

Thu
15
Feb
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Hockey Cards win share of Big 8

Back in 2016, Middleton’s current seniors were fourth graders. The Cardinals’ current freshmen were wide-eyed first graders.

That’s the last time Middleton’s hockey program won a Big Eight Conference championship.

That all changed on Feb. 6 when the Cardinals routed Janesville, 6-1, and captured a share of their first Big Eight title in eight years. Middleton and Verona both finished conference play with 10-2 records and tied for the Big Eight’s top spot with 20 points. Madison West was third with 16 points.

“This program has been knocking on the door for the past couple of years, so to get over the hump and win a share of the Big Eight is a huge deal,” Middleton coach Dan Truehl said. “The boys have been dialed in on this goal and I’m so proud of them for achieving it.”

Thu
15
Feb
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Middleton holds off Madison East

MADISON — In the 1982 NCAA men’s basketball championship game, North Carolina led Georgetown, 63-62, in the final seconds.

Hoyas guard Fred Brown dribbled across half court, thought he spotted an open teammate on the right, but instead threw the ball to Tar Heels’ star James Worthy.

Moments later, UNC was the national champion.

On Feb. 8, Middleton senior wing Avery Houden played the role of Worthy in the Cardinals’ dramatic 76-73 win at Madison East.

With Middleton clinging to a three-point lead in the closing seconds, East’s Ebrahim Jarjue stole an inbound pass near the three-point line on the Purgolders’ end of the court. Jarjue thought about launching a 3-pointer, but Middleton’s 7-foot center Will Garlock came flying in his direction.

Jarjue thought he had an open teammate in the right corner and flipped the ball in that direction. Instead, he threw it to an open Houden.

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