May 2024

Engineer Tom Lauber, who built this “locomotive,” keeps it on schedule at Saturday morning’s Trout Days. 

SUN PRAIRIE — Cold. Rainy. Windy.

It was not a pleasant evening on Friday during the 8th Annual Paul Frank Invite put on by Sun Prairie East High School.

And yet, that didn’t seem to bother Kara Meeteer.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

The junior on Middleton’s girls track and field team won the long jump with a meet record leap of 18 feet, 2 inches — shattering the old mark of 17-11 held by Mikaela Grant of Jefferson (in 2016) and Alexis Jackson of Oregon (2017).

Her winning effort in that event was the highlight of the night for the Cardinals’ girls squad, which edged out Sun Prairie West (57 points) for fourth place with 61.5 points. Sun Prairie East (114) won the meet, beating out runner-up Waunakee (109.5). Verona took third (89.5).

“I was not expecting that considering the weather,” Meeteer said of her record-setting jump. “I’m very proud of that.”

Sophomore Kyle Pape accomplished a rare feat for Middleton’s baseball team last week.

With the Cardinals trailing by a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, Pape drew a walk and eventually scored what proved to be the winning run as Middleton rallied for a 7-6 victory over visiting Janesville Craig in a Big Eight Conference game.

But Pape, who opened the game as Middleton’ starting first baseman, also had the opportunity to close the door on a potential Cougars’ rally in the seventh inning, when he returned to the mound for his second inning of relief work.

Pape said retiring the final two batters proved to be more memorable than anything he did on offense, which included a run-scoring single in the first inning.

“Closing out the game, that was more intense, more final,” Pape said of his first varsity victory. “It felt good, but I knew I had to close it out. That’s the situation I wanted to be in.”

Middleton manager Brent Jorgensen agreed.

Tom Cabalka knows his Middleton boys golf team has a chance for great things over the next month.

On April 24, the Cardinals showed just how special they can be.

Middleton shot a sensational 294 at Yahara Hills and rolled to a win at the Madison East Triangular. Madison Memorial was second at 324, while Madison East had just three golfers finish.

“I'm not sure when or if we have shot that low,” Cabalka said. “I'm sure that gave them the confidence to know that this team is capable of playing that way consistently.”

Senior Dain Johnson had a memorable outing, shooting a 2-under par, 70. Johnson birdied five holes, including three of his last four. Johnson shot even par on the front nine, then tore things up with a 2-under on the back nine.

“Dain turned his game around,” Cabalka said of Johnson.