MHS golfers hope to keep the tradition alive
Becky Halverson learned all about tradition from the late, great Dewey Stendahl — her high school golf coach.
Halverson, a 1999 MHS graduate, led the Cardinals to three WIAA Division 1 state tournaments. And she watched as Stendahl built a culture that was the envy of most programs across the state.
“Tradition means creating an environment where every player understands they're part of something bigger than themselves,” said Halverson, who’s beginning her 14th season as Middleton’s coach. “Coach Dewey Stendahl built a culture of hard work, accountability, teamwork, and pride in representing Middleton, and those values continue to be the foundation of our program today.”
Those tenets have also helped the Cardinals become arguably the state’s top program since Halverson took over in 2013.
In Halverson’s first 13 seasons, Middleton has:
• Reached the state tournament every year.
• Won three state championships.
• Finished in the top four at state 12 of 13 seasons.
• Won at least a share of the Big Eight Conference every year.
“We talk a lot about representing Middleton with pride, working hard every day, supporting one another, and leaving the program better than we found it,” Halverson said. “The success we've had over the years is built on players buying into that culture, and each new team has the opportunity to write its own chapter while carrying those values forward.”
Middleton will be challenged to maintain its lofty perch this season, after graduating three standout seniors. But if we’ve learned one thing through Halverson’s brilliant tenure, the Cardinals typically reload, not rebuild.
Middleton faces the tall task of replacing 2026 graduates Annika Jafferis, Sydney Weiss and Addie Sloan. Jafferis earned second-team all-state honors, while Weiss and Sloan were honorable-mention all-state players.
The good news is senior Addy Schnarr and junior Stela Flad — who were both honorable-mention all-state selections — are back to lead the way.
Schnarr battled back from an injury her sophomore season and had a nine-hole average of 42.09. Schnarr was named first-team all-Big Eight last season and finished 28th individually at state.
“She competed with toughness and kept things light with her sense of humor,” Halverson said of Schnarr. “She quietly leads through work ethic and resilience.”
Flad had a big sophomore season, averaging 41.88 and also earning first-team all-Big Eight honors. Flad also had a big postseason, finishing third at sectionals and fourth at regionals.
“Stela was one of our most reliable scorers and plenty entertaining — always a one-liner on the course,” Halverson said. “She’s calm, confident, and has a bright future ahead of her.”
Junior McKenna Utter is another promising returnee who has some varsity experience, but she’s currently battling a finger injury that could sideline her a significant amount of time.
If and when Utter returns, Halverson believes she can team with Flad and Schnarr to lead the 2026 Cardinals.
“They have some big shoes to fill with the graduation of Annika, Sydney, and Addie, but I believe they're ready for that challenge,” Halverson said of Flad, Schnarr an Utter. “All three have continued to improve, have valuable varsity experience, and understand what it takes to compete at a high level.”
Middleton’s top JV team was excellent last year, as well, and the trio of Olivia Oblizajek, Nora Kuhl, and Josie Day should all be ready to contribute this fall.
“Those are players we're excited about,” Halverson said of Oblizajek, Kuhl and Day. “They each gained experience last season on JV-A and will have opportunities to contribute. We're looking for them to continue developing and push for varsity spots throughout the year.”
Despite the heavy graduation losses, Middleton expects to be right in the hunt for big things again.
Halverson has built a program that sustains greatness, using many of the lessons she once learned from the legendary Stendahl.
Now, a relatively new batch of golfers gets their chance to shine — and history says they won't miss a beat.
“Our expectations really don't change,” Halverson said. “We know replacing three outstanding seniors won't happen overnight, but we also know we have talented players who are ready to step into bigger roles.
“Our goal is to continue competing at the top of the Big Eight, improve throughout the season, and put ourselves in a position to make another run in the postseason. If this group embraces the challenge and continues to grow, I think they can have a very successful year.”
