Sports

STEVENS POINT — Wisconsin’s high school athletes will now be allowed to profit off their name, image and likeness by entering into advertising and brand deals, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association decided on Friday.

In a 293-108 vote, members of WIAA member schools approved an NIL provision at the organization’s annual meeting in Stevens Point. The provision allows high school athletes to enter into NIL deals, so long as they don’t wear their team uniform or use school or WIAA logos in an advertisement.

WIAA athletes will also not be allowed to enter into NIL deals promoting alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or weapons. The NIL changes are expected to take effect in May.

It’s not every day Middleton’s girls softball team shows up in the state rankings.

The Cardinals spent a few weeks there in 2021. Prior to that, though, it was more than a decade since Middleton had been ranked.

Don’t look now, but the red-hot Cardinals are back in the polls.

The latest Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association poll was released Tuesday and Middleton was ranked ninth in Division 1.

It’s easy to see why, too, after the Cardinals went 4-0 last week and pushed their winning streak to 10 games.

Middleton is now 12-1 overall and leads the Big Eight Conference with an 8-0 mark.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week.

• Middleton 14, Sun Prairie West 1 (5) — Megan Button had a day for the ages.

Button threw a one-hitter and earned the win. She also belted two home runs, went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and scored a pair of runs as the Cardinals routed the host Wolves on April 22.

Middleton’s baseball team had another tough week, dropping two of three games.

But the Cardinals exited in style, with a 1-0 win over Janesville Craig on April 24.

Middleton is now 6-6 overall and 5-3 in the Big Eight Conference.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week.

• Watertown 9, Middleton 1 — The host Goslings used a three-run third and a five-run fifth to pull away from the Cardinals on April 21.

Junior Blake Flynn took the loss after allowing seven runs (five earned) in 4 1/3 innings.

Middleton managed just six hits, including two from second baseman Will Gilliland.

As Mary Duffy watched Evanston’s girls soccer team warm up last Friday night, Middleton’s coach had one overriding though.

“Watching their warm ups, we knew they were well disciplined, skilled, and a cohesive opponent,” Duffy said. “This was one of the best teams we have seen this year.”

The same can be said for Middleton, though. And the Cardinals proved exactly that over the next two hours.

Middleton played arguably its finest game of the season and defeated the visiting Wildkits, 3-1. Evanston, a school of nearly 3,600 students in a Northern Chicago suburb, had defeated the Cardinals, 2-0, last year.

Middleton, which also tied Madison Memorial, 0-0, on April 23, improved to 2-0-3 overall and is 0-0-1 in the Big Eight Conference.

“The whole team was fired up to play,” Duffy said of facing the Wildkits. “I will say that most of us, if not all, were disappointed by the tie with Memorial. We dominated the play for the vast majority of the game.

Middleton’s boys golf team continues to face many of the top programs in the state. And the Cardinals continue to show they can compete with anyone.

Middleton had another busy week, playing in three events. Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week.

MADISON EDGEWOOD INVITE

The Cardinals finished in second place at the 21-team invite held at Blackhawk Country Club on April 21.

DeForest won the team title with a 295, while Middleton fired a 302. Edgewood (312), Fort Atkinson (317) and Waunakee (320) rounded out the top five.

Reis von Ruden led Middleton with a 1-over-par, 73, and finished fourth individually. Von Ruden had five birdies in his round, including three on the front nine.

Sammy Forslund shot a 74 and finished sixth individually. Forslund also made three birdies on the front nine.

Luke Weiss finished ninth with a 76 and Berrin Reiter added a 79.

Middleton’s track and field teams shined at the Watertown Invite last Friday.

Middleton’s boys finished first at the none-team event with 126.50 points, while Janesville Craig (125) and Neenah (94) were second and third.

Middleton’s girls were second with 119 points, behind only champion Neenah (184).

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals that had top-five finishes.

BOYS

• Tyler Montag won the 400-meter dash (55.05) and Alex Sonetti was fourth (55.72).

• Samuel Bauch won the 110-meter hurdles (15.36) and River Moll was fourth (16.06).

• Matthew Arnold won the 300-meter hurdles (40.74) and Maxwell Hunter was third (42.24).

• Middleton’s 3,200-meter relay team was first.

• Middleton’s 1,600-meter relay team was second.

• Nathan Kaluarachchi was second in the 3,200-meter run (10:24.14).

• Zachary Tang was second in the 800-meter run (2:05.03) and Owen Winkelmann was third (2:05.36).

Middleton’s boys lacrosse team keeps on rolling.

The defending state champion Cardinals won all three of their games last week and improved to 7-1 on the season.

Here’s a recap of Middleton’s week.

• Middleton 11, Appleton 4 — Troy Teff scored five goals and Roan Johnson added four as the host Cardinals rolled to a win on April 21.

Patrick Passini added two goals, while freshman Evan Mazur had four assists and freshman Aksel Chelesvig won nine of 14 faceoffs.

Goalie Kyle Ballweg and the Cardinals’ defense were terrific, holding Appleton scoreless in the third quarter and successfully clearing the ball to the Cardinal offense on 12 of 14 second-half plays.

• Middleton 13, Verona 6 — Three Cardinals scored three goals each as Middleton cruised past the visiting Wildcats on April  23.

Megan Button knows better than anyone what a menace Sun Prairie East has been to Middleton’s girls softball program in recent years.

Macey Blazek is just learning what a thorn East has been in Middleton’s side.

But as the two MHS standouts stood outside their dugout at Firefighter’s Park on April 17, they both knew this much — perhaps the worm has turned.

Button threw a four-hit gem, while Blazek had two RBIs and made a spectacular diving catch in center field to power Middleton past East, 3-1, in a critical Big Eight Conference game.

Middleton, which has won six straight games, is now 6-0 in the conference and 8-1 overall. MHS, which is gunning for its first conference title since 2015, holds a one-game lead in the loss column over both Verona (5-1, 8-1) and Sun Prairie East (4-1, 4-4).

It wasn’t the week they hoped for.

The good news is Middleton’s baseball team has a lot of season left to recover.

The Cardinals dropped three of four games last week and are now 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the Big Eight Conference.

Madison Memorial, Sun Prairie East and Verona are all 5-0 in the Big Eight and tied for the conference lead. Middleton is in fourth place in the league.

The Cardinals opened the week with a pair of home losses — first a 7-2 setback to Monona Grove on April 14, then a 6-5 decision to Verona on April 15. Middleton rebounded with a 14-0 rout of host Janesville Parker on April 16, but lost at Verona, 3-2, on April 17.

Middleton’s track and field teams competed at the Madison West Triangular on April 15.

Team results were not available.

Here are the Cardinals that posted top-three individual finishes.

GIRLS

• Sofiia Dergacheva won the high jump (5-0) and Noel Neuser was third (4-10).

• Andrea Wipperfurth won the triple jump (32-2) and Sophia Hein was second (31-8).

• Middleton’s quartet of Nora Pitt, Eire Riley, Alaina Kliefoth and Abby Arnold won the 400-meter relay (53.38).

• Sofiia Dergacheva was second in the 100-meter hurdles (16:47) and third in the 300-meter hurdles (52.53).

• Andrea Wipperfurth was second in the 400-meter dash (1:06.22) and Avery Tiller was third (1:09.01).

• Haley Jadlowski was second in the long jump (15-1) and Sophia Hein was third (15-0).

• Abby Arnold was third in the 200-meter dash (27.74).

• Sarah Blust was third in the 1,600-meter run (5:43.59).