Sports

Ben Luskin plopped on a chair in the lower level of Nielsen Tennis Stadium last Thursday afternoon.

Middleton’s junior standout grabbed a bag of ice, applied it to his painful right elbow, and took a moment to enjoy the temporary relief.

“The icing numbs it,” Luskin said. “It really helps.”

Luskin needed every last cube on an afternoon where his mental toughness and perseverance were impressive.

Despite painful tendinitis in his elbow, Luskin rallied and reached the finals of the Big Eight Conference tournament at No. 1 singles. And while Luskin lost in the title match to Verona’s Andrew Argall, his path there was inspirational.

Luskin’s performance — and a solid showing from the rest of the Cardinals — helped Middleton win the league title for the fourth time in five years. Middleton finished with 46 points, while Madison West (41) and Verona (36) were second and third, respectively.

It’s been a year filled with turbulence for Middleton’s boys golf team.

But as the Cardinals’ plane nears its touchdown, perhaps they’ve found a level of serenity.

The Cardinals finished third at the Middleton Regional Tuesday held at Pleasant View. Middleton advanced to the Sparta Sectional, which will be held Tuesday at River Run Golf Course beginning at 9 a.m.

Madison Memorial won the regional with a 312 team score, while Verona (319), Middleton (320) and Stoughton (325) also advanced to sectionals.

The top two teams at the eight-team Sparta Sectional will advance to the state tournament June 3-4.

“Anything can happen in one 18-hole tournament,” Middleton coach Tom Cabalka said. “Our goal was to get to the Sparta sectional and play well.

“We know the course and played well at the Sparta Invite earlier this spring. We don't have to win it. We have to be better than six other teams.”

Middleton manager Tom Schmitt has had a stable of pitching arms to choose from this spring.

But settling on a second starter to pair with Brian Lochner hasn’t been easy.

Last Thursday, that search came to a close.

Middleton senior Reese Felton had his second straight sensational performance and led the Cardinals to a 4-1 win over Janesville Craig.

Felton threw a complete game, three-hitter, struck out seven and walked five. In Felton’s previous outing, he threw a no-hitter against Verona in which he struck out nine and walked nine.

So in Felton’s last two stints, he’s worked 14 innings, allowed one earned run and has an 0.50 earned run average. Felton has also given up just three hits and struck out 16 in that time.

“Yep, I think he’s the guy,” Schmitt said of Felton. “We always knew he was capable, but the issue was consistency. But right now he’s really got it going.”

It wasn’t the final result that Middleton’s boys golf team wanted.

But there were signs of progress and traces of hope.

And that certainly bodes well for what lies ahead.

The Cardinals finished third at the Big Eight Conference meet Thursday at Evansville Golf Course. Verona won the meet at 308, while Madison Memorial was second at 310 and Middleton was third at 314.

“I was very pleased with a 314,” Middleton coach Tom Cabalka said. “That is a good team score on that golf course. Evansville makes players think and use all your clubs in the bag.”

Middleton junior Josh Haunty and freshman Emmet Herb both had outstanding days, carding 76s and tying for fourth overall. Verona’s Caleb Baltes won medalist honors with a 72.

Haunty recently moved to No. 1 in Middleton’s lineup and showed why.

“I have played him as our No. 1 the last couple matches and he has responded well in that position,” Cabalka said.

Reese Felton has spent the last several seasons as a closer.

That’s what happens when you can throw a baseball 85 miles per hour.

Last Friday, though, Felton started, finished, and dominated in between against Verona.

And when Felton’s 136-pitch night had ended, Middleton’s senior right hander had accomplished something most pitchers can only dream of.

Felton threw the first no-hitter of his life and powered the Cardinals to an 8-1 win over the Wildcats at Middleton High School.

Felton’s big night came on the eve of his 18^th birthday.

“A teammate of mine mentioned it in the second inning, which we all know we’re not supposed to do,” Felton said of the no-hitter. “But I didn't really take him or the possibility of the no hitter seriously until the sixth inning.

“It only became hard to stay focused at the end of the seventh inning when we had two outs. I just wanted to get the last one.”

The postseason is looming.

It’s the time where months of hard work are put to the ultimate test.

And it certainly appears Middleton’s boys track and field team is ready for its final exam.

The Cardinals won the “Wild Card" Invitational against Verona and Sun Prairie last Tuesday. Middleton then finished in third place among 19 teams at last Friday’s Monona Grove Invite.

“Hopefully that gives us confidence going into conference,” Middleton coach Isaac Mezera said.

It certainly should.

Middleton finished with 90 points at the “Wild Card” Invite to outdistance both Verona (60.5) and Sun Prairie.

“It is our last meet where the entire team gets to participate together,” Mezera said. “So it was fun to have such a great showing.”

Middleton had a number of first-rate performances.

Saturday morning didn’t provide an ideal start for Middleton’s girls track and field team.

The Cardinals were at the Monona Grove Invite, and as winds gusted up to 25 miles per hour, Middleton couldn’t get its tent set up.

“We had to abandon the idea and take shelter behind the bleachers,” Middleton coach Tara Franklin said.

That was about the only thing that went wrong for the Cardinals.

Middleton posted 154.50 points and ran away with the team title at the eight-team invite. Verona was second with 109.50, while Madison Edgewood (98.50), Monona Grove (94) and Madison La Follette (74.50) rounded out the top five.

“It’s definitely one of the highlights of the season for the girls,” Franklin said of winning the title. “It is always fun to do well at this point in the season.”

The Cardinals certainly did that.

Middleton’s girls soccer team has won three straight games.

And with the postseason just two weeks away, perhaps the Cardinals are finding themselves at the perfect time.

Middleton’s winning streak helped push its record to 9-4-2. The Cardinals are also in third place in the Big Eight Conference at 5-1-1.

Here’s a recap of Middleton’s past week.

• Middleton 4, Madison East 0 — The Cardinals got goals from four different players and rolled past the Purgolders Monday night.

Bridget Arnold, Grace Douglas, Ryleigh Wolff and Brenna Shea all scored for Middleton.

East had just five shots on goal, and Meghan Ledin and Liz McMahon combined for the shutout.

• Middleton 2, Muskego 0 — The Cardinals toppled the Warriors at the Brookfield East Invitational last Saturday.

The Big Eight Conference baseball race remains wide open.

But Middleton was dangerously close to falling by the wayside.

The Cardinals avoided that fate on Monday, though, with a gigantic 4-1 win at Janesville Craig.

Sun Prairie remains at the top of the league with a 9-2 conference mark. But Madison West (7-2), Janesville Craig (5-3) and Middleton (4-3) all remain within shouting distance.

“I still think it’s anybody’s game,” Middleton manager Tom Schmitt said of the Big Eight race. “There’s a lot of teams still in it.”

Middleton wouldn't have been one of those teams with a loss at Craig. But the Cardinals got a sensational pitching effort from senior Brian Lochner and some clutch hitting to knock off the Cougars.

Middleton had lost both of its games to Craig a year ago, which made Monday’s win even more important.

“It was a big win,” Schmitt said. “We really needed it.”

Lochner was a big reason the Cardinals prevailed.

You can say this about Middleton’s boys track and field program.

The Cardinals don’t shy away from anybody. They can also compete with just about anyone.

Middleton proved that last Friday.

The Cardinals went to the star-studded Hartland Arrowhead Invite and finished fourth out of 18 teams.

Green Bay Preble won the meet with 118 points, while Arrowhead (73), Mukwonago (67), Middleton (61.5) and Shorewood (48) rounded out the top five.

That marked the second straight year Middleton finished fourth at this powerhouse event.

“We had a great day at Arrowhead,” Cardinals coach Isaac Mezera said. “I think it's a nice statement about the program that with two events left, we were within striking distance of second place.”