Sports

Brad Crandell always has a question for candidates that interview for jobs at Middleton High School.

Crandell, the Cardinals’ assistant athletic director since 2022, believes that query tells him a lot about a candidate’s personality, as well as their passion for the job.

“One thing I ask is, ‘If you were to get this job, what’s the first thing you would do?’ ” Crandell said. “Will you celebrate? Will you call your wife or husband? Will you do a dance?

“I love it. I truly think it shows someone’s personality, who you are and if you’re truly passionate about it.”

Interestingly, Crandell found himself on the other end of that question last week.

Crandell was informed on May 8 that he was chosen to be Middleton’s new athletic director. And as Crandell walked from principal Peg Shoemaker’s office back to his own after hearing the good news, the irony of the moment wasn’t lost on him.

Bobbie Reinhart knows the task is large.

The decision is sizeable.

But Reinhart — Middleton’s principal-in-waiting — was picked to lead this undertaking for a reason. And the endless possibilities have him extremely excited.

Reinhart is heading the committee that will choose Middleton’s next athletic director. And if things go well in the days ahead, Middleton could have a new A.D. by the middle of the month.

“It’s definitely a big hire and we’re all really excited about it,” said Reinhart, who was named Middleton’s new principal last month. “We all know what athletics mean here at Middleton and I trust my team.”

The A.D. job opened last month when Jamie Sims — Middleton’s A.D. since 2020 — was appointed to Associate Principal. That job had been held by Reinhart, who was selected to replace Peg Shoemaker as Middleton’s next principal.

Joey Passaglia had a magnificent season as the starting quarterback for the Middleton’s football team last fall, earning first-team all-Big Eight Conference honors and throwing 32 touchdown passes.

Passaglia has been awfully good on the baseball diamond as well this spring.

Passaglia tossed six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts to help blank visiting Madison West 7-0 in a Big Eight Conference battle on April 30.

That was just six days after he tossed a three-hit shutout in pitching a complete game 1-0 victory over Big Eight foe Janesville Craig.

“I learned a lot from football with all the pressure I faced, so it’s not as bad this year for baseball,” said Passaglia, a junior right-hander, who threw 93 pitches, including 53 for strikes, against Madison West.

SUN PRAIRIE – Veteran track and field coach Chad Kliefoth knows the one thing you can’t control is the weather.

But he admitted there are times you just know it’s not going to be your day.

“I was having a conversation with an official yesterday at the Frosh/Soph meet, who was there again tonight, and he said ‘Oh, it doesn’t look like it’s going to rain on Friday,” Kliefoth said with a chuckle. “I said, there are only three things that are guaranteed, death, taxes and rain at the Paul Frank (Invite). And here we go.”

Sun Prairie East High School hosted the 10th annual Paul Frank Invite last Friday and to no one’s surprise, it rained like it seemingly has every year the meet has been held.

“We expected it would rain but not pouring that long,” said Middleton distance runner Olivia Chellevold, who won the girls 3,200-meter run in a time of 11 minutes, 32.34 seconds in a steady downpour.

Middleton’s girls soccer team was extremely busy last week.

The Cardinals were also enormously successful.

Middleton played five games in five days, went 3-0-2 and debuted in the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association poll at No. 9.

Perhaps the most important game the Cardinals had was a 2-0 win over then fifth-ranked Verona on May 1 that kept them in the hunt for a Big Eight Conference championship.

“This is a match we have been hyped for,” Middleton coach Mary Duffy said. “Verona has dominated the standings against us all four years of the seniors’ time on varsity.”

Not this time, though.

In fact, no one has come close to dominating the Cardinals this year.

After another impressive week, Middleton is now 5-0-5 overall and 2-0-1 in the conference, just ½-game behind league-leading and seventh-ranked Madison West (3-0, 7-1-1). Those teams meet Thursday at Mansfield Stadium at 7 p.m.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ busy week.

‘The Streak’ has reached 12 games.

And right now, there doesn’t seem much that can slow down Middleton’s girls softball team.

The Cardinals defeated host Watertown, 6-2, on April 28. Middleton then hammered host Madison Memorial, 12-2, on April 29.

Middleton, ranked ninth in the latest Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association, improved to 14-1 overall and 9-0 in the Big Eight Conference. The Cardinals hold a ½-game lead over Sun Prairie East (9-1) in the conference and lead third-place Verona (8-2) by 1 ½ games.

Here’s a recap of Middleton’s week.

• Middleton 6, Watertown 2 — The Goslings (9-4) have been a force in the Badger Conference for years now.

But second baseman Kylie Klock had a huge night at the plate to power the Cardinals past the host Goslings. Klock went 2-for-4 with a double and five RBIs to lead Middleton’s offense.

Center fielder Macey Blazek also went 3-for-4 with two runs scored for MHS.

The WIAA boys state golf tournament — which returns to University Ridge this year — is just one month away.

Middleton hopes to make a splash when state arrives. And if last week was an indicator, that could very well happen for these Cardinals.

Middleton won the 18-team Nevada Bob’s Showcase held at University Ridge on April 29. The Cardinals shot a sensational team score of 300 to easily outdistance runner-up Edgerton (311) and third place DeForest (314).

“Our guys played U-Ridge really well,” said Middleton coach Tom Cabalka, whose team is ranked fourth in the latest Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin poll. “It's nice to play well at the site of the state tournament.

“We had four players in the 70's again. I see loads of confidence in them.”

Junior Reis Von Ruden continued his torrid play, of late, firing a 1-over-par 73 and tying for third place individually. Von Ruden is now a combined 7-over-par in his last five matches.

Middleton’s boys tennis team finished in a tie for third place at the star-studded, Nicolet Sweet 16 Tournament last Friday and Saturday.

No. 1 ranked Brookfield Central won the team title with 95 points, while Brookfield East was second with 86. Middleton and Madison West tied for third with 82 points, while Nicolet was fifth with 78 points.

Here’s how the Cardinals fared at each flight.

SINGLES

No. 1 — Alexander Bo finished third in an elite field.

Bo opened with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Will Nordstrom of Eau Claire Memorial, then defeated Homestead’s Graham Benish, 4-6, 7-5, 10-8. Eventual champion Alex Thomas of Notre Dame defeated Bo in the semifinals 7-6 (4), 6-1.

Bo then won the third place match when Brookfield Central’s Andrey Semin defaulted.

Middleton’s boys lacrosse team split a pair of games last week.

The Cardinals dropped a 15-9 decision to Waunakee last Saturday at the 16-team Badger Spring Invite held in Wisconsin Dells. Middleton rebounded with an 18-6 win over Superior later that same day.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ games.

• Waunakee 15, Middleton 9 — The Cardinals suffered their first loss this season to a team from Wisconsin.

The Warriors jumped to a 12-5 halftime lead, then withstood a second half charge from the Cardinals.

Middleton sophomore goalie Jake Brooks, who entered the game in the second quarter, notched a 57% save rate.

Troy Teff led Middleton with four goals, while Arjay Johnson added three. Patrick Passini, Evan Mazur and Espen Achenbach all had goals, as well.

• Middleton 18, Superior 6 — Eleven different Cardinals scored in a rout of Superior — one of the state’s newer schools to field a lacrosse team.

The 11th annual Cardinals ‘Strike Out Cancer’ baseball game will be played May 15 at Middleton High School's Breitenbach Stadium.

Big Eight Conference rivals Middleton and Sun Prairie dedicate an annual matchup to raising awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research.  

The game was started in 2014 by former Middleton manager Tom Schmitt and Sun Prairie coach Rob Hamilton. The tradition has carried on under current MHS skipper Brent Jorgensen and Sun Prairie East coach Jack Marchese.

Over the past 10 years, these programs have raised more than $213,000 for American Family Children's Hospital Kids Cancer Research.

“Childhood Cancer Research brings out people who really want to make a difference in a child’s life,” UW Health American Family Children’s Hospital Development Outreach Specialist Lori Schultz said. “This event does just that.