Sports

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.

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.