Sports

It wasn’t easy.

It rarely is when teams travel to Evansville Golf Club.

In the end, though, Middleton’s girls golf team did what it does virtually every year — they captured a Big Eight Conference title.

Middleton, which trailed Verona by 14 shots at one point, rallied to win the conference championship. The Cardinals shot a 344, while the Wildcats were second with a 356. Janesville Craig (381), Madison West (394) and Janesville Parker (405) rounded out the top five.

“Evansville always presents a challenge,” Middleton coach Becky Halverson said. “But the girls really stepped up when it mattered.”

They sure did.

Middleton shot a 184 on the front nine, while Verona carded a 176 and appeared poised for an enormous upset. But the Cardinals shot a 160 on the back nine — an improvement of 24 shots.

Middleton’s girls swimming team stayed unbeaten in the Big Eight Conference with a 137-27 win over Madison East on Sept. 27.

The Cardinals captured the top three spots in nine of the 11 events.

“Our team had a good meet vs. East,” Middleton coach R.J. Leiferman said. “We had a chance to swim some kids in some off events, and also have some girls who haven't had a chance to race as often this year swim.”

Middleton’s 200-yard relay team of Brynn Sundell, Lydia Keebler, Gianna Gabert and Addie Dorn was first. The foursome of Poppy Sickler, Ellie Wolf, Poppy Wedding and Izzy Ensenberger was second, while the quartet of Tavin Boxwell, Sophia Walker, Lilyana Munguia-Browere and Sabrina Bartlett was third.

Middleton’s girls tennis team won all three of its matches at the Madison West Invite last Friday and Saturday.

The Cardinals edged Madison West, 4-3, and downed Elkhorn, 5-2, last Friday. Middleton then downed Green Bay Notre Dame, 4-3, last Saturday.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ matches:

• Middleton 4, Madison West 3 — The Cardinals won three of four singles matches and downed the host Regents.

Lydia Sabat posted a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles and Sophia Pientka notched a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles. Mira Russo also won at No. 4 singles.

Middleton also picked a win at No. 3 doubles, where Haley Klatt and Sam Pomroy posted a 6-2, 6-2 win.

• Middleton 5, Elkhorn 2 — The Cardinals won all three doubles matches and toppled the Elks last Friday.

Sophie Shi and Sarah Li rolled at No. 1 doubles, while the teams of Hannah Lister/Elina Koenst and Klatt/Pomroy notched wins at No. 2 and 3 doubles.

Middleton standout wide receiver Troy Teff used the word “eager.”

Cardinals star linebacker Tyler Vogt picked the term “intense.”

And MHS co-coach Joe Poehls knows it’s going to be “exciting.”

When Middleton travels to Verona Friday at 7 p.m., it’s safe this matchup of the Big Eight Conference big boys will be all that — and then some.

The Wildcats are 5-0 overall, lead the Big Eight at 3-0 and are ranked No. 3 in the latest Wissports.net poll. Middleton is 3-2, 2-1, and can move into a tie for first place in the league with a win.

Verona has won the last three games in this series, and the Cardinals would love nothing more than to hand the Wildcats their first loss of 2024.

JANESVILLE — Late last Thursday, Janesville Parker’s football team headed to its locker room and the faithful fans at Monterey Stadium gave the host Vikings a standing ovation.

Out on the field, Middleton co-coaches Joe Poehls and Tim Simon were scolding their team about what went wrong.

Anyone who glanced at the scoreboard and saw the 26-14 result would have assumed the Vikings were the victors.

Instead, it was the other way around — which is telling for both teams.

Middleton left Parker with a 12-point win, but was extremely disappointed with how it played. Parker, which is still looking for its first win of the season, took solace in the fact they hung with the heavily-favored Cardinals all night.

So as Middleton headed to its bus, it knew it had to be better — much better — starting this Friday when it travels to No. 3 Verona.

The names and faces change.

The results rarely do.

Middleton’s girls golf team, which lost first-team all-state player Vivian Cressman from last year’s team, hasn’t missed a beat. And the Cardinals locked up their 11th straight Big Eight Conference dual meet title on Sept. 16.

Middleton fired a 323 team score to capture a triangular held at Pleasant View Golf Course. Sun Prairie West was a distant second at 423, while Madison Memorial was third at 459.

Middleton finished the dual meet season 9-0 and has gone 99-0-1 in conference duals since Becky Halverson became the Cardinals’ coach in 2013.

Continued improvement.

That’s the goal Ben White has for Middleton’s girls volleyball team.

Right now, White — the Cardinals’ second-year head coach — has to be extremely pleased with the path his team is on.

Middleton went to the La Crosse Aquinas Invite last Saturday, won all five of its matches and captured the championship.

That marked the second time in three weekends that the Cardinals won a tournament title.

“Continued improvement,” White said. “That's our goal and that is what we are seeing.”

Middleton certainly saw that at Aquinas, where it rolled past four of its five opponents in straight sets and won 10 of 11 sets overall.

Middleton opened pool play with a 25-23, 25-21 win over Chippewa Falls. The Cardinals then downed Fennimore, 25-20, 25-16 and bested Blair-Taylor 25-18, 23-25, 15-7 to finish pool play a perfect 3-0.

Middleton’s girls tennis team rolled to a pair of Big Eight Conference wins last week.

The Cardinals defeated Sun Prairie West, 7-0, on Sept. 17, and downed Janesville Parker, 7-0, on Sept. 19.

Here’s a recap of those matches:

• Middleton 7, Sun Prairie West 0 — Lydia Sabat, Sophia Pientka, Sofia Altuzar and Mira Russo all notched straight set wins in singles play. In doubles action, the teams of Sophie Shi/Sarah Li, Hannah Lister/Elina Koenst and Haley Klatt/Sam Pomroy all rolled to straight set wins.

• Middleton 7, Janesville Parker 0 — Sabat, Pientka and Altuzar all cruised to straight set wins at No 1, 2 and 3 singles. And at No. 4, Avery West prevailed in three sets.

In doubles play, the teams of Shi and Li, Lister and Koenst and Klatt and Pomroy all rolled to straight set wins.

The WIAA Division 1 girls state swimming and diving meet will be held at Waukesha South High School in mid-November.

Last Saturday, Middleton gave a sneak peek what that event could look like.

The Cardinals had what coach R.J. Leiferman called “our best meet of the year” and won the Waukesha South Invite. Middleton — the defending WIAA Division 1 state champs — finished with 392 points, while Verona was second at 324. Muskego (244), Arrowhead (232) and Menomonee Falls (217) rounded out the top five.

“Our entire team performed at a really high level against some of the best swimmers in the state,” Leiferman said.

Middleton’s 200-yard freestyle relay team of Sulia Miller, Audrey Alexander, Abigail Frommelt and Jane Garlock finished first and broke the meet record with a time of 1:37.08.

Middleton‘s boys soccer team won two out of three games last week. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, their loss could eventually cost them a Big Eight Conference championship.

Madison West defeated Middleton, 2–0, in a showdown for supremacy in the Big Eight on Sept. 19. The Cardinals, who are 8-2-0 overall, are 4-1 in the Big Eight and one game behind West.

“We are disappointed in the loss to West as it means we no longer control our destiny for a conference title,” Middleton coach Kevin Pauls said. “We'll need to take care of our own business, but also need some help. It's not unheard of to top the conference with a loss, so we'll see.”

The Cardinals did topple Janesville Craig, 4–0, on September 17. Middleton also defeated Saint Charles North, 2–0, last Saturday.

Here is a recap of the Cardinals week: