It has been a busy week but a fun one for the Middleton girls' softball team, which earned the program's first trip to the WIAA State Tournament in 15 years last Thursday after winning the WIAA Division 1 Tomah Sectional title.

Extra practices, a team dinner and breakfast have helped the Cardinals fill their days during their final week of school. Still on deck are Graduation Day on Sunday for the program's seven seniors, while the rest of their teammates are involved in final exams.

Yet winning a sectional title allowed the Cardinals more than just another week of spending time together and a WIAA Division 1 quarterfinal matchup today against Verona at 1:30 p.m. at Goodman Diamond, weather permitting.

Middleton also got to give something back to the community when it participated in the 11th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure last Saturday at the Alliant Energy Center Willow Island.

What helped make participating in the event special for the Cardinals "“ and got them out of their beds at 6 a.m. on a late spring Saturday morning -- was their link to its honorary co-chairpersons breast cancer survivors DeDe and Kelsey Kessenich.

The mother and older sister, respectively, of Middleton starting right fielder Kate Kessenich, DeDe's niece and Kelsey and Kate's cousin, Cassey Simon, is also the Cardinals' starting shortstop.

Cassey participated in the 5K run, while Kate and teammates Michelle Buechner, Morgan Emden, Meghan Farrell, Melissa Hlavacka, Cheri Pertzborn, Kelli Semrau, Alyssa Trautman, Ashley Wagner and Jen Werner opted to participate in the Co-ed 5K walk.

After an 0-2 start, Middleton has won 17 of its last 21 games to become a winner on the field.

But last Saturday's contribution to the Race for the Cure proved the Cardinals are winners off the field, too.