• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

  • Home
  • About
    • Support Us
  • News
    • Podcast
  • Hawks
    • Boys’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Tennis
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Baseball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Softball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
  • Jaguars
    • Boys’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Tennis
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Baseball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Softball
      • Roster
      • Schedule

No. 1 for a reason: Ankeny Fanatic’s prediction for the Class 5A title game

July 20, 2023 by Dan Holm

Ankeny Centennial’s Jordyn Kennedy is greeted by her teammates after hitting a home run during the Jaguars’ 11-1 win over Southeast Polk in five innings in a Class 5A semifinal on Wednesday at Harlan Rogers Park in Fort Dodge. Top-ranked Centennial will play No. 6 Pleasant Valley for the state title on Thursday at 5 p.m. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)

While the top half of the bracket in the Class 5A state softball tournament has gone according to form this week, the bottom half has produced some unexpected results. Sixth-ranked Pleasant Valley and No. 7 Muscatine both pulled off upsets in the quarterfinals on Monday, then the Spartans avenged last year’s quarterfinal loss to Muscatine in the semifinals on Wednesday to advance to Thursday’s championship game against No. 1 Ankeny Centennial.

So what will happen later today at Harlan Rogers Park in Fort Dodge? Here is Ankeny Fanatic’s prediction for the title game:

No. 1 Ankeny Centennial (35-5) vs. No. 6 Pleasant Valley (32-9): The Jaguars have been dominant in their first two games at state, routing Bettendorf and Southeast Polk by a combined margin of 18-2. Mady Ott went a combined 3-for-4 in the two wins, scored four runs and drove in four more–highlighted by a three-run homer on Wednesday. Mackenzie James went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in both games, while Addi Starr also has four hits in the tournament. Lauren Gustofson has continued to shine in the pitcher’s circle, allowing just one earned run and racking up 12 strikeouts across 10 innings. Gustofson will face a Pleasant Valley lineup that is led by Iowa State recruit Jessie Clemons. Clemons went 3-for-4 and hit her 13th home run of the season in the Spartans’ 7-1 win over Muscatine. Mary Paige Withers also homered and knocked in four runs. Kaitlyn Merkel and Grace George shared the pitching duties this season for Pleasant Valley, but Merkel has gone the distance in both games at the tournament. She tossed a five-hitter in a 5-4 win over defending champion Waukee Northwest on Monday, then threw a four-hitter against Muscatine. The Spartans are seeking their third title since 2017, while Centennial is looking to capture its first crown after placing third in 2020 and second in 2021. Two years ago, the Jaguars advanced to the championship game before dropping a 2-0 decision to Fort Dodge. Payton Drefke, Gustofson, James, Sydney Morris and Starr were all starters on that team, and they haven’t forgotten the disappointment of falling one win shy of their ultimate goal. I don’t think history will repeat itself. Prediction: Ankeny Centennial 5, Pleasant Valley 2.

Filed Under: Jaguars, Softball Tagged With: Featured

Primary Sidebar

Support Ankeny Fanatic

Recent Posts

  • ‘We’re incredibly proud of her’: Peterson earns 8th-place finish at state tourney
  • Jaguars toss back-to-back no-hitters in doubleheader sweep over Lincoln girls
  • Hawks use pair of 5-run innings to sweep doubleheader against Bondurant-Farrar
  • ONE OF A KIND: Smith becomes city of Ankeny’s first-ever state tennis champion
  • ‘We just can’t take anything for granted’: Jaguars rout Roosevelt, advance to state

Find Us on Facebook

Ankeny Fanatic

Archives

  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017

Categories

  • Hawks
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
        • Roster
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Boys’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Swimming
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Wrestling
  • Jaguars
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Wrestling
  • Top Sports Stories
    • Football
    • Volleyball
  • Baseball
  • Softball

© 2025 Ankeny Fanatic. All rights reserved.