The goals for the Ankeny girls’ cross country team haven’t changed this season, even with the addition of a new head coach.
Quinn Groff has taken over the program after Eric Klingensmith resigned from the position last fall. Groff was the boys’ eighth grade cross country coach at Southview for two years before joining the Hawkettes as an assistant under Klingensmith last year.
“Obviously, we want to make it to state and see what we can do starting week one,” said Groff. “We have a talented and hard-working bunch. I’m excited for the girls to make some noise on the course and see where the season takes us.”
There are 35 girls on the roster, including several returning varsity regulars. Senior Gwen Briggs is back along with juniors Drew Beason, Sophia Graber and Lauren Jackson and sophomore Reagan Prendergast.
Ankeny placed third or higher at four different meets last year. The Hawkettes finished second among 32 teams in the Crimson Division at the Rim Rock Classic in Kansas, then later placed seventh in the Class 4A state meet at Fort Dodge with 200 points.
“The girls are working hard and pushing each other,” Groff said. “They are a tight-knit group so it makes it easy to develop the culture we want to see.”
Beason is the team’s top returning runner. She had six top-10 finishes as a sophomore, including a runner-up finish at the Rim Rock Classic.
After placing seventh in the CIML Conference meet at Johnston, Beason placed fifth in a regional meet at Marshalltown. She then earned a spot on the awards podium for the second straight year at the state meet, where she took 15th in the 5k race with a time of 18 minutes 49 seconds.
As a freshman in 2021, Beason placed 11th in 19:00.
“Drew is a natural, and she works her tail off no doubt,” Groff said. “Her leadership is shining already, and it’s allowing other girls to follow suit.”
Prendergast came on strong at the end of her freshman season. She placed 12th at the regional meet, then took 45th at state in 19:59.
Graber placed 89th in Class 4A in 20:51. Briggs finished 91st in 20:53.
Jackson competed in six varsity meets last year. She will try to regain the form that she had as a freshman, when she placed 43rd at the state meet in 19:57.
Sophomore Makenna Madetzke is also back. She placed 42nd at the conference meet in 20:37, helping Ankeny to a fifth-place finish.
“I am expecting a lot out of our whole team, top to bottom,” Groff said. “We have a great group of senior leaders and a solid freshmen class. Everyone in between is tough, so each practice is exciting to watch. The girls battle and pull each other through.”
Ankeny will open the season on Tuesday by competing in the Jaguar Invitational at DMACC. The Hawkettes placed third at last year’s meet.
Groff said he wants his runners to enjoy the campaign.
“The biggest thing is continuing to see the girls grow, the bonds they are creating with each other, and watching them enjoy the sport of running,” he said. “That is what they will remember down the road!”