New Ankeny girls’ basketball coach Nate Tobey won’t have to wait much longer to unveil his squad.
The Hawkettes will open their season on Saturday with a non-conference game at Spencer. Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m.
“The practices are going very well,” said Tobey, who was previously an assistant for the boys’ team. “We had an active offseason, and that has helped us hit the ground running. The girls are heavily motivated, work well together and have been very coachable and adept at learning our new system.”
Ankeny posted a 12-11 record in its final season under former coach Dru McAnelly. The Hawkettes lost in a regional final for the third year in a row.
Three starters are back from that team. They are senior guard Karsen Jacks, junior guard Savannah Gage and sophomore wing Jayla Williams.
“One thing I’ve really enjoyed is we have a group of players that really enjoys learning about the game,” Tobey said. “They are eager to learn everything about our system and ask great questions as well as give valuable feedback. This has enabled us to make a lot of progress in a short amount of time together.”
Gage enjoyed a breakout season as a sophomore, when she averaged 16.6 points per game, made 33 3-point goals and shot 88.8 percent at the free-throw line. She has verbally committed to play for the University of St. Thomas.
Gage was named to the Class 5A all-state first team by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association and was a second-team pick by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association. She was a unanimous pick to the CIML Conference first team and was a repeat selection to the Class 5A West all-district team.
However, Gage is still recovering from a knee injury in the offseason. She tore the ACL in her left knee on April 1 while playing in an AAU game and underwent surgery nine days later.
“Savannah has worked as hard as anyone possibly can to get back on the court with her teammates,” Tobey said. “She is such an impressive individual in so many ways, and I feel very fortunate to get the chance to coach her. We are continuously talking about the right time for her full return to game play. We will work hard to make the right decision for her and the team.”
Until Gage’s return to the lineup, Jacks and Williams will likely take on larger roles for the Hawkettes.
As a freshman, Williams averaged 11.0 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds while leading the squad with 50 steals. She was named to the CIML Conference third team.
Over the summer, Williams received several Division I offers.
“Anyone who has watched Jayla play since last spring knows how much she has improved due to her work ethic and dedication to the game,” Tobey said. “I can’t wait to watch her play and show how well-rounded and exciting she can be as a player. She has also been a tremendous leader and steady presence for us all offseason which is a significant asset to have as just a sophomore.”
Jacks brings a wealth of experience, having started 62 games over the last three seasons. As a junior, she averaged 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds.
Jacks received all-conference honorable mention.
“Karsen has been a tremendous asset to our team and to me as a new coach since coming on,” Tobey said. “She has stepped up in a number of ways over the last several months. On the court, she has so much experience that she is really able to think through the game and get us in great positions to be successful.”
Senior forward Cassie Johnson and sophomore guard Ainsley Kiene are among the team’s other returnees. Kiene played in 16 games a year ago, while Johnson played in 11.
Kiene averaged 1.9 points and made 5-of-12 3-point attempts. She helped Ankeny to a seventh-place finish in the Class 4A state cross country meet last month.
Johnson is a Texas Tech softball recruit.
“We are going to work hard to keep the focus on getting ourselves in the best possible position to be playing our best basketball in the postseason,” Tobey said. “We want to continuously improve throughout the year and learn about our team every chance that we get. I have a strong belief in our girls, and they believe in themselves that we are capable of being a successful team this year.”