Ankeny Fanatic

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Archives for August 2024

Jackson, Jaguars dominate 2nd half, pull away for 31-10 victory over Ankeny

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It was tough for Braeden Jackson to pick out his favorite touchdown run. The Ankeny Centennial senior running back scored three times in the second half and rushed for 236 yards to fuel the third-ranked Jaguars to a 31-10 victory over No. 2 Ankeny in the season opener for both teams on Friday. “It feels great,” said … [Read more...] about Jackson, Jaguars dominate 2nd half, pull away for 31-10 victory over Ankeny

‘We just have to make some adjustments’: Hawks look to bounce back from loss

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Earlier this week, Ankeny Centennial co-head football coach Ryan Pezzetti lauded the experience of his team's offensive line. "We have five or six (players) on the line who have played before and that's huge," Pezzetti said. "That's where the games are won or lost--in the trenches." He turned out to be prophetic. Centennial's Braeden Jackson rushed … [Read more...] about ‘We just have to make some adjustments’: Hawks look to bounce back from loss

Ankeny swimmers face rebuilding year after posting 10th straight top-10 finish

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It won't be easy for the Ankeny girls' swimming team to replace standouts Josie Parton and Anja Peck, who are now competing for Northern Iowa and Iowa State, respectively. The duo led the Hawkettes to a ninth-place finish in last year's state meet, accounting for 64 of the team's 105 points. It was the squad's 10th consecutive top-10 finish and its first … [Read more...] about Ankeny swimmers face rebuilding year after posting 10th straight top-10 finish

‘I knew it was an easy choice’: Ankeny’s Halverson to play baseball at Ellsworth

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It was an easy decision for Ankeny senior Zach Halverson. The righthanded pitcher has committed to play baseball for Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls. He announced his decision via social media on Thursday. "There was a good amount of schools that were in contact with me," said Halverson. "And honestly, it wasn't really that difficult of a … [Read more...] about ‘I knew it was an easy choice’: Ankeny’s Halverson to play baseball at Ellsworth

‘The course was unforgiving’: Hawks place 4th, Jaguars finish 6th at The Legacy

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The Legacy Golf Club in Norwalk proved to be a huge challenge for the 66 golfers competing in the Waukee Northwest Invitational on Thursday. Only one of the 11 teams in the field managed to break 300. Defending Class 4A state champion Valley shot a 294 to capture the team crown, finishing 11 strokes ahead of Waukee. "I think my team said it best today, … [Read more...] about ‘The course was unforgiving’: Hawks place 4th, Jaguars finish 6th at The Legacy

No. 3 Centennial looks to build off last year’s postseason run to UNI-Dome

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The Ankeny Centennial football team got hot at the right time last season, advancing to the Class 5A semifinals as a No. 13 seed. The Jaguars are hoping to reach the UNI-Dome again this year--perhaps as a higher seed. Centennial returns 10 all-district players from a team that finished with a 7-5 record under co-head coaches Jerry and Ryan … [Read more...] about No. 3 Centennial looks to build off last year’s postseason run to UNI-Dome

No. 2 Hawks boast 11 returning all-district players from last year’s 5A runner-up

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A year ago, the Ankeny football team made a surprising postseason run to the UNI-Dome. This year, the Hawks won't be able to sneak up on any of their opponents. Ankeny returns several standouts from a team that posted a 9-4 record and earned a runner-up finish in Class 5A in its first season under coach Jeff Bauer, who was named the Class 5A coach of … [Read more...] about No. 2 Hawks boast 11 returning all-district players from last year’s 5A runner-up

Hawkettes hold off Ankeny Christian Academy to win Ankeny Quadrangular

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Two miles are all that separate Ankeny High School and Ankeny Christian Academy. Despite preseason scrimmages and players joining up together on club teams, the Hawkette and Eagle volleyball teams had never faced each other in a regular season matchup. Well the stars finally aligned as the Hawkettes hosted a … [Read more...] about Hawkettes hold off Ankeny Christian Academy to win Ankeny Quadrangular

Boehlert leads Jaguars to 4th-place finish, Hawks take 7th at Fort Dodge Invite

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The bar has been raised for boys' golf teams in Class 4A. What used to be a winning score against other large-school squads might now only be good enough for a middle-of-the-pack finish in an invitational. "A 290 is now our new 300," said Ankeny Centennial coach Andrew Reedy. "We will have to break 290 in order to win events against other CIML teams … [Read more...] about Boehlert leads Jaguars to 4th-place finish, Hawks take 7th at Fort Dodge Invite

Centennial’s Vandermark signs letter of intent to wrestle at Grand View

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Ankeny Centennial wrestling standout Cody Vandermark is headed to Grand View University. Vandermark won more than 100 matches in his high school career. He was a two-time state qualifier. Vandermark placed fourth at 120 pounds in Class 3A as a senior, finishing with a 35-6 record. He helped the Jaguars to a fourth-place finish that matched the highest … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Vandermark signs letter of intent to wrestle at Grand View

Jaguars, Hawks team up to fight hunger during week of football rivalry game

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Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial will conduct a food drive this week in conjunction with the Jag-Hawk football game on Friday night at Ankeny Stadium. The effort will support the Ankeny Service Center food pantry. Leading up to the game, the two schools will host a food drive competition. The winner will take possession of the JagHawk Trophy. Donations … [Read more...] about Jaguars, Hawks team up to fight hunger during week of football rivalry game

‘We just stepped it up’: Jaguars rally from two-set deficit to stun No. 6 Indianola

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team was on the verge of being swept in its season opener on Monday at Indianola. After taking the first two sets, the sixth-ranked Indians built a 24-22 lead in Set 3 and only needed to win one of the next two points to close out the non-conference match. But No. 3 Centennial refused to quit. The Jaguars scored five … [Read more...] about ‘We just stepped it up’: Jaguars rally from two-set deficit to stun No. 6 Indianola

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: McCoy Miller, Centennial boys’ golf

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Junior McCoy Miller has been the No. 1 player for the Ankeny Centennial boys' golf team this season. He has posted an average of 71.0 strokes through three meets. Miller carded a 69 in a triangular meet at Terrace Hills on Aug. 15. He fired a 70 on Wednesday in another triangular meet at Otter Creek, where he led the Jaguars to a five-stroke win over … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: McCoy Miller, Centennial boys’ golf

‘The seeds have been planted’: Hawkettes seek more growth in Baethke’s 2nd year

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Liz Baethke feels a lot more comfortable now as the head coach of the Ankeny volleyball team. The Hawkettes feel a lot more comfortable with her, too. Baethke took over the program in the summer of 2023 and guided Ankeny to a 24-15 record in her first season. The Hawkettes qualified for the state tournament before falling to Ankeny Centennial in five … [Read more...] about ‘The seeds have been planted’: Hawkettes seek more growth in Baethke’s 2nd year

‘This team has a lot of weapons’: Miller, Pratt to lead the way for No. 3 Jaguars

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After reaching the Class 5A semifinals in each of the previous two seasons, the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team is setting its sights even higher in 2024. But Centennial coach Jessica Rinehart said it's too early to even think about this year's state tournament. "We've broken our season into six different milestones--with a focus for each one," said … [Read more...] about ‘This team has a lot of weapons’: Miller, Pratt to lead the way for No. 3 Jaguars

Schermerhorn departs, but Centennial boys return quartet of varsity regulars

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It won't be easy for the Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team to replace standout runner AJ Schermerhorn. But if the Jaguars want to earn another trip to the Class 4A state meet, they'll have to find a way. Schermerhorn was a three-time state qualifier and a two-time placewinner who helped Centennial to 14th-place finishes in Class 4A in 2021 and … [Read more...] about Schermerhorn departs, but Centennial boys return quartet of varsity regulars

Talented Jaguars return Mohrhauser, 7 other runners with state meet experience

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It's almost a given that the Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team will qualify for this year's Class 4A state meet. In the 11-year history of the program, the Jaguars have qualified for state 10 times. The only year that coach Eric Cogdill's squad failed to make it to Fort Dodge was 2019. The next year, however, Centennial earned a third-place … [Read more...] about Talented Jaguars return Mohrhauser, 7 other runners with state meet experience