• 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
    • Baseball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Softball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
  • Jaguars
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Baseball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Softball
      • Roster
      • Schedule

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Lauren Sandholm, Centennial softball

August 5, 2024 by Dan Holm

Ankeny Centennial’s Lauren Sandholm throws a pitch during a Class 5A regional final against visiting Waukee on July 16. Sandholm has earned all-state honors in each of her first two seasons with the Jaguars. (Photo by Jerrad Downer)

Freshman pitcher Lauren Sandholm helped the Ankeny Centennial softball team to a 29-10 record and a share of the CIML Conference championship.

Sandholm compiled a 14-7 mark with a 1.58 ERA while recording 150 strikeouts and limiting opposing batters to a .204 average. She also batted .302 with one home run, two doubles and six RBIs.

Sandholm was named to the Class 5A all-state first team by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association. She was a repeat pick to both the all-conference first team and the Class 5A West all-district squad.

Here is some inside info on Sandholm:

Congratulations on an outstanding season. I know it didn’t end the way you wanted it to, but are you happy with the way that you performed?

Overall, I felt like I had a successful season. As one of my goals from last year was to improve my strikeout numbers, I was able to break the single-season strikeout record (150) and the career strikeout record (217) in just my second season as a Jaguar. Over the offseason I spent a lot of time working on increasing my velocity and spin rates which I believe contributed to the increase in strikeouts. We took some hard losses this season and looking back I can think of a few things, even specific pitches, that could have gone better to change the outcome of those games.

What was the highlight of your season?

My highlight of the season was the doubleheader against Ankeny (on June 26). The atmosphere of playing at home in front of packed stands was amazing. Even though we split the doubleheader, both of the games were close. I pitched the full seven innings in the first game (and got the win in the Jaguars’ 4-3 victory). I got the opportunity to come in and finish out the second game of the night (and took the loss as Ankeny won, 8-7, in 10 innings). The second game was back and forth, and I love to compete in those high-pressure situations.

You hit your first varsity home run during a win over eventual Class 3A champion Williamsburg at the Fort Dodge Invitational on June 15. Did you know when you hit the ball that it was out of the park?

No, I did not think the ball was going out. I actually almost tripped rounding first base after looking up and realizing it was over.

Ankeny Centennial’s Lauren Sandholm scores a run during a game against visiting Waukee on June 12. (Photo by Jerrad Downer)

You had 53 at-bats this season after having just five as an eighth grader, when you focused primarily on your pitching. Do you feel like you’ve made a lot of progress as a hitter?

I worked a lot over the offseason to improve my hitting mechanics and strength in order to add another aspect to my game alongside pitching. As a hitter in the lineup this year, I had more of a base hit mentality and I felt like I was able to embrace that role and execute in different situations.

I know from your highlights on Twitter that you throw a rise ball, a fastball and a drop ball. Do you throw any other pitches, or would you like to add some in the future?

Along with the fastball, drop ball and rise ball, I also throw a changeup. I didn’t get the opportunity to throw the changeup much this year, but it is definitely a pitch I hope to incorporate more into my game. My pitching coach really focuses on mastering a pitch before moving on to learning new pitches. I plan on continuing to work on commanding my current pitches, including throwing my rise and drop at different levels.

After winning the Class 5A state title a year ago, your team obviously had a target on its back this season. Do you think there will be less pressure on the team next year?

There was definitely a bit of pressure that we felt this season in our attempt to be back-to-back state champions. I’m hoping next season there is a little less pressure from not being the defending state champion, which will allow the team to play more relaxed overall.

Did you watch any of the games at the state tournament, and were you surprised that Pleasant Valley won the Class 5A crown?

I was busy playing softball in California during the week of the state tournament, but I was still able to catch parts of the 5A championship game online. Pleasant Valley was seeded No. 2 in the tournament so I expected them to go pretty far, even though we didn’t get the chance to play them in the regular season. When we played Valley earlier in the season they hit the ball really well, so I knew those two teams could put up a lot of runs in the championship game. (The Spartans won, 14-11).

Had fun playing at PGF Nationals in Huntington Beach last week. It was a great experience playing in the 16U Premier division against some of the top programs and players in the nation! @selectFP08 @ejonesrockchalk @SFP18UA pic.twitter.com/mBoieajZzl

— Lauren Sandholm (@lauren_sandholm) July 30, 2024

I know you’ve been busy the last couple of weeks. You mentioned that you competed in the 16U Premier Division of the PGF Nationals in Huntington Beach. How did your team do?

My Select Fastpitch club team played in the highest 16U division at PGF Nationals. All the organizations and teams in our division were top notch. We competed really well, but just didn’t put everything together to pull out wins in bracket play. We exited earlier than we expected with a 4-3 loss to a Finesse team from Michigan and a 2-0 loss to an Arizona Storm team.

You then spent a week with your family in Naples, Fla., before flying to Kansas City this weekend for the Monica Abbott Speed Retreat, a premier event for pitchers in the 2025-28 classes. Did you learn a lot about some different pitching techniques?

Monica is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game. It’s always an amazing opportunity to work with her. She also brought in Karlyn Pickens, junior pitcher at the University of Tennessee, and Alana Vawter, another pitcher who played four years at Stanford and a fifth year at the University of South Carolina. It was great to get to ask them questions and get advice on playing softball at the highest level. Some of the key takeaways I learned from hearing Monica talk was to accept challenges by not being afraid to make changes while still finding ways to love the game, as well as attacking every opportunity and not backing down. I got some new drills that work on explosiveness and increasing velocity. I also got more specific drills that focus on different spin pitches.

My family had an amazing week on vacation in Naples, FL! Spent lots of time at the beach.  But, my sister and I also got some work in before I fly to Kansas City tomorrow for the Monica Abbott Speed Retreat. Can't wait!!@ejonesrockchalk @monicaabbott @selectFP08 @SFP18UA pic.twitter.com/Aulp73awIj

— Lauren Sandholm (@lauren_sandholm) July 31, 2024

With Cora Boyle having graduated, do you feel like you’re ready to shoulder a heavier pitching load next season? Would you like to throw more innings?

The teams in the CIML are always tough, and we also play a hard non-conference schedule. I think you need at least two pitchers in order for a team to be successful in the CIML. I threw 42 more innings this year as a freshman than I did as an eighth grader. This season, I came into multiple games in the relief position, even after throwing a full seven innings in the first game of a doubleheader. So I know I am capable of throwing more innings.

I know it’s probably fairly early in the recruiting process for you, but have you started to look at any potential schools yet?

My Select Fastpitch club director and coach had me make a list of my dream schools last winter. They also suggested other schools that they thought would be a good fit for me. Over the last year, I have attended elite prospect camps at LSU, Missouri and Iowa State. I am going to the Kansas and Arkansas camps in August, and I plan on attending camps at Arizona State, Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee and Minnesota in the near future. These camps allow me to get a feel for each of the programs (facilities, campus, culture) and their coaching staff. And it allows the coaches to get to know me and evaluate my skills. My club coaches and (Centennial) coach (Brett) Delaney have been helpful in getting feedback from the college coaches after the camps, as well as after seeing me play in games. I can’t have any recruiting conversations with Division I coaches until Sept. 1, 2025. So, this input is great for my development and my recruiting journey.

Filed Under: Jaguars, Softball Tagged With: Featured, Lauren Sandholm

Primary Sidebar

Support Ankeny Fanatic

Recent Posts

  • Becker scores tying goal, then makes huge save as Jaguars top Johnston in PKs
  • ‘I feel so bad for the girls’: Hawkettes fall to Waukee in PKs in Brown’s final game
  • ‘They deserved it’: Hawks oust Roosevelt, will play No. 1 Valley in Class 4A semifinals
  • ‘That’s what you live for’: Vos’ walk-off hit gives Ankeny boys 2-1 win over Jaguars
  • Centennial girls pound 5 home runs, romp to 12-0 rivalry victory over Hawkettes

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.