Despite losing some key pieces from last year’s team, the Ankeny girls’ track squad still boasts plenty of talent.
The Hawkettes return 12 state qualifiers from a team that placed eighth in Class 4A a year ago with 34 points.
“We have nine athletes who competed at state who either graduated or decided not to come out,” said Ankeny coach TJ Jumper. “But we are super excited with the large group of state meet returners that we do have.”
Seniors Drew Beason, Maya Durbin-Wilson, Sophia Graber, Reagan Hanfelt, Lauren Jackson, Ava Leinen, Gracie Lindaman and Sam Poock are among the returnees. Juniors Charlee Cibula and Makenna Madetzke are also back along with sophomores Mila Badillo and Lilly Buckley.
Those dozen athletes will try to lead Ankeny to a fifth consecutive top-10 finish at the state meet.
“Our program is about development and improvement, so we have athletes who plan to reload in many of the areas,” Jumper said.
Beason, a South Dakota recruit, is the leader of a talented distance group. She is an eight-time state qualifier and a five-time placewinner.
As a junior, Beason placed sixth in the 3,000 in 10:13.73 and fifth in the 1,500 in 4:39.60, which set a school record. She placed sixth and eighth in those events, respectively, in 2023.
“Drew has put in work this winter and is looking really strong,” Jumper said. “She has set some goal times for her individual events. Those times will likely place her high at the state meet.”
Graber, Jackson and Madetzke all ran on the third-place 4×800 relay that set a school record of 9:16.24, which was No. 20 all-time in Iowa. Graber is headed to Colorado Christian, an NCAA Division II school, while Jackson will compete at Central College.
“Sophia is in great shape and on pace to set big PR improvements. We are excited with where she is right now,” Jumper said. “Lauren is coming off an injury so we plan to help her build up and be in great shape by the championship part of our season. She is excited to get back and is very focused on putting in the work to have a positive impact on our team.”
Madetzke also placed sixth in the 800. She posted a time of 2:16.65.
“Makenna has made major strides with her work this winter,” Jumper said. “Her training times will likely put her into the discussion with the other elite distance runners in the state. She is on a different higher level right now.”
Cibula placed 18th in the 400 in 1:01.84. Lindaman–a Kansas rowing recruit–is a two-time qualifier in the 400 hurdles, placing 23rd in that event as a junior in 1:09.11.
Buckley will again be a valuable member of various relays. As a freshman, she ran on the fifth-place distance medley and sixth-place 4×400 relays while also joining Leinen on the 12th-place 4×100 and sprint medley relays.
“Lilly and Morgan Fisher, a freshman, are looking to have a big impact as underclassmen,” Jumper said.
Leinen is a two-time state qualifier in the long jump. She placed eighth in that event a year ago with a jump of 17 feet 1/4 inch, while Durbin-Wilson finished ninth with a leap of 16-11.
Hanfelt, meanwhile, is a three-time placewinner in the high jump. The Iowa State volleyball recruit tied for third as a freshman and junior and was the runner-up in 2023.
Hanfelt, who also ran on the eighth-place shuttle hurdle relay at last year’s meet, jumped 5-4 for the Hawkettes. She was joined in that event by Badillo, who tied for 19th at 4-10.
Poock placed 11th in the discus event. She recorded a toss of 114-10.
“The practices are going great,” Jumper said. “We have had three amazing weeks of practice. The team is very dialed in and focused right now. We are excited to get to competitions.”
Jumper said junior Reagan Prendergast could also make a big impact this spring. She ran on the winning 4×800 relay with Beason as a freshman in 2023, when she also placed 15th in the 800.
“We are excited to have Reagan back as she missed last year with an injury,” Jumper said. “She is determined to have a great year and leave her mark on this year’s team.”
Ankeny opened its season on Friday by placing fourth in the IATC Indoor Championships at Ames. After two other indoor meets, Jumper’s team will move outdoors on April 3, when it hosts the Hawkette Invitational.
“We believe in developing all areas of our team,” Jumper said. “The coaches have worked hard to make sure that each event area groups are getting expert coaching. Our team focus is on improvement and having a growth mindset. We will be really strong in the the field events, distance, long sprints and relays. We hope to develop more depth in the short sprints and hurdles. As athletes and coaches, we are committed to having a balanced team.”
A balanced lineup could result in another exciting month of May for the Hawkettes, who tied for fourth in Class 4A in 2021–their highest finish since 1997–before placing seventh, fifth and then eighth in the next three seasons.
“This team can definitely be another top-10 team,” Jumper said. “Our state qualifiers from last year have worked really hard and have all improved. We believe a number of them can place high in their events. We also have some underclassmen that have been working hard and plan to keep our tradition of being one of the top programs in the state.”