Ankeny Fanatic

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Archives for April 2025

‘What a crazy day’: Jaguars place 6th, Hawkettes finish 8th at Centennial Invite

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Monday's windy conditions created some havoc for the 72 girls who competed in the Ankeny Centennial Invitational at Briarwood Golf Club. "What a crazy day to have your first meet," said Centennial coach John Petersen. "The wind was very difficult to handle. It was even hard to putt." Centennial opened its season by placing sixth in the 12-team field. … [Read more...] about ‘What a crazy day’: Jaguars place 6th, Hawkettes finish 8th at Centennial Invite

Ankeny’s Weichers wins No. 2 singles flight at Johnston Invitational

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The Ankeny boys' tennis team competed against three other squads at the Johnston Invitational on Saturday. Norwalk and Waukee also participated along with the host Dragons. Ankeny's Garrett Weichers won all three of his matches to win the No. 2 singles flight. That was the highlight of the day for the Hawks. Weichers posted a 10-1 win over Waukee's … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Weichers wins No. 2 singles flight at Johnston Invitational

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kira Smith, Ankeny girls’ tennis

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Senior Kira Smith is a two-time state qualifier for the Ankeny girls' tennis team. She has rejoined the program after spending the last 1 1/2 years at the Gomez Tennis Academy in Naples, Fla. Smith placed fourth in singles in Class 2A as a freshman in 2022, equaling the highest finish ever by an Ankeny player. She posted a 20-3 record, then went 12-6 as a … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kira Smith, Ankeny girls’ tennis

Hawkettes, Jaguars earn several top-8 finishes in tuneup for Drake Relays

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Saturday's Jim Duncan Invitational proved to be a good tuneup for the Drake Relays for both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls' track teams. Competing on the same blue oval that will host America's Athletic Classic in two weeks, the Hawkettes and Jaguars both earned several top-eight finishes while facing some of the state's top athletes. "I'm very … [Read more...] about Hawkettes, Jaguars earn several top-8 finishes in tuneup for Drake Relays

Hawks romp past Indianola, then top Davenport North on Loder’s late heroics

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The Ankeny boys' soccer team evened its overall record at 2-2 by recording a pair of non-conference victories in a span of 24 hours. The Hawks got a late goal from Andrew Loder to beat visiting Davenport North, 2-1, on Friday. Loder scored off a pass from Landon Benge with less than 2 minutes left. The win followed Ankeny's 4-1 triumph at Indianola on … [Read more...] about Hawks romp past Indianola, then top Davenport North on Loder’s late heroics

Jaguars close out Duncan Invitational by edging Ankeny boys to win 4×400 relay

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The final race in the Jim Duncan Invitational on Saturday turned into a battle between the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' track teams at Drake Stadium. The Jaguars got a strong anchor leg from Cael Woods to win the 4x400 relay in a time of 3:25.89. Jackson Reed, Caleb Reed and Braeden Jackson ran the first three legs for Centennial. The Ankeny … [Read more...] about Jaguars close out Duncan Invitational by edging Ankeny boys to win 4×400 relay

‘We showed what can make us special’: Jaguars earn pair of wins at Council Bluffs

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This weekend may have been a turning point for the Ankeny Centennial boys' soccer team. The Jaguars improved their overall record to 3-2 with a pair of victories at the Council Bluffs Lewis Central Invitational. After posting a 2-1 win over the host Titans on Friday night, they returned to the pitch on Saturday morning and defeated Omaha (Neb.) Skutt … [Read more...] about ‘We showed what can make us special’: Jaguars earn pair of wins at Council Bluffs

Depleted Ankeny girls’ team edges Ottumwa for its first victory of season

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Even without its top player, the Ankeny girls' tennis team split a pair of non-conference meets on Thursday and Friday. The Hawkettes dropped a 7-2 decision at Waterloo Columbus on Thursday before rebounding with a 6-5 victory over visiting Ottumwa on Friday. They are now 1-2 on the season. Ankeny played without senior Kira Smith, who suffered an … [Read more...] about Depleted Ankeny girls’ team edges Ottumwa for its first victory of season

Iowa Central all-American Palmer commits to play softball at St. Cloud State

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Former Ankeny softball standout Kennedy Palmer has committed to play for St. Cloud State. Palmer, a sophomore infielder at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, has helped the Tritons to a 30-5 record in 2024-25. She is currently batting .378 with one triple, six doubles and 16 RBIs in 30 games played. "I had a few schools that were high up on … [Read more...] about Iowa Central all-American Palmer commits to play softball at St. Cloud State

DOWN TO THE WIRE: Ankeny boys drop 5-4 decision to Cedar Rapids Jefferson

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For the second time in four days, the doubles matches proved to be the difference in a narrow loss for the Ankeny boys' tennis team. The Hawks dropped to 0-2 on the season with a 5-4 loss to visiting Cedar Rapids Jefferson in a non-conference meet on Friday. The J-Hawks won two of the three doubles matches after the two teams split the six singles … [Read more...] about DOWN TO THE WIRE: Ankeny boys drop 5-4 decision to Cedar Rapids Jefferson

Jags win 10 events, rack up 411.5 points to claim team crown at Kenny Dean Relays

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Thursday's performance by the Ankeny Centennial boys' track team may have been one of the most dominant in the history of the Jaguars' program. Centennial won 10 events, including five relays, and easily captured the team title in the Kenny Dean Relays at Marshalltown. The Jaguars racked up 411.5 points, more than twice as many as runner-up Southeast … [Read more...] about Jags win 10 events, rack up 411.5 points to claim team crown at Kenny Dean Relays

Centennial’s Woods qualifies for Drake in 100 hurdles; 4×400 relay also qualifies

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' track team met the Blue Oval standard in two events while tying for eighth place overall among 15 squads at the Waukee Northwest Relays on Thursday. "It was an awesome night for our team!" said Centennial coach Tyler Asbe. "The energy and effort displayed by the girls was fantastic, and we came away with many strong … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Woods qualifies for Drake in 100 hurdles; 4×400 relay also qualifies

Ankeny girls’ soccer coach Brown named assistant for Wisconsin men’s program

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Ankeny girls' soccer coach Simon Brown has been named an assistant coach for the Wisconsin men's soccer program. Brown is planning to finish out the current season with the Hawkettes while he gets settled in Madison. "I'll be going back and forth as much as possible for games and practices," Brown said. "These girls deserve to have their season, and I … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls’ soccer coach Brown named assistant for Wisconsin men’s program

Centennial guard Jensen commits to play basketball next year at Wartburg College

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Ankeny Centennial senior guard Rex Jensen has committed to play basketball for Wartburg College next year. Jensen announced his decision on social media last week. "Blessed to announce I will be continuing my academic and basketball career at Wartburg College!" Jensen tweeted on X. Jensen helped the Jaguars to a 5-17 record this season. He started … [Read more...] about Centennial guard Jensen commits to play basketball next year at Wartburg College

Centennial boys still seeking first victory after falling to Roughriders, Wolves

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team is still searching for its first victory of the season. The Jaguars suffered an 11-0 loss to visiting Waukee Northwest in a CIML Conference meet on Tuesday. They dropped to 0-2 in the league and 0-4 overall under first-year coach Grant Menadue. "I'm proud of the way the guys fought against a really strong team," … [Read more...] about Centennial boys still seeking first victory after falling to Roughriders, Wolves

‘Our team did a great job of competing’: Hawkettes open with 9-2 loss to Valley

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In its first test of the season, the Ankeny girls' tennis team dropped a 9-2 decision to visiting Valley in a CIML Conference matchup on Tuesday. It was also the season opener for the Tigers, who won five of the six singles matches and four of the five doubles matches. "We’ve been having extremely intense practices the first two weeks to attempt to … [Read more...] about ‘Our team did a great job of competing’: Hawkettes open with 9-2 loss to Valley

Wolves erupt for trio of goals in 2nd half, hand No. 5 Centennial girls their first loss

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) After successfully co-hosting the Crosstown Invitational last weekend, the Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer players had all the momentum and motivation a team could need to start off CIML Conference play with a win. However, Tuesday night didn’t end how the fifth-ranked Jaguars envisioned as they surrendered three goals in … [Read more...] about Wolves erupt for trio of goals in 2nd half, hand No. 5 Centennial girls their first loss

‘If 1 and 2 tie, that’s OK’: Hawkettes, Tigers battle to scoreless draw in showdown

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Two defensive juggernauts collided on Tuesday as the top-ranked Ankeny girls' soccer team hosted No. 2 Valley in a showdown between the top two squads in Class 3A. And thanks to a new rule from the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union, the Hawkettes and Tigers battled to a 0-0 draw. In previous seasons, the game would have been extended into a pair … [Read more...] about ‘If 1 and 2 tie, that’s OK’: Hawkettes, Tigers battle to scoreless draw in showdown