The Ankeny girls’ track team appears to be peaking at the right time.
The Hawkettes won three events and placed second in the CIML Conference meet on Thursday at Waukee. They finished with 106.5 points.
“We were super excited about how our team prepared and how they competed,” said Ankeny coach TJ Jumper. “It was a whole team effort. We are rounding into top form as we enter the postseason.”
Waukee Northwest racked up 149.5 points to easily defend its crown. Ankeny Centennial set a pair of school records while placing fifth with 82 points.
“Our team had a really well-rounded night,” said Centennial coach Tyler Asbe. “We had a ton of PRs and strong performances in every event group. We put a focus on getting a lot of athletes their last races of the season and also giving our seniors one last night of being together as a team and competing in the events they enjoy. We really like where we are as a team heading into the state qualifying meet next week.”
Ankeny senior Reagan Hanfelt captured her third consecutive title in the high jump. She tied for first in the event with Dowling Catholic’s Alex Gaskell.
“Alex jumped so well, and it’s such a nice day,” said Hanfelt. “I was just thankful that we could finally have great weather like this. It’s super fun.”
Hanfelt and Gaskell each made her second jump at 5 feet 4 inches, then did the same at 5-6. They both missed four tries at 5-8 before missing another attempt at 5-7 in an effort to determine a winner.
“Then we called it a day,” Hanfelt said. “I was super happy with it. It felt great.”
Hanfelt will play volleyball at Iowa State in the fall. Her high jumping career will be over in a couple of weeks.
“I’m just focusing on myself and trying to jump my best,” she said. “I’m just trying to soak up these last few moments before it’s all done.”
The Hawkettes also got victories from junior Makenna Madetzke and freshman Morgan Fisher.
Madetzke won the 3,000 in a time of 10:25.39. She finished more than 4 seconds ahead of Johnston’s Ele Wharton.
“It wasn’t a great time, but I came away with a conference championship,” said Madetzke. “So I’m happy with that.”
Madetzke later placed second in the 800 in 2:16.94. Northwest’s Emee Dani won the race in 2:15.71.
“I didn’t really see (Dani) until she was a couple of yards in front of me,” Madetzke said. “I was a little surprised. I kind of wish I would have gone with her, but she’s a stud.
“I would have loved to win, but conference isn’t our top priority,” she added.
Fisher raced to a victory in the 200. She posted a time of 25.60 to edge Dowling’s Ellie Mead by .03 seconds.
“It feels really good,” said Fisher. “I’m really happy.”
Fisher earlier placed second in the 400. She was clocked in 57.86.
“I think (the two races) are pretty similar,” Fisher said. “The open 2 is really fun. I love doing it, and the 4 is fun too. I love them both. Basically, in the 400, you just have to keep pushing for another 200. You just have to try and fight for everything.”
Centennial’s Bella Hodges set a school record in the 1,500. She placed second in the event with a time of 4:40.11, finishing about a second behind Johnston standout Alyx Woodley.
“(The record) is something she’s had her eyes on for years,” Asbe said. “It was so special to see her break that record tonight and continue to build confidence in this race heading into the end of the season.”
The Jaguars also set a school record in the shuttle hurdle relay. The team of Anna Woods, Kylin Smith, Taylor Gilbreaith and Ava Barten placed third in a time of 1:04.47.
“This group continues to drop time and is looking sharp as we head to the postseason,” Asbe said.
Smith also placed second in the 400 hurdles in a time of 1:04.59. Barten was third in that event in 1:05.86.
Woods placed third in the 100 hurdles in 14.89 seconds. She also took fourth in the high jump at 5-2.
Ankeny got a runner-up finish in the long jump from Ava Leinen, who had a leap of 17 feet 4 inches. Teammate Maya Durbin-Wilson was fourth in that event with a jump of 17-0.
Drew Beason placed third for the Hawkettes in the 1,500, posting a time of 4:41.36. She finished just ahead of teammate Sophia Graber, who was fourth in 4:41.58.
Centennial’s Aly Balashaitis placed third in the 200 in 25.83. Ankeny’s Charlee Cibula was fourth in 26.29.
Centennial also took third in the 4×800 relay. The foursome of Tallie Plueger, Trinity Klingensmith, Kylee Patterson and Ellie Blevins was clocked in 9:42.19.
The Hawkettes got a fourth-place finish in the 800 from Reagan Prendergast, who posted a time of 2:20.29.
“What makes this team special is how committed they are to each other and the process,” Jumper said. “We had multiple personal bests. We also had some athletes that made some sacrifices and put the team first by running legs on relays so we could score people high in individual events in order for the team to place so high. These athletes were Gracie Lindaman, Alice Oleson, Riley Kayser, Brylee Bach, Quinn Roush, Ella Schulz, Ivy Wiegand, Vanessa Wise and Bella Sullivan. This crew is the glue that makes this team so good.”
Both teams will now prepare for the state qualifying meets next Thursday. Ankeny will compete in the meet at Marshalltown, while Centennial is headed to Council Bluffs Lincoln.
