Ankeny Fanatic

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Archives for May 2025

Jaguars improve to finish 6th at CIML Invite; Consistent Hawkettes place 7th

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The members of the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls' golf teams were paired together during the final round of the CIML Conference Invitational on Wednesday at Blank Golf Course. The two squads could be part of the same groups next Wednesday in a Class 4A regional meet, since both the Hawkettes and Jaguars have been assigned to play at Elmwood Country … [Read more...] about Jaguars improve to finish 6th at CIML Invite; Consistent Hawkettes place 7th

Duax returns to lineup, helps lead Jaguars to 2-0 victory over No. 4 Johnston boys

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny Centennial boys' soccer team already knows what to expect going into postseason play, but that’s not stopping the Jaguars from stockpiling some momentum in the home stretch of the regular season. Centennial netted a goal in each half while posting a clean sheet as the 10th-ranked Jaguars posted a 2-0 win over No. … [Read more...] about Duax returns to lineup, helps lead Jaguars to 2-0 victory over No. 4 Johnston boys

‘We’ll see you again’: Ankeny battles No. 1 Wolves to 1-1 tie in possible state preview

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Ankeny assistant coach Trevor Neary shook hands with Waukee Northwest coach Tony Gabriel following Tuesday's girls' soccer showdown at Ankeny High School. "We'll see you again," Neary said after the fifth-ranked Hawkettes battled No. 1 Northwest to a 1-1 tie in the CIML Conference game. "Yeah, we will," Gabriel replied. Tuesday's game had all the … [Read more...] about ‘We’ll see you again’: Ankeny battles No. 1 Wolves to 1-1 tie in possible state preview

Wahlberg sets school record for assists, Benge scores only goal in Hawks’ road win

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Cal Wahlberg picked a good time to make some history. A junior midfielder on the Ankeny boys' soccer team, Wahlberg set a school record with his 15th assist to help the seventh-ranked Hawks to a 1-0 victory at Waukee Northwest on Tuesday. Wahlberg set up Landon Benge for the game's only goal in the first half. "Coming off a season-ending injury … [Read more...] about Wahlberg sets school record for assists, Benge scores only goal in Hawks’ road win

‘The result is a bit of a gut-punch’: Jaguars settle for 1-1 tie after Johnston’s late goal

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For the second time in five days, the third-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer team battled hard for 80 minutes only to come away with a tie. Tuesday's 1-1 draw at No. 7 Johnston was a lot more unsatisfying than Friday's 1-1 tie against No. 4 Waukee, which featured a tying goal with about 8 minutes left from Centennial senior Ava Martin--who became … [Read more...] about ‘The result is a bit of a gut-punch’: Jaguars settle for 1-1 tie after Johnston’s late goal

Boys’ substate pairings announced: Jags, Hawks to host semifinal games on May 27

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The boys' soccer postseason will look a little different this year. Substate final winners will advance to the state quarterfinals, which will be played at host sites across the state. Quarterfinal matches are set for Monday, June 2 with matchups to be determined. The 2025 IHSAA state soccer tournament presented by Iowa Farm Bureau will then continue … [Read more...] about Boys’ substate pairings announced: Jags, Hawks to host semifinal games on May 27

‘Kira was nothing less than perfect’: Smith advances to state without dropping game

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Ankeny girls' tennis coach Steve Smith almost couldn't believe what he was watching on Monday. His daughter, Kira, advanced to the Class 2A state tournament by winning a regional singles title at Marshalltown in spectacular fashion. The senior won three consecutive matches without dropping a single game and even recorded a golden set along the … [Read more...] about ‘Kira was nothing less than perfect’: Smith advances to state without dropping game

Macke, Hawkettes top North Polk, gear up for showdown against No. 1 Waukee NW

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The Ankeny girls' soccer team has discovered a potent formula. Already boasting one of the state's best defenses, the Hawkettes have been strengthened in recent games by the explosive scoring ability of senior Alli Macke, who is among the top midfielders in Iowa. That combination was on full display Monday night, when Macke scored a pair of goals to … [Read more...] about Macke, Hawkettes top North Polk, gear up for showdown against No. 1 Waukee NW

‘I always know what I’m capable of’: Jags’ Peterson earns 2nd trip to state tourney

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Ankeny Centennial junior Samara Peterson is headed to the girls' state tennis tournament for the second time. Peterson, who qualified as a freshman in 2023 while playing doubles with Megan Yuan, won a Class 2A regional singles title on Monday at Ames. She posted a 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 victory over Johnston freshman Brianna Launderville in the final. "After … [Read more...] about ‘I always know what I’m capable of’: Jags’ Peterson earns 2nd trip to state tourney

‘Today was a lot of fun’: Jaguars sit in 8th, Ankeny 9th after first round at CIML meet

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Both the Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny girls' golf teams have some ground to make up on Wednesday. The Jaguars sit in eighth place among 12 squads in the CIML Conference Invitational following Monday's opening round at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club. They posted a score of 376 after shooting in the 360s twice in the last week, but Centennial coach … [Read more...] about ‘Today was a lot of fun’: Jaguars sit in 8th, Ankeny 9th after first round at CIML meet

Postseason brackets announced for girls’ regional, boys’ substate team tennis

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All four of Ankeny's tennis teams will be in action this weekend in postseason play. Both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls' squads have been placed in Class 2A Region 3. The Hawkettes and Jaguars could potentially meet in the regional final, but would have to pull off an upset or two first in order for that to happen. Ankeny (3-8) will host … [Read more...] about Postseason brackets announced for girls’ regional, boys’ substate team tennis

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Sophie Loeffler, Ankeny girls’ soccer

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Senior defender Sophie Loeffler has helped the Ankeny girls' soccer team to a 7-2-2 record and a No. 5 ranking in Class 3A. The Hawkettes posted a 6-0 victory at No. 12 Dowling Catholic on Friday for their second straight shutout and their eighth clean sheet overall. Loeffler scored one goal and had two assists while helping her squad post 11 clean sheets … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Sophie Loeffler, Ankeny girls’ soccer

Ankeny boys cruise past Muscatine, then battle No. 6 Iowa City High to 1-1 draw

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The Ankeny boys' soccer team went unbeaten on a weekend trip to Davenport North, coming away with a win and a tie. The eighth-ranked Hawks rolled to a 5-0 victory over Muscatine on Friday. They then battled No. 6 Iowa City High to a 1-1 draw on Saturday. "The score against Iowa City High does not show how well and hard we played," said Ankeny forward … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys cruise past Muscatine, then battle No. 6 Iowa City High to 1-1 draw

‘We started off really well’: Ankeny girls enjoy scoring eruption, roll past Maroons

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There have been times this season when the Ankeny girls' soccer team has struggled to find the net. That wasn't the case on Friday night. The fifth-ranked Hawkettes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and went on to post a 6-0 victory at No. 12 Dowling Catholic. They had scored a total of 13 goals in the previous 10 games. "We started off really well," … [Read more...] about ‘We started off really well’: Ankeny girls enjoy scoring eruption, roll past Maroons

‘It was a great end to our regular season’: Centennial girls edge Ames for 6-5 victory

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' tennis team had its two closest meets of the season on back-to-back days. After dropping a 6-5 decision at Southeast Polk on Thursday, the Jaguars rebounded on Friday with a 6-5 victory over Ames in a non-conference meet. Centennial took a 4-2 lead after singles against both opponents. The Jaguars were unable to get the two … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great end to our regular season’: Centennial girls edge Ames for 6-5 victory

Smith, Ankeny girls play their best tennis of season in 9-2 loss at Dowling Catholic

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Although the Ankeny girls' tennis team dropped a pair of 9-2 decisions to Urbandale on Thursday and Dowling Catholic on Friday, the two meets could not have been any more different. That was the assessment of Ankeny coach Steve Smith, who said his team followed an uninspired performance against the J-Hawks by playing its best tennis of the season 24 hours … [Read more...] about Smith, Ankeny girls play their best tennis of season in 9-2 loss at Dowling Catholic

‘That moment was amazing’: Jaguars tie Waukee on Martin’s record-breaking goal

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It was only a matter of time before Ava Martin became the career scoring leader in Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer history. When the senior forward finally set the all-time record on Friday night, she did so in dramatic fashion. Martin scored off an assist from Emmarie Becker with about 8 minutes left to give the third-ranked Jaguars a 1-1 tie against … [Read more...] about ‘That moment was amazing’: Jaguars tie Waukee on Martin’s record-breaking goal

‘It was a good performance’: Jaguars earn road win despite 2 late goals by Waukee

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Junior Garrett Christensen scored a goal and also had an assist to lead the Ankeny Centennial boys' soccer team to a 4-2 victory at Waukee on Friday. The Jaguars built a 2-0 halftime lead, then extended the margin to 4-0 in the second half before Waukee scored a pair of late goals. "It was a good performance. Bad coaching by me," said Centennial coach … [Read more...] about ‘It was a good performance’: Jaguars earn road win despite 2 late goals by Waukee

Jaguars edge Dowling by 1 point to win first conference championship since 2021

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It all came down to the final event, and one singular point made all the difference in Ankeny Centennial’s second-ever CIML Conference boys' track championship. The Jaguars won two individual events and a pair of relay races on their way to taking the team title on Thursday with 120 points, edging runner-up Dowling Catholic … [Read more...] about Jaguars edge Dowling by 1 point to win first conference championship since 2021