Ankeny girls are No. 8 in preseason Class 5A basketball rankings from IGHSAU

Ankeny’s Ainsley Kiene drives to the basket against Ankeny Centennial defender Lizzie Beam during a game last season. Kiene is one of four returning starters for the Hawkettes, who are eighth in the preseason Class 5A rankings from the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union. Beam is one of just three returning players for the Jaguars, who are unranked to begin the season. (Photo by Evan Reiter)

The Ankeny girls’ basketball team is eighth in the preseason Class 5A rankings released on Wednesday by the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union.

Ankeny returns four starters from a team that posted a 10-13 record last year, led by all-state guard and Creighton commit Jayla Williams. The Hawkettes will open their season on Saturday with a non-conference game at Ames.

Ankeny Centennial, which was a fixture in the rankings over the last 12 years under legendary coach Scott DeJong, is unranked to begin the season. The Jaguars return just three players from last year’s 17-8 squad and also have a new coach in Chris Harken.

The CIML Conference boasts six of the top 11 teams, led by two-time defending state champion Johnston. Here is the top 15:

1. Johnston

2. Waukee Northwest

3. Dowling Catholic

4. Cedar Rapids Prairie

5. Iowa City Liberty

6. Iowa City West

7. Waukee

8. ANKENY

9. Iowa City High

10. Cedar Rapids Washington

11. Valley

12. Pleasant Valley

13. Cedar Falls

14. Bettendorf

15. Cedar Rapids Kennedy