The Ankeny Centennial girls’ tennis team was ready for the rematch against its crosstown rival.
The Jaguars posted a 5-0 victory over Ankeny in the quarterfinals of a Class 2A regional team tournament on Monday at the Prairie Ridge courts. The Hawkettes had also lost to Centennial, 11-0, a month ago.
“Our team showed up strong today!” said Centennial coach Alli Gustafson. “We knew Ankeny would come ready to redeem its loss against us earlier this season, so we knew from the start that it was going to be a battle. Our girls stayed focused, competed hard, and fought for control in every point.”
Centennial (5-9) advanced to a semifinal match on Wednesday at Ottumwa (10-0). Ankeny, meanwhile, finished the season with a 3-12 record.
“Congrats to the Jags!” said Ankeny coach Katie Owens. “We loved getting the opportunity to play them again. We had some close matches today, and our girls battled!”
The Jaguars got straight-set wins in singles from Talia Baca at the No. 1 position, Ella Sutherland at No. 2, Laura Schulz at No. 3 and Anna Pedersen at No. 6. But Ankeny was competitive in all of those matches.
“I’m proud our seniors this year and how they stepped into their roles on the team!” Owens said. “I’m looking forward to next season already! Go Hawks!”
Centennial clinched the victory when Avery Bohnenkamp outlasted the Hawkettes’ Ruth Owens in three sets at the No. 4 spot. Owens, an eighth grader and the coach’s daughter, won the opening set before Bohnenkamp rallied for a 1-6, 6-2, 1-0 (9) win.
“Today was another great example of how much this team has grown throughout the season,” Gustafson said. “We were able to make adjustments, stay composed in pressure moments, and come away with another strong win! Avery had an incredible battle in the supertiebreaker, securing the final win we needed to seal the meet. We are so proud of the way our girls competed today and the confidence and resilience they continue to show.”
The Jaguars will now try to keep their season going by pulling off an upset at Ottumwa. Johnston (8-1) will host Ames (8-6) in the other semifinal, with the two winners to meet in the regional final on Saturday.
“We’ll enjoy this one and then get ready for the next round!” Gustafson said. “Let’s keep it rolling!”
Here are the match-by-match results from Monday’s meet:
Ankeny Centennial 5, Ankeny 0
Singles: Baca beat Dietrich, 6-0, 6-2; Sutherland beat Moen, 6-3, 6-2; Schulz beat Johnson, 6-2, 6-4; Bohnenkamp beat Owens, 1-6, 6-2, 1-0 (9); Oliver vs. Banda, DNF; Pedersen beat Shanks, 6-4, 6-2.
