Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Dan Holm

Eagles sweep Holy Trinity Catholic, will play Janesville for 4th state title in 5 years

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Ankeny Christian Academy volleyball coach Michele Quick has been under the weather for the last two days. She felt a lot better Wednesday night after the top-ranked Eagles punched their ticket to the Class 1A championship game with a second consecutive sweep in the state tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville. ACA hit .470 as a team and rolled to a … [Read more...] about Eagles sweep Holy Trinity Catholic, will play Janesville for 4th state title in 5 years

‘We just came up short’: Hawkettes rally from 2-set deficit before falling to DC-G

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) There was nothing the Ankeny volleyball players wanted more than to be the team that dethroned top-ranked Waukee Northwest as the Class 5A state champion. But that dream fell short by one match and a few points. No. 3 Ankeny rallied from a two-set deficit to force a fifth set against No. 2 Dallas Center-Grimes before … [Read more...] about ‘We just came up short’: Hawkettes rally from 2-set deficit before falling to DC-G

‘I was definitely feeling it!’: Bentz starts fast, leads ACA to sweep over W. Monona

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Havanna Dolbeare pounded 17 kills, Breeze Bentz added 15 more, and the top-ranked Ankeny Christian Academy volleyball team posted a 25-16, 25-19, 25-19 victory over eighth-seeded West Monona in the Class 1A quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Xtream Arena. The Eagles (39-2) have never lost a match at the state tournament. They won three consecutive Class 1A … [Read more...] about ‘I was definitely feeling it!’: Bentz starts fast, leads ACA to sweep over W. Monona

‘We were already exhausted enough’: Hawkettes close out Centennial in 4 sets

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team has made some tremendous strides over the last several weeks. Its crosstown rival proved on Monday, though, that it has improved just as much. Third-ranked Ankeny held off a valiant effort by No. 6 Centennial to post a 25-21, 23-25, 25-16, 27-25 victory in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state tournament at … [Read more...] about ‘We were already exhausted enough’: Hawkettes close out Centennial in 4 sets

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Marlee Ellison, Ankeny volleyball

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Senior outside hitter Marlee Ellison had 11 kills, four digs and one ace to help the third-ranked Ankeny volleyball team to a 25-7, 25-19, 25-23 victory over No. 13 Cedar Rapids Kennedy in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday. The Hawkettes advanced to the state tournament for the ninth consecutive year. Ellison has recorded 295 kills this season while … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Marlee Ellison, Ankeny volleyball

Ankeny Fanatic’s breakdown of the Class 5A state volleyball tournament

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The top eight teams in the final Class 5A rankings all advanced to the state volleyball tournament, which gets under way on Monday with four quarterfinal matches. Will the chalk continue to win at Xtream Arena in Coralville? That's just one of the questions that will be answered over the next four days. Ankeny Fanatic publisher Dan Holm will try to … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic’s breakdown of the Class 5A state volleyball tournament

‘We all gave everything we had’: Jaguars’ team effort results in runner-up finish

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It took a team effort for the Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country squad to make some history. The second-ranked Jaguars placed three runners in the top 15 and had two more in the top 40 to earn a runner-up trophy in the Class 4A state meet on Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. It was the highest finish in program history, surpassing a … [Read more...] about ‘We all gave everything we had’: Jaguars’ team effort results in runner-up finish

‘Gus went for it’: Ankeny soph Brown starts fast, finishes 31st in his state meet debut

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Ankeny sophomore Gus Brown was hoping to earn a spot on the awards podium in the boys' Class 4A state cross country meet on Saturday. For the first two miles of the 5k race, he was in position to do just that at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. However, Brown faltered in the final 1.1 miles and placed 31st in a field of 131 runners. "I was … [Read more...] about ‘Gus went for it’: Ankeny soph Brown starts fast, finishes 31st in his state meet debut

Centennial boys edge Waukee by 1 point to earn 4th-place finish in Class 4A meet

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The battle for fourth place in the boys' Class 4A state cross country meet came down to the wire. In the end, Ankeny Centennial senior Noah Schneden crossed the finish line just ahead of Waukee's Melvin Nziraguhunga to give the eighth-ranked Jaguars a fourth-place finish at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. Schneden placed 66th in the 5k race with a … [Read more...] about Centennial boys edge Waukee by 1 point to earn 4th-place finish in Class 4A meet

Wise closes out her Ankeny cross country career as Heim shows off bright future

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On a day when Ankeny senior Vanessa Wise closed out her high school cross country career with a frustrating race, one of her younger teammates offered a tantalizing glimpse of her bright future. Freshman Mia Heim raced to a 39th-place finish in the Class 4A state meet on Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. She posted a time of 19 minutes 18 … [Read more...] about Wise closes out her Ankeny cross country career as Heim shows off bright future

Goode, Tate lead Hawks past Waukee in opening round of Class 5A playoffs, 43-37

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With an abundance of offensive weapons, the Ankeny football team doesn't always have to rely on the same playmakers. On Friday night, it was time for Devan Goode and DJ Tate to shine. Goode rushed for three touchdowns, Tate caught three scoring passes, and the fourth-ranked Hawks held off a furious rally by No. 13 Waukee to post a 43-37 victory in the … [Read more...] about Goode, Tate lead Hawks past Waukee in opening round of Class 5A playoffs, 43-37

Eagles lead through first 2 miles, finish 3rd in Class 1A state meet for 2nd year in row

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The Ankeny Christian Academy boys' cross country team earned a third-place trophy in the Class 1A state meet for the second consecutive year. This time, the Eagles nearly captured their first state championship. Third-ranked ACA led the team race through the first and second miles before coming up just short in the end on Friday morning at Lakeside … [Read more...] about Eagles lead through first 2 miles, finish 3rd in Class 1A state meet for 2nd year in row

‘We’ve just come so far since last year’: Eagles sweep Stanton, will return to state

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The last time the Ankeny Christian Academy volleyball team stepped foot on the court at Xtream Arena, the Eagles cemented their place in Iowa high school history with a third consecutive Class 1A state championship. The 2026 Eagles may look different, but they’re hoping for the same result. Top-ranked Ankeny Christian is … [Read more...] about ‘We’ve just come so far since last year’: Eagles sweep Stanton, will return to state

‘We knew we’d be back’: Ankeny girls qualify for state for 9th consecutive year

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny volleyball team never envisioned a 2026 season that wouldn't end on the courts at Xtream Arena. That officially came to fruition on Tuesday and sets up a big crosstown rivalry matchup in Coralville. Third-ranked Ankeny used a dominant start to sweep No. 13 Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 25-7, 25-19, 25-23, in a Class 5A … [Read more...] about ‘We knew we’d be back’: Ankeny girls qualify for state for 9th consecutive year

‘I can’t wait!’: Centennial advances to state tourney, earns rematch against Hawkettes

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team has earned a rematch against its crosstown rival on the biggest stage. The sixth-ranked Jaguars advanced to the state tournament for the 13th time in 14 years by posting a 25-12, 25-19, 25-18 victory over visiting Bettendorf in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday. Centennial (27-8) will now face No. 3 Ankeny … [Read more...] about ‘I can’t wait!’: Centennial advances to state tourney, earns rematch against Hawkettes

Fast start ignites sweep over CAM as ACA moves one victory away from trip to state

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The Ankeny Christian Academy volleyball team was already in midseason form back in August. Now, the top-ranked Eagles appear to be taking their game to an even higher level. ACA scored 20 of the first 22 points and went on to post a 25-5, 25-13, 25-10 victory over visiting CAM in a Class 1A regional semifinal on Monday. It was the ninth consecutive win … [Read more...] about Fast start ignites sweep over CAM as ACA moves one victory away from trip to state

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Vanessa Wise, Ankeny girls’ cross country

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Senior Vanessa Wise helped the Ankeny girls' cross country team to a fourth-place finish in a Class 4A state qualifying meet on Wednesday at Kickers Park in Iowa City. Wise placed 21st in the 5k race to qualify for the state meet as an individual. She posted a time of 21 minutes 19.9 seconds. Here is some inside info on Wise: Congratulations on … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Vanessa Wise, Ankeny girls’ cross country