Ankeny Fanatic

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Dan Holm

Legendary coaches Pezzetti, Sharp, Smith honored by Ankeny Historical Society

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(Compiled by Bob Fontana) On Sunday, Aug. 23, the Ankeny Historical Society honored legendary Ankeny coaches Jerry Pezzetti, Bob Sharp and Fred Smith during the annual Ice Cream Social. Each coach was presented by a former student-athlete as a biography was read, along with stories and comments. There were 70 former student-athletes in attendance … [Read more...] about Legendary coaches Pezzetti, Sharp, Smith honored by Ankeny Historical Society

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Dawson Whitinger, Ankeny football

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Senior linebacker and running back Dawson Whitinger helped lead the Ankeny football team to a 28-20 victory at Waukee Northwest in its season opener on Friday. He ran five times for 72 yards, made 5.5 tackles and also had a huge interception as the Hawks avenged last year's loss to the Wolves. Whitinger picked off a pass from Northwest quarterback Mack … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Dawson Whitinger, Ankeny football

‘Our confidence is really growing’: Ankeny girls earn runner-up finish at Jags’ tourney

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Saturday's Ankeny Centennial Early Bird Invitational featured many of the state's top volleyball teams from multiple classes. In the end, the team walking away with the championship was the same one that captured the Class 5A title a year ago and began this season ranked No. 1 among the state's largest schools. Waukee Northwest posted a 25-22, 25-18 … [Read more...] about ‘Our confidence is really growing’: Ankeny girls earn runner-up finish at Jags’ tourney

‘We are excited about the team we have’: Ankeny swimmers set some big goals

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With the bulk of its qualifiers returning from last year's state meet, the Ankeny girls' swimming team enters the 2026 season with some higher expectations. Ankeny placed 27th at the state meet with 17 points after finishing 29th in 2024. Coach Dustin Rhoads' team saw some improvement, but still has a long way to go to again become a top-10 … [Read more...] about ‘We are excited about the team we have’: Ankeny swimmers set some big goals

Jaguars’ passing game unable to keep pace with S.E. Polk’s prolific ground attack

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The Ankeny Centennial football team got off to a promising start in its season opener on Friday. The Jaguars scored a touchdown on the game's first possession and trailed visiting Southeast Polk by just 21-18 at halftime after Noah Manning kicked a 42-yard field goal with 4 seconds left in the second quarter. But the Rams then totally dominated the … [Read more...] about Jaguars’ passing game unable to keep pace with S.E. Polk’s prolific ground attack

‘We were hungry for this’: Hawks build big lead, then hold off NW for huge road win

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Even if its starting lineup is drastically different than a year ago, the Ankeny football team still remembers the heartbreak and the seeding side effects of dropping its 2025 season opener at home against Waukee Northwest. The Hawks got their payback during Friday night’s season opener at Northwest. A stout Ankeny … [Read more...] about ‘We were hungry for this’: Hawks build big lead, then hold off NW for huge road win

‘It was a great day of tennis’: Centennial girls defeat Hawkettes in rivalry matchup

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Thursday's Jag-Hawk showdown at the Prairie Ridge courts was about much more than girls' tennis. The two Ankeny teams donated the proceeds from their annual fundraiser to Miracle Travel Works. "Today was a great day to come together as one town and play for something much bigger than tennis!" said Ankeny Centennial coach Alli Gustafson. "We had several … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great day of tennis’: Centennial girls defeat Hawkettes in rivalry matchup

‘It was a really cool opportunity’: Jaguars fall to NW, top Waukee in outdoor event

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Thursday night's Marj White Classic at Valley Stadium was a smashing success. All four participating volleyball teams got a unique opportunity to play outdoors under the lights. With very little wind and temperatures in the 70s, the conditions could not have been any better for this special event. "It was a really cool opportunity for our team," said … [Read more...] about ‘It was a really cool opportunity’: Jaguars fall to NW, top Waukee in outdoor event

‘It’s a tough golf course’: Jaguars edge Ankeny by 2 shots for 7th place at Legacy

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It appears that there isn't much separation between the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' golf teams. The two squads collided on Thursday for the third time in nine days. They again battled down to the wire to a close finish. The Jaguars shot a 327 and placed seventh among 12 teams in the Waukee Northwest Invitational at The Legacy Golf Club in … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a tough golf course’: Jaguars edge Ankeny by 2 shots for 7th place at Legacy

Hawkettes outlast Ankeny Christian in 3 sets after both teams sweep North Polk

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny and Ankeny Christian Academy volleyball teams were both ranked among the top teams in their respective classes coming into the 2026 season. A winner-take-all third set was needed on Tuesday night to decide which of the two squads was going to open its season with a 2-0 record. The Hawkettes pulled out a 15-13 … [Read more...] about Hawkettes outlast Ankeny Christian in 3 sets after both teams sweep North Polk

Hawks edge Centennial golfers by one shot to win triangular meet at Briarwood

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After losing to Ankeny Centennial by four shots in the Jesse Peck Invitational a week ago, the Ankeny boys' golf team got some revenge Wednesday on the same course. The Hawks shot a 313 to edge Centennial by one stroke in a CIML Conference triangular meet at Briarwood Golf Club. Valley finished a distant third with a 328 total. "I was super happy with … [Read more...] about Hawks edge Centennial golfers by one shot to win triangular meet at Briarwood

Centennial’s Alvarez, Ankeny’s Brown race to victories at Jaguar Early Bird Invite

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Jax Alvarez of Ankeny Centennial and Gus Brown of Ankeny didn't put much pressure on themselves heading into Tuesday's season-opening cross country meet. The duo responded with a pair of boys' victories in the Jaguar Early Bird Invitational at DMACC. Alvarez, a senior, pulled away from the field to win the 11/12 race in a time of 15 minutes 53 seconds. … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Alvarez, Ankeny’s Brown race to victories at Jaguar Early Bird Invite

‘My team did really well’: Centennial girls edge No. 1 Wolves to win Jaguar Invite

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A showdown between the top two girls' cross country teams in Class 4A lived up to the hype. Second-ranked Ankeny Centennial opened its season on Tuesday by edging No. 1 Waukee Northwest to win the Jaguar Early Bird Invitational at DMACC. The Jaguars scored 41 points when the results of the two races were merged, while Northwest--the defending state … [Read more...] about ‘My team did really well’: Centennial girls edge No. 1 Wolves to win Jaguar Invite

Centennial girls earn road victory over Rams, will face Hawkettes on Thursday

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' tennis team earned a 10-1 road victory at Southeast Polk on Tuesday to keep the Rams winless on the season. The Jaguars got at least one win from every player in the varsity lineup. They improved to 1-2 in the CIML Conference and 2-5 overall, while Southeast Polk's records fell to 0-3 and 0-6. "Tonight was a great night of … [Read more...] about Centennial girls earn road victory over Rams, will face Hawkettes on Thursday

‘It was a beautiful day for tennis’: Ankeny girls fall to Waukee NW on Senior Night

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The Ankeny girls' tennis team was simply overmatched on Tuesday. But the Hawkettes aren't the only team that has felt that way against Waukee Northwest. The visiting Wolves posted an 11-0 victory over Ankeny for their third consecutive shutout. They improved to 3-0 in the CIML Conference, while the Hawkettes fell to 1-2 in the league and 3-3 … [Read more...] about ‘It was a beautiful day for tennis’: Ankeny girls fall to Waukee NW on Senior Night

Ankeny football team reloads around 4 returning starters, influx of transfers

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On paper, the Ankeny football team appeared to be facing a rebuilding season after suffering heavy losses to graduation last spring. Ankeny coach Jeff Bauer is hoping that isn't the case. "We only have four starters back, so there's not a lot of people thinking we are going to be all that," said Bauer. "But there's a lot of young talent on this team … [Read more...] about Ankeny football team reloads around 4 returning starters, influx of transfers

‘We’re excited to see what we can do’: Jaguars to host S.E. Polk in Friday’s opener

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In recent years, the Ankeny Centennial football team has produced several Division I players. Easton Miller and Connor Welsch are on Iowa State's roster, while Braeden Jackson plays for Iowa. Brothers Elijah and Trey Porter are teammates at Northern Illinois. "It's really a compliment to our staff and to the program," said Centennial co-head coach Ryan … [Read more...] about ‘We’re excited to see what we can do’: Jaguars to host S.E. Polk in Friday’s opener