Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Dan Holm

‘The margins are so thin’: UNI’s Anderson falls one win shy of all-American status

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Former Ankeny wrestling star Trever Anderson nearly earned all-American honors in his NCAA Championship debut at 125 pounds. A redshirt sophomore at Northern Iowa, Anderson bounced back from a first-round loss on Thursday with three consecutive victories in the consolation bracket at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. He advanced to the blood round on … [Read more...] about ‘The margins are so thin’: UNI’s Anderson falls one win shy of all-American status

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Landon Pote, Ankeny boys’ track

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Senior Landon Pote is one of 12 returning state qualifiers for the Ankeny boys' track team. He helped the Hawks to the Class 4A championship a year ago for the program's first state title since 1972. Pote placed third in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet 3 inches and finished seventh in the 110 hurdles in 15.08 seconds. He also teamed up with Sam … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Landon Pote, Ankeny boys’ track

Centennial girls focus on spring season, prepare for switch to fall tennis in August

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Ankeny Centennial girls' tennis coach Alli Gustafson will be spending a lot of time with her players over the next several months. Tryouts for the spring season begin on Monday for the Jaguars, who will then transition to a fall season in August under schedule changes from the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union for 2025-26. "So far, our numbers for … [Read more...] about Centennial girls focus on spring season, prepare for switch to fall tennis in August

‘These kids genuinely enjoy each other’: Jags look to have fun while chasing title

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Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer players Maddison Balashaitis, Addison Fair, Olivia Kroska and Ava Martin have all experienced the joy of holding up a state championship trophy. The four seniors all saw some action as freshmen on the Jaguars' Class 3A title team in 2022. "Experience and joy will be huge strengths for our team," said Centennial coach … [Read more...] about ‘These kids genuinely enjoy each other’: Jags look to have fun while chasing title

‘I think it was a long offseason’: Hawkettes deal with injuries, prepare for new rules

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The Ankeny girls' soccer team will have to make some adjustments this spring. The Hawkettes posted a 14-5 record a year ago, losing two of those games in shootouts. This year, there will be no shootouts during the regular season. "There is no overtime, so games can end in a tie after 80 (minutes)," said Ankeny coach Simon Brown. "Also, kids who get a … [Read more...] about ‘I think it was a long offseason’: Hawkettes deal with injuries, prepare for new rules

Hawks return 10 starters, look to make deep run at Class 4A state tournament

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With 10 starters returning from a team that qualified for last year's Class 4A state tournament, the Ankeny boys' soccer players won't be satisfied just with making it back to state this season. The Hawks want to play for a bigger trophy. "The goal is to build on what we accomplished last year," said Ankeny coach Trevor Fuccio, who guided the Hawks to … [Read more...] about Hawks return 10 starters, look to make deep run at Class 4A state tournament

Ankeny boys return state qualifier in Victor along with 4 other varsity regulars

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The Ankeny boys' tennis team made some positive strides a year ago. Coach Ron Miller is hoping that the Hawks can make even more this season. "We don't put a specific performance target on ourselves," Miller said. "I just ask the boys to practice hard and give everything they can each time out, and we will be much better at the end of each season than … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys return state qualifier in Victor along with 4 other varsity regulars

Centennial boys looking to bounce back from first losing season in school history

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Ankeny Centennial boys' soccer coach Brian Duax is hoping that history doesn't repeat itself. The Jaguars struggled to a 5-12 record last year. It was the first losing season in school history. Centennial had compiled a 128-35 mark in its previous nine campaigns. "We all hope last year was a flash in the pan," said Duax. "We proved we could beat … [Read more...] about Centennial boys looking to bounce back from first losing season in school history

Badillo wins high jump, Cibula places in 2 events at Riverhawk Indoor Invitational

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A limited number of Ankeny girls' track athletes competed in the Riverhawk Indoor Invitational on Tuesday at Mason City. Ankeny recorded several top-10 finishes. Leading the way was Mila Badillo, who cleared the bar at 5 feet 1 inch to win the high jump. Ava Leinen placed fourth in the long jump with a leap of 16-10. Teammate Quinn Roush was sixth in … [Read more...] about Badillo wins high jump, Cibula places in 2 events at Riverhawk Indoor Invitational

Postseason run ends for Johnson, MSU Moorhead with loss to No. 5 Ichabods

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The amazing postseason run for Carson Johnson and the MSU Moorhead men's basketball team came to an end on Tuesday night at Lee Arena. Johnson scored a team-high 17 points, but it wasn't nearly enough as the second-seeded Dragons dropped a 93-65 decision to top-seeded Washburn in the Central Regional championship of the NCAA Division II Tournament at … [Read more...] about Postseason run ends for Johnson, MSU Moorhead with loss to No. 5 Ichabods

‘We bring back a lot of experience’: Jags return 15 qualifiers, seek top-10 finish

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When Ankeny Centennial girls' track coach Tyler Asbe puts together his lineup for meets this spring, he's going to have a lot of options. The Jaguars return 15 state qualifiers from a team that placed 12th in last year's Class 4A meet with 22 points, which equaled the highest finish in school history. "We bring back a lot of experience, and we have had … [Read more...] about ‘We bring back a lot of experience’: Jags return 15 qualifiers, seek top-10 finish

IHSAA: Boys’ state basketball tournament will move to Hilton Coliseum in 2027

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Hilton Magic is coming to the Iowa boys' state basketball tournament. Here is a press release from the Iowa High School Athletic Association announcing that its annual hoops tournament will move to Hilton Coliseum in Ames beginning in 2027: A century after playing championships inside State Gym, the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and … [Read more...] about IHSAA: Boys’ state basketball tournament will move to Hilton Coliseum in 2027

Johnson scores 26 points, leads Dragons into Central Regional final vs. Washburn

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The MSU Moorhead men's basketball team is one win away from a trip to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Division II Tournament. Former Ankeny star Carson Johnson scored 26 points on Sunday to lead the second-seeded Dragons to a 70-59 victory over Winona State in the second round of the Central Regional at Topeka, Kan. The freshman guard went 8-of-21 from the field, … [Read more...] about Johnson scores 26 points, leads Dragons into Central Regional final vs. Washburn

Ankeny’s Aguirre named to boys’ Class 4A all-state 2nd team by IBCA and IPSWA

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Ankeny boys' basketball standout Rio Aguirre has been named to the Class 4A all-state second team by the Iowa Basketball Coaches Association and the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association. Aguirre, a junior guard, led the Hawks to a 10-12 record this season. He was earlier a unanimous pick to the CIML Conference first team. Aguirre averaged a team-high … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Aguirre named to boys’ Class 4A all-state 2nd team by IBCA and IPSWA

Murray scores 17 points in final game as Vikings fall in 2nd round of NAIA Tourney

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Cleao Murray and the Grand View women's basketball team closed out the season on Saturday with a 71-60 loss to top-seeded Indiana Wesleyan in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament at Marion, Ind. Murray, a former Ankeny Centennial star, scored 17 points in her final game for the Vikings. She also had four rebounds and five steals. Grand View … [Read more...] about Murray scores 17 points in final game as Vikings fall in 2nd round of NAIA Tourney

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Cael Woods, Ankeny Centennial boys’ track

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Senior Cael Woods is one of 12 returning state qualifiers for the Ankeny Centennial boys' track team. He helped the Jaguars to a tie for seventh place in Class 4A a year ago. Woods placed eighth in the 400 hurdles (55.07) and 20th in the 110 hurdles (15.56). He also ran on the 11th-place shuttle hurdle and 16th-place 4x400 relays. Here is some inside … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Cael Woods, Ankeny Centennial boys’ track

Hawkettes return 12 state qualifiers from last year’s 8th-place team in Class 4A

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Despite losing some key pieces from last year's team, the Ankeny girls' track squad still boasts plenty of talent. The Hawkettes return 12 state qualifiers from a team that placed eighth in Class 4A a year ago with 34 points. "We have nine athletes who competed at state who either graduated or decided not to come out," said Ankeny coach TJ Jumper. "But … [Read more...] about Hawkettes return 12 state qualifiers from last year’s 8th-place team in Class 4A

Madetzke sets meet record, leads Ankeny to 4th-place finish at IATC Championships

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Both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls' track teams earned top-10 finishes in the IATC Indoor Championships on Friday at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center in Ames. The Hawkettes placed fourth with 47 points, while the Jaguars finished ninth with 27. Waukee Northwest claimed the title with 67 points, edging Cedar Falls by two points. Ankeny was … [Read more...] about Madetzke sets meet record, leads Ankeny to 4th-place finish at IATC Championships

‘That’s just how he’s wired’: Johnson sinks clutch baskets in Dragons’ regional win

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The March Madness continues for Carson Johnson and the MSU Moorhead men's basketball team. Johnson, a former Ankeny guard, scored 11 points on Saturday to help the Dragons to a 69-62 victory over Fort Hays State in the Central Regional quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament at Topeka, Kan. Second-seeded MSU Moorhead (24-8) will now face … [Read more...] about ‘That’s just how he’s wired’: Johnson sinks clutch baskets in Dragons’ regional win