Ankeny Fanatic

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Dan Holm

‘We could not be more proud’: Coaches praise efforts by Hawkettes, Jaguars

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Senior Drew Beason and her Ankeny teammates left it all out on the track Saturday. Their crosstown rivals from Ankeny Centennial did the same. Both the Hawkettes and Jaguars walked away from the girls' Class 4A state meet at Drake Stadium feeling good about what they accomplished. "We could not be more proud of this team and how they performed," … [Read more...] about ‘We could not be more proud’: Coaches praise efforts by Hawkettes, Jaguars

Several starters are back as Saladino takes over Hawkettes’ softball program

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The move across the diamond to the third base coach's box has been a smooth one for Ankeny softball coach Sarah Saladino. Before taking over the Hawkettes' program last fall, Saladino had served as the assistant for coach Dave Bingham since 2019. She previously had been a head coach at Waterloo West for four years. "Overall, I think that it has been a … [Read more...] about Several starters are back as Saladino takes over Hawkettes’ softball program

Loaded Centennial squad embraces team-first mentality heading into season

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Scoring runs likely won't be a problem this season for the Ankeny Centennial softball team. The Jaguars will again boast two of the state's top hitters in Jordyn Kennedy and Mady Ott. They led the team to a 29-10 record and a share of the CIML Conference title a year ago after playing key roles on Centennial's state championship squad in 2023. Those … [Read more...] about Loaded Centennial squad embraces team-first mentality heading into season

Jaguars defend state title in 4×200 relay, break all-time mark in 4×100 preliminaries

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Noah Ross, Robert McGhee, Caleb Reed and Braeden Jackson got their all-time state record, but just not the one they were on the hunt for. The Ankeny Centennial quartet was on the cusp of setting the all-time record in the 4x200 relay after becoming the second team in Iowa high school history to run a time that was sub-1:26 … [Read more...] about Jaguars defend state title in 4×200 relay, break all-time mark in 4×100 preliminaries

‘I’m super proud of this team’: Hawkettes earn runner-up finish in distance medley

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) As it turns out, the Ankeny grouping of Charlee Cibula, Lillian Buckley, Morgan Fisher and Makenna Madetzke make for a pretty good distance medley relay team. The Hawkettes were looking to follow up a strong Thursday showing that helped them hold the top spot in Class 4A after the first day of the girls' state track meet, … [Read more...] about ‘I’m super proud of this team’: Hawkettes earn runner-up finish in distance medley

‘Tip of the cap to Pleasant Valley’: No. 5 Spartans sweep doubleheader at Ankeny

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The 2025 baseball season hasn’t gotten off to the most ideal start for the Ankeny Hawks. After having two different delays earlier in the week, the Hawks officially opened the year with an 0-2 record after falling 13-0 and 5-0 in a doubleheader against visiting Pleasant Valley on Thursday. The Spartans are No. 5 in the Class … [Read more...] about ‘Tip of the cap to Pleasant Valley’: No. 5 Spartans sweep doubleheader at Ankeny

Hawks defend their crown in 4×800 relay, score points in 3 other events to take lead

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The Ankeny boys' quest for a second consecutive Class 4A track championship got off to a good start Thursday at Drake Stadium. The Hawks defended their title in the 4x800 relay, scored points in three other events and set a meet record in the preliminaries of the shuttle hurdle relay on the opening day of the coed state meet. Those efforts allowed … [Read more...] about Hawks defend their crown in 4×800 relay, score points in 3 other events to take lead

Hanfelt captures state title in high jump; Hawkettes take early lead in 4A team race

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Ankeny's Reagan Hanfelt finally made it to the top of the awards podium. The senior won a Class 4A title in the high jump during the opening day of the coed state track meet on Thursday at Drake Stadium. She had tied for third twice and placed second in the event in the previous three years. "It feels amazing," said Hanfelt. "I just trusted my mom … [Read more...] about Hanfelt captures state title in high jump; Hawkettes take early lead in 4A team race

Smith earns No. 1 seed for 2A singles, could meet Peterson in quarterfinals

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The pairings for next week's boys' and girls' state tennis tournaments have been announced. Ankeny's Kira Smith is the No. 1 seed for the girls' Class 2A singles tournament, which will be held on Friday and Saturday at Iowa City. She will face Addison King of Cedar Falls in the opening round. Smith could potentially meet Ankeny Centennial's Samara … [Read more...] about Smith earns No. 1 seed for 2A singles, could meet Peterson in quarterfinals

Jaguars romp to 12-2 victory over No. 3 Dallas Center-Grimes to open season

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The wait was worth it for the Ankeny Centennial baseball team. The Jaguars, who had a doubleheader at Des Moines Roosevelt rained out on Monday, opened their season on Thursday with a 12-2 victory over visiting Dallas Center-Grimes. The non-conference game was halted after six innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. The Mustangs (1-2) are third in the … [Read more...] about Jaguars romp to 12-2 victory over No. 3 Dallas Center-Grimes to open season

Geiselhart nearly qualifies for state while Jaguars place 4th, Hawkettes finish 5th

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Both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls' golf teams were hoping to pull off a surprise during a Class 4A regional meet on Wednesday at Marshalltown. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. The 19th-ranked Jaguars shot a 388 on the Elmwood Country Club course and placed fourth in the 10-team field. Ankeny finished fifth with a 403 total and also saw its … [Read more...] about Geiselhart nearly qualifies for state while Jaguars place 4th, Hawkettes finish 5th

Hawkettes, Jaguars fall to Pleasant Valley in Class 2A regional team tournament

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A long day in Pleasant Valley ended in similar fashion for the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls' tennis teams. Both the Hawkettes and Jaguars saw their seasons come to an end with a loss to Pleasant Valley in a Class 2A regional team tournament on Tuesday. The Spartans posted a 5-1 victory over Centennial in the semifinal round, then battled Ankeny late … [Read more...] about Hawkettes, Jaguars fall to Pleasant Valley in Class 2A regional team tournament

‘I am really proud of us’: Postma, Jaguars close out season with win at Cedar Falls

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Once the Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer team found the net, the third-ranked Jaguars cruised to an impressive road win on Tuesday. Centennial scored two goals in the final 4 minutes of the first half and went on to post a 4-0 victory over No. 12 Cedar Falls in a non-conference game to close out the regular season. The loss snapped a five-game winning … [Read more...] about ‘I am really proud of us’: Postma, Jaguars close out season with win at Cedar Falls

‘SDSU is the place to be’: Centennial’s Dieken-Keahey commits to Jackrabbits

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Ankeny Centennial football standout Braylin Dieken-Keahey has made his college decision. The junior offensive lineman announced on Monday that he has verbally committed to South Dakota State. "SDSU is the place to be," said Dieken-Keahey. "Great town, great team, and great people. Coach (Dan) Jackson and (offensive line) coach (Mike) Bangtson are the … [Read more...] about ‘SDSU is the place to be’: Centennial’s Dieken-Keahey commits to Jackrabbits

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kylin Smith, Ankeny Centennial girls’ track

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Senior Kylin Smith helped the Ankeny Centennial girls' track team to a second-place finish in a Class 4A state qualifying meet on Thursday at Council Bluffs Lincoln. Smith won the 400 hurdles in a time of 1:04.53, which broke her own school record. She teamed up with Anna Woods, Taylor Gilbreaith and Ava Barten to win the shuttle hurdle relay in 1:03.60, … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kylin Smith, Ankeny Centennial girls’ track

Dietz returns to pitch as Hawkettes romp to win over Urbandale on Senior Night

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It was a Senior Night that Camryn Dietz and her teammates on the Ankeny girls' soccer squad will never forget. Dietz played for the first time this season as the fifth-ranked Hawkettes rolled to a 6-0 victory over visiting Urbandale in their regular-season finale on Friday. The Drake recruit has almost fully recovered from an offseason knee injury. "I … [Read more...] about Dietz returns to pitch as Hawkettes romp to win over Urbandale on Senior Night

‘We felt it was a great team win’: Jaguars dominate, snap S.E. Polk’s winning streak

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The Southeast Polk girls' soccer team entered Friday's game against visiting Ankeny Centennial as one of the hottest squads in the CIML Conference. The 11th-ranked Rams had won their previous five games, the second-longest current streak in the league. Only No. 2 Valley, which had won six straight contests, was riding a longer streak. But Southeast … [Read more...] about ‘We felt it was a great team win’: Jaguars dominate, snap S.E. Polk’s winning streak

Jaguars tumble at Johnston in substate semifinal, while Hawks fall at Linn-Mar

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The season ended on Saturday for both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis teams. The Jaguars earned their first win under coach Grant Menadue before dropping a 5-0 decision at Johnston in a Class 2A substate semifinal. Centennial advanced to the semifinal round earlier with a 5-0 victory over Des Moines North. The Polar Bears finished with a … [Read more...] about Jaguars tumble at Johnston in substate semifinal, while Hawks fall at Linn-Mar