Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Dan Holm

Ankeny Fanatic’s prediction for the Jag-Hawk volleyball showdown

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Tuesday's CIML Conference volleyball showdown between Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial will break a 7-7 tie in the all-time series. Neither team has ever won more than three straight matches against its crosstown rival. The Hawkettes won both meetings last year, but the Jaguars defeated Ankeny earlier this season at the Centennial Invitational and will also … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic’s prediction for the Jag-Hawk volleyball showdown

‘We showed we belong at state’: Jaguars take 2nd in district meet on home course

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All season long, the goal for the Ankeny Centennial boys' golf team was to play its best when it mattered the most. That's exactly what the Jaguars did on Monday. Fourteenth-ranked Centennial shot a 307 on its home course and placed second in a Class 4A district meet at Briarwood Golf Club. The Jaguars advanced to the state meet for the first time … [Read more...] about ‘We showed we belong at state’: Jaguars take 2nd in district meet on home course

Ankeny golfers edge LeMars for 3rd place at district meet, earn trip to state

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A year ago, the Ankeny boys' golf team came up one stroke shy of advancing to the Class 4A state tournament. On Monday at the Fort Dodge Country Club, the seventh-ranked Hawks found themselves on the bubble once again. And this time, they did just enough to qualify. Ankeny placed third among 13 teams in a district meet with a 307 total, finishing three … [Read more...] about Ankeny golfers edge LeMars for 3rd place at district meet, earn trip to state

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Drew Beason, Ankeny girls’ cross country

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Junior Drew Beason led the seventh-ranked Ankeny girls' cross country team to a second-place finish in the Southeast Polk Invitational on Thursday. She was the runner-up in the 5k race, posting a time of 18 minutes 56 seconds. Beason is a two-time state placewinner for the Hawkettes. She took 11th in Class 4A as a freshman in 2021, then finished 15th last … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Drew Beason, Ankeny girls’ cross country

‘It was a rough day’: Hawkettes finish 2-3 at W-SR Invitational without top hitter

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Injuries have been a problem all season for the Ankeny volleyball team. Now, the Hawkettes are dealing with some sickness as well. Junior outside hitter Kamryn Scheib, who leads the team with 203 kills, was out of the lineup on Saturday as fifth-ranked Ankeny traveled to the Waverly-Shell Rock Invitational. "It was a rough day," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘It was a rough day’: Hawkettes finish 2-3 at W-SR Invitational without top hitter

Jaguars reach title match of Urbandale Invitational before falling to Johnston

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Saturday's Urbandale Invitational provided perhaps the biggest test of the season for the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team. After winning their first two matches during pool play, the second-ranked Jaguars met four consecutive top-10 opponents. They advanced to the championship match of the tournament before dropping a 25-22, 18-25, 15-12 decision to No. … [Read more...] about Jaguars reach title match of Urbandale Invitational before falling to Johnston

Pick-6 on game’s final play seals Dowling Catholic’s 30-17 win over Centennial

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The Ankeny Centennial football team twice converted on fourth down to keep its final drive alive during Friday's game against visiting Dowling Catholic. The Jaguars couldn't do it a third time. Dowling's Kenyi James picked off a pass on the game's final play and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown to seal the second-ranked Maroons' 30-17 victory over … [Read more...] about Pick-6 on game’s final play seals Dowling Catholic’s 30-17 win over Centennial

Hawks survive dramatic finish, hold on for 17-14 victory at Cedar Rapids Prairie

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Ankeny football coach Jeff Bauer breathed a sigh of relief on Friday as he boarded the bus for the trip home from eastern Iowa. The eighth-ranked Hawks survived a dramatic finish to hold on for a 17-14 victory over Cedar Rapids Prairie in a matchup of 3-2 teams battling for playoff position in Class 5A. "It shouldn't have been that close, but it was," … [Read more...] about Hawks survive dramatic finish, hold on for 17-14 victory at Cedar Rapids Prairie

Hawkettes close gap on No. 1 Johnston, place 2nd at S.E. Polk Invitational

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The Ankeny girls' cross country team is closing the gap on top-ranked Johnston. The seventh-ranked Hawkettes placed second among 12 teams in the Southeast Polk Invitational on Thursday. They posted a score of 77 points to finish 15 points behind Johnston. Ankeny had finished 22 points behind the Dragons in the Bobcat Invitational on Sept. 7 at … [Read more...] about Hawkettes close gap on No. 1 Johnston, place 2nd at S.E. Polk Invitational

Centennial teams place 3rd at Williams Invite; Schermerhorn earns another win

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The Ankeny Centennial cross country teams both earned third-place finishes in the Bud Williams Invitational on Thursday at the University of Iowa's Ashton Cross Country Course. In the girls' division, second-ranked Dubuque Senior won the team title for the third straight year, finishing with 45 points. No. 4 Pleasant Valley was second in the 10-team field … [Read more...] about Centennial teams place 3rd at Williams Invite; Schermerhorn earns another win

‘I’m so excited to be a Redbird!’: Versatile Pratt to play basketball at Illinois State

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Ankeny Centennial junior Jaeden Pratt is enjoying another outstanding volleyball season. Her future, though, is on the basketball court. Pratt has verbally committed to play that sport at Illinois State, beginning in 2025. She announced her decision via social media on Thursday. "I visited a lot of schools that were around the Midwest, but something … [Read more...] about ‘I’m so excited to be a Redbird!’: Versatile Pratt to play basketball at Illinois State

Hawk golfers place 3rd at conference meet, while Jaguars finish 8th

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Wednesday's CIML Conference meet at Jester Park served as a tune-up for both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' golf teams. The Hawks and Jaguars are both hoping to peak at Monday's district meets. Sixth-ranked Ankeny placed third in the conference meet with a 300 total. The Hawks had placed eighth at last year's meet. "I was happy with a … [Read more...] about Hawk golfers place 3rd at conference meet, while Jaguars finish 8th

‘They didn’t make many mistakes at all’: Waukee NW avenges 2 losses to Ankeny

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Liz Baethke has never seen anything like this. Her Ankeny volleyball program continues to be decimated by injuries. The fifth-ranked Hawkettes were swept by No. 3 Waukee Northwest on Tuesday at the AHS gym, where an Ankeny freshman earlier suffered an ACL tear. "I don't know what's happening here, but it's not good," Baethke said after the Wolves … [Read more...] about ‘They didn’t make many mistakes at all’: Waukee NW avenges 2 losses to Ankeny

‘We just needed to settle in’: Jaguars shake off rust in 4-set victory at Johnston

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It took a little while for the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team to recover from a two-week layoff. After dropping the first set, the second-ranked Jaguars rallied for a 26-28, 25-20, 25-19, 25-20 victory at No. 7 Johnston on Tuesday. The win allowed Centennial to move into sole possession of third place in the CIML Conference. "I think we just needed … [Read more...] about ‘We just needed to settle in’: Jaguars shake off rust in 4-set victory at Johnston

‘It hurt really bad’: Torn UCL in right elbow will likely end Schrader’s season

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Ankeny volleyball standout Aowyn Schrader has likely played her final high school match. The senior outside hitter has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in her right elbow and is doubtful to return this season. "I got a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection that hopefully makes me not have to do surgery," Schrader said following … [Read more...] about ‘It hurt really bad’: Torn UCL in right elbow will likely end Schrader’s season

Zuber races to signature victory, leads Hawks to 8th-place finish at Rim Rock

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Ankeny runner Ethan Zuber had the Rim Rock Farm Classic circled on his calendar for a long time. After missing the meet a year ago, Zuber raced to a victory on Saturday in the 5k race on the University of Kansas cross country course. He led the fifth-ranked Hawks to an eighth-place finish among 39 teams in the Gold Division of the prestigious … [Read more...] about Zuber races to signature victory, leads Hawks to 8th-place finish at Rim Rock

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Baileigh Carlsen, Ankeny volleyball

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Junior libero Baileigh Carlsen has helped the fifth-ranked Ankeny volleyball team to a 17-7 record. She had 10 digs and two aces on Tuesday as the Hawkettes posted a 25-21, 25-14, 25-16 victory at Southeast Polk to improve their mark to 3-1 in the CIML Conference. Carlsen leads Class 5A and ranks 19th in the entire state with 292 digs. She has completed … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Baileigh Carlsen, Ankeny volleyball

Longtime friends celebrate their 50th anniversary of attending ISU-OSU games

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Gregg Sunner has earned the bragging rights for the next year. The retired Ankeny optometrist also gets to take home the ISU vs. OSU victory trophy. Sunner attended Saturday's football game at Jack Trice Stadium along with his good friend, Walt MeGown. They were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State contest that … [Read more...] about Longtime friends celebrate their 50th anniversary of attending ISU-OSU games