Ankeny's Ethan Zuber raised his arms in triumph as he crossed the finish line on Friday. The senior pulled away in the final half mile to defend his boys' Class 4A state cross country title at Fort Dodge. He posted a time of 15:01.2 in the 5K race. "It's the greatest feeling ever to come across with that win," said Zuber. "I'm very excited to see how … [Read more...] about ‘It’s the greatest feeling ever’: Zuber wins 2nd title, leads Hawks to 8th-place finish
Fall
‘It was an amazing day of racing!’: Jaguars place 4th, Hawkettes take 7th in Class 4A
The Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team did everything it could to capture a trophy on Friday. The fourth-ranked Jaguars simply lost to three better squads. Centennial placed fourth in the Class 4A state meet at Fort Dodge with 145 points. The Jaguars finished 12 points behind No. 3 Dubuque Senior for the third-place trophy. No. 1 Pleasant … [Read more...] about ‘It was an amazing day of racing!’: Jaguars place 4th, Hawkettes take 7th in Class 4A
‘It’s just really special’: Hawkettes sweep Iowa City High, earn another trip to state
The players on the Ankeny volleyball team aren't just teammates. They're also best friends--and perhaps that's a big part of their success. The third-ranked Hawkettes advanced to the state tournament for the seventh consecutive year by sweeping No. 11 Iowa City High, 25-15, 25-10, 27-25, in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday at Ankeny. "We're all … [Read more...] about ‘It’s just really special’: Hawkettes sweep Iowa City High, earn another trip to state
Doubleday Insurance Coach of the Month: Liz Baethke, Ankeny volleyball
The Hawkettes earn another trip to the Class 5A state tournament by sweeping Iowa City High in a regional final on Tuesday. … [Read more...] about Doubleday Insurance Coach of the Month: Liz Baethke, Ankeny volleyball
‘They’ve really changed the program’: Henkes joins Ankeny parade to Sioux Falls
Ankeny's Caden Henkes and Ankeny Centennial's Chase Kluver both wear a No. 5 jersey for their respective football teams. At least one of them will have to wear a different number next season. Henkes, a senior running back, has verbally committed to play for the University of Sioux Falls. He becomes the fourth player from Ankeny to commit to the … [Read more...] about ‘They’ve really changed the program’: Henkes joins Ankeny parade to Sioux Falls
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 280
In the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America and Revive Clinic and Spa, publisher Dan Holm previews the state cross country meet with coach Jon Lindaman and senior Ethan Zuber of the Ankeny boys' team and coach TJ Jumper and senior Sophia Graber of the Ankeny girls' squad. … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 280
‘I thought we raced hard’: Ankeny places 4th at CIML Conference swim meet
With only three weeks left in the season, the Ankeny girls' swimming team headed to the Waukee Natatorium on Saturday for the CIML Conference meet. The sixth-ranked Hawkettes finished in the middle of the pack. Ankeny placed fourth in the seven-team field behind No. 1 Dowling Catholic, No. 2 Waukee Northwest and No. 10 Waukee. "I was really … [Read more...] about ‘I thought we raced hard’: Ankeny places 4th at CIML Conference swim meet
Hawks weather lightning delay, gear up for playoffs with rout over C.R. Washington
The Ankeny football team was hoping to get an extra day of rest prior to the start of the postseason. But those plans went out the window after Thursday's game against Cedar Rapids Washington was suspended due to lightning at Kingston Stadium. After a long night on the bus, the Hawks were forced to return to Cedar Rapids on Friday afternoon--and they … [Read more...] about Hawks weather lightning delay, gear up for playoffs with rout over C.R. Washington
Jags, Hawks likely to host doubleheader in first round of Class 5A football playoffs
It appears likely that Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial will host a doubleheader in the opening round of the Class 5A football playoffs. Both teams closed out the regular season on Friday with impressive victories. The Jaguars (7-2) rolled to a 49-7 win over visiting Urbandale, while the Hawks (5-4) defeated Cedar Rapids Washington, 56-0, in a game that … [Read more...] about Jags, Hawks likely to host doubleheader in first round of Class 5A football playoffs
‘We had great energy’: Hawkettes sweep C.R. Jefferson, will host City High next
There were a lot of mismatches on Thursday in the semifinal round of the Class 5A regional volleyball tournaments. One of the lopsided affairs came at Ankeny, where the third-ranked Hawkettes rolled to a 25-10, 25-10, 25-18 victory over Cedar Rapids Jefferson. The J-Hawks finished the season with a 7-28 record. "We had great energy and controlled our … [Read more...] about ‘We had great energy’: Hawkettes sweep C.R. Jefferson, will host City High next
Ankeny divers ‘have room to improve’ following CIML Conference meet
The Ankeny divers continued to make some progress while competing in the CIML Conference meet on Thursday at Waukee. Gabby Gagne placed 15th in the 11-dive varsity competition with 288.80 points. Teammates Kambelle Subbert and Isla Corron finished right behind Gagne, placing 16th and 17th with 279.40 and 278.25 points, respectively. Holli Hetzer of … [Read more...] about Ankeny divers ‘have room to improve’ following CIML Conference meet
Zuber leads Hawks to district crown; Hawkettes also qualify for state meet
The Ankeny cross country teams extended their streaks of consecutive state-meet appearances on Wednesday. The boys' squad won a Class 4A district meet at Southeast Polk to earn their fourth straight trip to state. The ninth-ranked Hawks scored 48 points, while No. 14 Indianola (69 points) and No. 11 Johnston (78 points) also advanced to … [Read more...] about Zuber leads Hawks to district crown; Hawkettes also qualify for state meet
Rematch in Class 5A semifinals?: Jaguars fall to No. 2, Ankeny stays No. 3 in rankings
Last year, the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial volleyball teams met in the state tournament for the second time--with the Jaguars prevailing in a five-set thriller in the Class 5A quarterfinals. This year, the two teams could meet in the Class 5A semifinals. Centennial dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 in the final Class 5A rankings on Monday after falling to … [Read more...] about Rematch in Class 5A semifinals?: Jaguars fall to No. 2, Ankeny stays No. 3 in rankings
Jaguars move up to 10th, Ankeny is now 12th in latest Class 5A RPI rankings
Both Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny moved up in the latest Class 5A RPI football rankings from the Iowa High School Athletic Association. The Jaguars moved up two spots to No. 10 following a 28-10 victory at Waukee Northwest that likely knocked the Wolves out of playoff contention. The Hawks, meanwhile, moved up three spots to No. 12 after a 13-10 overtime … [Read more...] about Jaguars move up to 10th, Ankeny is now 12th in latest Class 5A RPI rankings
‘I was very happy with our performance’: Ankeny divers compete at invitational
Four Ankeny divers competed in the Marshalltown Diving Invitational on Saturday, providing a preview of next month's state meet. "This meet is known for being a great test before the postseason as it works like a mini-state meet for many," said Ankeny diving coach Chris Amundson. "Of the top 20 divers in the state, 10 of them … [Read more...] about ‘I was very happy with our performance’: Ankeny divers compete at invitational
‘I was so proud of our defense’: Clark’s pick in OT seals Hawks’ 13-10 win over Valley
The Ankeny football team didn't want its postseason hopes to hinge on next week's regular-season finale at Cedar Rapids Washington. Friday's overtime victory against fourth-ranked Valley likely punched the Hawks' playoff ticket. LaMarious Clark picked off a third-down pass from Valley quarterback Drake DeGroote to end the game, and No. 15 Ankeny evened … [Read more...] about ‘I was so proud of our defense’: Clark’s pick in OT seals Hawks’ 13-10 win over Valley
‘I really wanted to focus on the hills’: Zuber wins his 2nd straight CIML crown
Check off another box for Ankeny runner Ethan Zuber. The senior easily defended his boys' title in the CIML Conference cross country meet on Wednesday, covering the 5K course at Southeast Polk in a time of 15 minutes 30.6 seconds. He finished about 11 seconds ahead of the Dowling Catholic duo of Owen Wolfe and Jack Flori. "That was the focus for me," … [Read more...] about ‘I really wanted to focus on the hills’: Zuber wins his 2nd straight CIML crown
Mohrhauser, Jaguars place 2nd at CIML meet; Shorthanded Hawkettes finish 5th
The Ankeny girls' cross country team was not at full strength on Wednesday, and neither was Ankeny Centennial. Still, both teams had some good performances in the CIML Conference meet at Southeast Polk. The fourth-ranked Jaguars, who were without coach Eric Cogdill, placed second in the nine-team field for the second straight year. They finished with … [Read more...] about Mohrhauser, Jaguars place 2nd at CIML meet; Shorthanded Hawkettes finish 5th
Baethke returns to Urbandale, guides Hawkettes to sweep over her former team
(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Of all the gyms that the Ankeny volleyball team has played in throughout the fall, the Hawkettes closed out their regular season in one that’s more than familiar to coach Liz Baethke. The second-year Ankeny coach returned to Urbandale on Tuesday to help guide the Hawkettes to a 3-0 sweep (25-9, 25-4, 25-19) over a J-Hawks … [Read more...] about Baethke returns to Urbandale, guides Hawkettes to sweep over her former team
Tough conditions: Hawks drop to 8th, while Jaguars finish 9th at 4A state meet
The course at Briarwood Golf Club played a lot tougher in the final round of the boys' Class 4A state golf meet. It resulted in higher scores for just about every team, including Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial. The 15th-ranked Hawks shot a 323 on Tuesday and finished with a 36-hole total of 626. They placed eighth in the 12-team field after sitting in … [Read more...] about Tough conditions: Hawks drop to 8th, while Jaguars finish 9th at 4A state meet