(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Friday night’s showing in Waukee might have been one of the top defensive performances Ankeny coach Jeff Bauer has seen during his tenure at the helm of the Hawks’ program. Ankeny marched into Waukee Stadium, locked the Warriors down on their home turf and walked away with a 26-13 victory for the Hawks’ first win of the … [Read more...] about ‘Our defense was lights out’: Hawks shut down Waukee for 26-13 road victory
Hawks
No. 5 Jaguars nearly capture another title, place 2nd behind NW at Schmaltz Invite
After being 17th in the Class 4A preseason rankings, the Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team proved in its opening meet that the Jaguars were vastly underrated. Centennial moved up to No. 5 in the Week 2 rankings after winning the Jaguar Invitational on Aug. 26 for its first team title since 2020. Then, on Thursday, the Jaguars nearly picked up … [Read more...] about No. 5 Jaguars nearly capture another title, place 2nd behind NW at Schmaltz Invite
Ankeny’s Madetzke wins Schmaltz Invite; Centennial girls earn runner-up finish
The race for the individual girls' title in the Kirk Schmaltz Invitational on Thursday came down to a trio of cross country runners from Ankeny. Ankeny's Makenna Madetzke outdueled the Ankeny Centennial duo of Rebecca Flick and Ellie Blevins to win the 5K race at the Iowa State cross country course in Ames. Madetzke posted a time of 17 minutes 57 … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Madetzke wins Schmaltz Invite; Centennial girls earn runner-up finish
Ankeny swimmers earn 5 victories, score 372 points to win Grinnell Quadrangular
The Ankeny girls' swimming team won five events and easily defeated three opponents to capture the overall crown at the Grinnell Quadrangular on Thursday night. The Hawkettes racked up a total of 372 points. Grinnell was second with 242, followed by Newton with 241 and Indianola with 128. "It was nice to get three wins tonight!" said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about Ankeny swimmers earn 5 victories, score 372 points to win Grinnell Quadrangular
‘This match gave us a lot to build on’: AHS girls see progress in loss to Columbus
The Ankeny girls' tennis team saw a lot of progress during the Hawkettes' 9-2 loss to visiting Waterloo Columbus in a non-conference meet on Thursday. Ankeny posted a pair of straight-set victories against a team that is now 6-1 on the season. The Hawkettes dropped to 2-8. "I’m really proud of the effort the girls put out there today," said Ankeny … [Read more...] about ‘This match gave us a lot to build on’: AHS girls see progress in loss to Columbus
Centennial golfers place 5th, Hawks finish 6th in Ankeny Invitational at Otter Creek
Wednesday's Ankeny Invitational boys' meet at Otter Creek Golf Course featured a variety of weather conditions. "The day was typical Iowa as we had rain this morning which did not allow the teams to warm up at the range, then it got warm and beautiful, then the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up and it cooled off so that may have affected play a … [Read more...] about Centennial golfers place 5th, Hawks finish 6th in Ankeny Invitational at Otter Creek
Despite better performance in doubles, Hawkettes drop 11-0 decision to Dowling
The Ankeny girls' tennis team ran into another tough opponent on Tuesday. The Hawkettes dropped an 11-0 decision to visiting Dowling Catholic in a CIML Conference match. The Maroons improved to 4-1 in the league and 6-2 overall, while Ankeny's records dropped to 1-5 and 2-7. Dowling won all 11 matches in straight sets, including a dominant performance … [Read more...] about Despite better performance in doubles, Hawkettes drop 11-0 decision to Dowling
‘We like being the underdog’: Hawkettes sweep No. 7 Valley girls in CIML opener
(Story by Stephen McDaniel) If there was one thing to learn from Tuesday night, it’d be to never underestimate the Ankeny volleyball team. The ninth-ranked Hawkettes returned to their home court and proceeded to cruise to a 3-0 sweep (25-13, 25-14, 15-16) over No. 7 Valley in the CIML Conference opener for both teams. “It’s awesome to get the first … [Read more...] about ‘We like being the underdog’: Hawkettes sweep No. 7 Valley girls in CIML opener
‘It was a fun way to kick off our season’: Ankeny swimmers fall at Waukee, 106-80
Coach Dustin Rhoads saw plenty of reasons to be optimistic after watching his Ankeny girls' swimming team open its season on Tuesday. Even though the Hawkettes dropped a 106-80 decision at Waukee, Rhoads came away from the CIML Conference dual meet fully convinced that his squad will continue to make progress throughout the season. "This is just the … [Read more...] about ‘It was a fun way to kick off our season’: Ankeny swimmers fall at Waukee, 106-80
Centennial golfers edge Hawks by 2 shots for 3rd-place finish at Fort Dodge Invite
Tuesday's Fort Dodge Invitational likely served as a preview of a district meet next month for some of the 15 boys' golf teams in the field. The Fort Dodge Country Club will be one of the five district sites in Class 4A. Copper Creek and Hyperion are among the other sites. "It was really good to have some success at Fort Dodge today as this is a … [Read more...] about Centennial golfers edge Hawks by 2 shots for 3rd-place finish at Fort Dodge Invite
Jaguars, Hawkettes demonstrate lofty potential at Centennial’s Early Bird Invite
Saturday's Ankeny Centennial Early Bird Invitational featured many of the state's top volleyball teams, including nine of the top 10 squads in the Class 5A preseason rankings. Both Centennial and Ankeny came away from the tournament feeling good about their performance. The fourth-ranked Jaguars advanced to the championship match with a 22-25, 27-25, … [Read more...] about Jaguars, Hawkettes demonstrate lofty potential at Centennial’s Early Bird Invite
Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Miya Steinkamp, Ankeny volleyball
Senior setter Miya Steinkamp has helped the ninth-ranked Ankeny volleyball team to a 6-2 record. The Hawkettes opened their season on Tuesday by defeating all three of their opponents at the Ankeny Quadrangular, then reached the semifinals of the Ankeny Centennial Early Bird Invitational on Saturday before losing a three-set match to the No. 4 … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Miya Steinkamp, Ankeny volleyball
‘We know we’ve got a good team’: Hawks fall short in opener against Waukee NW
(Story by Stephen McDaniel) For just a brief moment, the Ankeny football players thought they’d put the dagger in what would have been a season-opening victory over Waukee Northwest. An untimely holding penalty wiped away an Ankeny touchdown and opened up the opportunity for the fourth-ranked Wolves to snatch a 25-24 win from the jaws of defeat during … [Read more...] about ‘We know we’ve got a good team’: Hawks fall short in opener against Waukee NW
Ankeny swimmers welcome back 5 state qualifiers, seek return to top-10 finish
The Ankeny girls' swimming team is hoping that last year was just an aberration. After earning 10 consecutive top-10 finishes at the state meet, the Hawkettes slipped to a 29th-place finish in 2024. They scored just nine points after being disqualified in the 200 medley relay. Ankeny was seeded seventh in that event and posted a time of 1:51.01, which … [Read more...] about Ankeny swimmers welcome back 5 state qualifiers, seek return to top-10 finish
‘What a great night to be a Hawk!’: Ankeny girls beat S.E. Polk for their first CIML win
A strong performance in doubles allowed the Ankeny girls' tennis team to post a 7-4 victory over visiting Southeast Polk on Thursday at the Prairie Ridge courts. After the two teams split the six singles matches, the Hawkettes won four of the five doubles matches to earn their first win in CIML Conference play. They are now 1-4 in the league and 2-6 … [Read more...] about ‘What a great night to be a Hawk!’: Ankeny girls beat S.E. Polk for their first CIML win
‘I feel more calm’: Miller wins playoff to earn medalist honors at NW Invitational
Thursday's Waukee Northwest Invitational at The Legacy Golf Club in Norwalk provided another opportunity for the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' golf teams to compete against some of the state's top squads. It was also another chance for Centennial junior McCoy Miller to build on his rapidly growing resume. Miller carded a 3-under-par 69 to tie for … [Read more...] about ‘I feel more calm’: Miller wins playoff to earn medalist honors at NW Invitational
Flick, Blevins lead Centennial girls to runner-up finish at Jaguar Invitational
The Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team opened its season on Tuesday by placing second in the Jaguar Invitational at DMACC. The 12th-ranked Jaguars scored 55 points when the results of the two girls' races were combined. No. 3 Waukee Northwest won the meet with 36 points. "Our coaching staff is very proud of our girls as they fought off … [Read more...] about Flick, Blevins lead Centennial girls to runner-up finish at Jaguar Invitational
Hawkettes top 3 foes at Ankeny Quad, while ACA looks to regroup after 0-3 start
(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Whether it's the Hawkettes or the Eagles, there’s plenty of new faces stepping up into larger roles as both volleyball teams look to reload their respective rosters. Ankeny and Ankeny Christian Academy are both trying to fill the gaps left by big senior classes, and Ankeny’s Tuesday quadrangular featuring ACA, Dike-New … [Read more...] about Hawkettes top 3 foes at Ankeny Quad, while ACA looks to regroup after 0-3 start
All-staters Clark, Larmie, Whitinger give Ankeny football team strong nucleus
Despite some heavy losses to graduation, the Ankeny football team isn't starting over from scratch. The Hawks return several key players from a team that posted a 6-5 record and reached the Class 5A quarterfinals, including a trio of all-staters. "This might be the best looking team I've had getting off the bus, but we've got a lot of guys who haven't … [Read more...] about All-staters Clark, Larmie, Whitinger give Ankeny football team strong nucleus
‘I think we will surprise a lot of people’: Hawks boast high hopes despite losses
Ankeny boys' cross country coach Jon Lindaman has been in this situation before. Lindaman will have to replace two-time Class 4A state champion Ethan Zuber, who is now competing for Missouri. Zuber led the Hawks to an eighth-place finish a year ago after helping them to back-to-back third-place finishes in 2022-23. It won't be easy, but at least … [Read more...] about ‘I think we will surprise a lot of people’: Hawks boast high hopes despite losses