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‘He was better today’: Cedar Falls’ Merrick edges Zuber in state’s fastest race ever

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Ankeny boys' coach Jon Lindaman called it maybe the greatest cross country showdown the state of Iowa has ever seen. Anybody who was there in Marshalltown on Thursday likely wouldn't disagree. In a matchup of the top two finishers at last year's Class 4A state meet, defending champion Ethan Zuber of Ankeny led the entire way in the Bobcat Invitational … [Read more...] about ‘He was better today’: Cedar Falls’ Merrick edges Zuber in state’s fastest race ever

‘This was a great meet’: Ankeny girls place 5th among 20 teams at Bobcat Invite

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With a field of 134 runners, Thursday's Bobcat Invitational at Marshalltown provided somewhat of a state meet preview for the Ankeny girls' cross country team. "There were so many good runners, and it felt so cool to run here," said Ankeny junior Makenna Madetzke. The fifth-ranked Hawkettes placed fifth in the 20-team field. They finished with 174 … [Read more...] about ‘This was a great meet’: Ankeny girls place 5th among 20 teams at Bobcat Invite

Jaguars, Hawkettes take over top 2 spots in Class 5A; ACA remains No. 1 in 1A

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The state of volleyball in the city of Ankeny couldn't be much better. Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny are ranked in the top two spots in Class 5A in the latest rankings from the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union. The Jaguars (10-2) moved into the No. 1 spot after winning the Little Hawk Invitational on Saturday at Iowa City High for the fourth … [Read more...] about Jaguars, Hawkettes take over top 2 spots in Class 5A; ACA remains No. 1 in 1A

Ankeny golfers fall to Johnston, S.E. Polk in triangular meet at Jester Park

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The Ankeny boys' golf team shot a 305 in a CIML Conference triangular meet on Wednesday at Jester Park, losing to both Johnston and Southeast Polk in the process. The Dragons posted a 292 total to edge Southeast Polk by two strokes. The Hawks fell to 1-5 in the conference. "We had some good (scores) and some that were not so good today," said Ankeny … [Read more...] about Ankeny golfers fall to Johnston, S.E. Polk in triangular meet at Jester Park

‘They just scrapped and wanted it more’: Warriors halt Ankeny’s winning streak

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The Waukee volleyball team committed nine serving errors during Tuesday's match against visiting Ankeny. On most nights, it would be tough to overcome that many "free" points for your opponent. But ninth-ranked Waukee played so well in every other aspect of the game that it didn't matter. The Warriors avenged Saturday's loss to No. 4 Ankeny at the Marj … [Read more...] about ‘They just scrapped and wanted it more’: Warriors halt Ankeny’s winning streak

‘We had a good night’: Ankeny swimmers dominate double dual at Mason City

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Ankeny girls' swimming coach Dustin Rhoads is a big fan of the Mason City pool. His team may get another chance to compete there. Ankeny traveled to Mason City on Tuesday for a double dual meet against the host River Hawks and Des Moines Hoover. The Hawkettes easily defeated both teams, winning all but one event overall. "We had a good night," said … [Read more...] about ‘We had a good night’: Ankeny swimmers dominate double dual at Mason City

‘Everyone played so hard’: Hawkettes beat 4 top-10 teams, win Marj White Classic

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The Valley High School gym is turning into a second home for the Ankeny volleyball team. After sweeping their CIML Conference opener on Tuesday at Valley, the fourth-ranked Hawkettes returned to the Bill Coldiron Fieldhouse on Saturday and captured the championship of the Marj White Classic. They won all five of their matches in the round-robin event, … [Read more...] about ‘Everyone played so hard’: Hawkettes beat 4 top-10 teams, win Marj White Classic

‘We have to get better’: Hawks fall to 0-2 after losing rematch of 5A title game

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The last time Ankeny and Southeast Polk collided on the football field, it was for the Class 5A state championship at the UNI-Dome. But inside Ram Stadium on Friday night, the three-time defending champion Rams and Hawks battled to see who could pick up their first win of the season. Two scoring drives in the second half … [Read more...] about ‘We have to get better’: Hawks fall to 0-2 after losing rematch of 5A title game

Like a ‘well-oiled machine’, Centennial girls capture team title at Schmaltz Invite

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There was no rust for the Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team to shake off. For the second time in three years, the fifth-ranked Jaguars captured the team title in the Kirk Schmaltz Invitational on Thursday. The meet was held at the Iowa State cross country course in Ames. Centennial posted a score of 54 points, matching its winning total from … [Read more...] about Like a ‘well-oiled machine’, Centennial girls capture team title at Schmaltz Invite

Zuber races to season-opening victory, while Jaguars earn runner-up finish

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Ankeny's Ethan Zuber made a strong statement in his first cross country race of the season. The Ankeny Centennial boys' team also made a huge impression. Zuber, the defending Class 4A state champion, raced to a victory in the Kirk Schmaltz Invitational on Thursday at the Iowa State cross country course in Ames. He posted a time of 14 minutes 56.5 … [Read more...] about Zuber races to season-opening victory, while Jaguars earn runner-up finish

‘We beat some talented teams’: Hawks place 3rd, edge Jaguars at Ankeny Invite

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While the Valley boys' golf team dominated the Ankeny Invitational on Wednesday at Otter Creek Golf Course, the real battle was for second place. Valley, the defending the Class 4A state champion, shot a 280 to easily win the team crown. The next six squads all broke 300 as well and were separated by just four strokes. Dowling Catholic and Ankeny each … [Read more...] about ‘We beat some talented teams’: Hawks place 3rd, edge Jaguars at Ankeny Invite

‘The key was to stay on our toes’: Scheib, Hawkettes sweep past No. 11 Valley

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The Valley volleyball team entered the week on a four-match losing streak. A matchup against fifth-ranked Ankeny was not what the Tigers needed. The visiting Hawkettes rolled to a 25-16, 25-17, 25-19 victory in the CIML Conference opener for both teams on Tuesday. They improved their overall record to 8-1, while No. 11 Valley dropped to 2-6. "The … [Read more...] about ‘The key was to stay on our toes’: Scheib, Hawkettes sweep past No. 11 Valley

‘This one feels pretty dang good!’: Ankeny swimmers top 3-time defending champs

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This year's Ankeny girls' swimming team looks considerably different than it did last season. CIML Conference rival Waukee also went through some big roster changes in the offseason after the three-time defending state champion split its program into two squads with Waukee Northwest. Ankeny opened the season on Tuesday with a 98-88 victory over … [Read more...] about ‘This one feels pretty dang good!’: Ankeny swimmers top 3-time defending champs

Ankeny Christian wins Centennial Invite; Hawkettes, Jaguars tumble in semifinals

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All three of Ankeny's highly-ranked volleyball teams reached the semifinals of the Ankeny Centennial Invitational on Saturday. In the end, the smallest school emerged as the winner of the tournament. Top-ranked Ankeny Christian Academy, the two-time defending state champion in Class 1A, posted a 25-18, 21-25, 15-13 victory over Dowling Catholic in the … [Read more...] about Ankeny Christian wins Centennial Invite; Hawkettes, Jaguars tumble in semifinals

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Isaiah Bassett, Ankeny Centennial football

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Senior defensive end Isaiah Bassett helped the Ankeny Centennial football team to a 31-10 victory over Ankeny on Friday. The Jaguars intercepted two passes and allowed no points over the final 34 minutes. As a junior, Bassett made 38 tackles--including a team-high 7.5 sacks--while also averaging 37.0 yards as the Jaguars' punter. He was a first-team … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Isaiah Bassett, Ankeny Centennial football

Jackson, Jaguars dominate 2nd half, pull away for 31-10 victory over Ankeny

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It was tough for Braeden Jackson to pick out his favorite touchdown run. The Ankeny Centennial senior running back scored three times in the second half and rushed for 236 yards to fuel the third-ranked Jaguars to a 31-10 victory over No. 2 Ankeny in the season opener for both teams on Friday. “It feels great,” said … [Read more...] about Jackson, Jaguars dominate 2nd half, pull away for 31-10 victory over Ankeny

‘We just have to make some adjustments’: Hawks look to bounce back from loss

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Earlier this week, Ankeny Centennial co-head football coach Ryan Pezzetti lauded the experience of his team's offensive line. "We have five or six (players) on the line who have played before and that's huge," Pezzetti said. "That's where the games are won or lost--in the trenches." He turned out to be prophetic. Centennial's Braeden Jackson rushed … [Read more...] about ‘We just have to make some adjustments’: Hawks look to bounce back from loss

Ankeny swimmers face rebuilding year after posting 10th straight top-10 finish

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It won't be easy for the Ankeny girls' swimming team to replace standouts Josie Parton and Anja Peck, who are now competing for Northern Iowa and Iowa State, respectively. The duo led the Hawkettes to a ninth-place finish in last year's state meet, accounting for 64 of the team's 105 points. It was the squad's 10th consecutive top-10 finish and its first … [Read more...] about Ankeny swimmers face rebuilding year after posting 10th straight top-10 finish

‘I knew it was an easy choice’: Ankeny’s Halverson to play baseball at Ellsworth

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It was an easy decision for Ankeny senior Zach Halverson. The righthanded pitcher has committed to play baseball for Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls. He announced his decision via social media on Thursday. "There was a good amount of schools that were in contact with me," said Halverson. "And honestly, it wasn't really that difficult of a … [Read more...] about ‘I knew it was an easy choice’: Ankeny’s Halverson to play baseball at Ellsworth