Ankeny Fanatic

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Boys' Track

Jags, Hawks gear up for state qualifying meets after tune-up at conference

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) With the CIML Conference meet now in the books, the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' track teams have their eyes set on their respective Class 4A state qualifying meets. The Jaguars crowned five champions on their way to a sixth-place overall finish with 74 points, while the Hawks crowned one individual champion and one … [Read more...] about Jags, Hawks gear up for state qualifying meets after tune-up at conference

‘We are making progress’: Hawks win 4 events, Hawkettes take 3 at Valley Quad

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In a final tune-up before the start of championship season, the Ankeny track teams turned in some strong performances on Friday at the Valley Quadrangular. The Ankeny boys' squad placed second with 51 points behind Valley, which finished with 54. Only the seven relay events were scored in both divisions. The Ankeny girls' team, meanwhile, took fourth … [Read more...] about ‘We are making progress’: Hawks win 4 events, Hawkettes take 3 at Valley Quad

‘Sam has his confidence back’: Madsen races to hurdles win at North Polk Invite

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The Ankeny boys' track team competed at the North Polk Invitational on Tuesday and got a huge win from Sam Madsen in the 110 hurdles. Madsen posted a personal-best time of 14.46 seconds, which puts him among the top nine hurdlers in Class 4A. It was also the fourth-fastest time in school history. Madsen also ran on the winning shuttle hurdle relay. He … [Read more...] about ‘Sam has his confidence back’: Madsen races to hurdles win at North Polk Invite

Trifecta of Drake 3rds: Hawks in SHR, Smith in mile, Centennial boys in 4×800

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The Ankeny boys' track team capped off a successful weekend at the Drake Relays with a pair of third-place finishes on Saturday. The Hawks were one of four teams to advance to the final in the shuttle hurdle relay. They posted a time of 57.65 seconds in the preliminaries, then returned to the blue oval a few hours later and lowered their mark to 57.41 in … [Read more...] about Trifecta of Drake 3rds: Hawks in SHR, Smith in mile, Centennial boys in 4×800

‘It’s amazing to just continue the legacy’: Carlson wins Relays crown in 110 hurdles

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The disappointment from last year's Drake Relays is now just a distant memory for standout Ankeny hurdler Hayden Carlson. The senior raced to a victory in the boys' 110 hurdles on Friday at this year's edition of America's Athletic Classic. He broke his own school record by posting a time of 13.80 seconds. "It was my coaches and teammates," said … [Read more...] about ‘It’s amazing to just continue the legacy’: Carlson wins Relays crown in 110 hurdles

Ankeny’s Smith, Centennial’s Alvarez race to distance victories at Waukee Invite

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Thursday was the last day for high school athletes to qualify for this year's Drake Relays, and the final opportunity for both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' track teams came in the Waukee Invitational held at Waukee Northwest. The Hawks got a victory in the 1,600 from Isaiah Smith, who posted a time of 4:22.65 to win the race by more than 8 … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Smith, Centennial’s Alvarez race to distance victories at Waukee Invite

‘It was an awesome team effort!’: Ankeny boys capture 5 events at Hawk Relays

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Although the Ankeny boys' track team didn't stack its lineup for the Fred Smith Hawk Relays on Tuesday, the Hawks still put up several impressive performances. Ankeny won five events and placed fourth overall in the 11-team field with 89 points. Indianola won the meet with 117 points, followed by Waukee with 107 and Gilbert with 99. "It was an awesome … [Read more...] about ‘It was an awesome team effort!’: Ankeny boys capture 5 events at Hawk Relays

Carlson wins 110 hurdles, Hawks capture distance medley relay at Duncan Invite

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The Ankeny boys' track team earned a pair of victories in the Jim Duncan Invitational on Saturday at Drake Stadium, while Ankeny Centennial recorded several top-six finishes. Ankeny senior Hayden Carlson easily won the 110 hurdles in 13.99 seconds. Blake Ludwig of Waukee Northwest was the runner-up in 14.70. "It was a very good day for the Hawks!" said … [Read more...] about Carlson wins 110 hurdles, Hawks capture distance medley relay at Duncan Invite

‘We saw some really nice races’: Hawks, Jaguars compete at Early Bird Relays

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Both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' track teams turned in some strong performances in the Early Bird Relays on Thursday at Waukee Northwest. Six squads competed in the meet, which was unscored. "We saw some really nice races," said Ankeny coach Jordan Mullen. "We had a lot of early season PRs, which is really exciting. I believe as a team … [Read more...] about ‘We saw some really nice races’: Hawks, Jaguars compete at Early Bird Relays

‘They are ready for the challenge!’: 2-time champion Hawks return 5 state qualifiers

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The bar has been raised by the Ankeny boys' track program over the last few seasons. After placing second in the Class 4A state meet in 2023, the Hawks won back-to-back titles in 2024-25 under coach Jordan Mullen.  "We have a lot of momentum and excitement going into this year!" said Mullen. "We are going to heavily focus on our team. As … [Read more...] about ‘They are ready for the challenge!’: 2-time champion Hawks return 5 state qualifiers

‘I had never seen a place like that before’: Carlson to join Iowa men’s track program

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Standout hurdler Hayden Carlson of Ankeny has signed a letter of intent to join the Iowa men's track and field program next year. Carlson will be coached by Iowa's Joey Woody, who is a four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year. Woody has also run competitively on the international track circuit, earning a silver medal in the 400 hurdles at the World … [Read more...] about ‘I had never seen a place like that before’: Carlson to join Iowa men’s track program

Ankeny boys’ track coach Mullen to be inducted into IATC Hall of Fame Saturday

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Last summer, Ankeny boys' track coach Jordan Mullen got a phone call from Mike Jay, the voice of the Drake Relays and the coed state track meet. The reason for the call was not what Mullen expected. "I just thought it was to say congrats for the state title, but it was to tell me I was inducted into the Hall of Fame!" recalled Mullen. "I was caught off … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys’ track coach Mullen to be inducted into IATC Hall of Fame Saturday

‘I love these guys to death’: Ankeny boys overcome adversity to defend 4A crown

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Landon Pote proudly held on to the Class 4A championship trophy as his teammates on the Ankeny boys' track squad crowded around him on the infield turf at Drake Stadium. The Hawks had just won a second consecutive state title on Saturday in emphatic fashion. "I asked God for three things: for high jump to go better than last year, for shuttle hurdle to … [Read more...] about ‘I love these guys to death’: Ankeny boys overcome adversity to defend 4A crown

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

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

‘It was an absolute total team effort!’: Ankeny squads sweep crowns at SQM

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It was a sweet repeat for the Ankeny track squads. The Hawks and Hawkettes swept the team titles in a Class 4A state qualifying meet on Thursday at Marshalltown. They duplicated last year's sweep at Council Bluffs. "It was an absolute total team effort!" said Ankeny boys' coach Jordan Mullen. "The boys are firing on all cylinders right now, and they … [Read more...] about ‘It was an absolute total team effort!’: Ankeny squads sweep crowns at SQM

Hawks claim 3 individual titles at CIML meet, focus more on defending 4A crown

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny boys' track team knows what it takes to reach the top, and the Hawks are just making sure the pieces are in place to do so. The defending Class 4A state champion Hawks earned three individual titles while placing fourth overall with 101 points during the CIML Conference meet on Thursday at Ankeny Stadium. “The … [Read more...] about Hawks claim 3 individual titles at CIML meet, focus more on defending 4A crown