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Jaguars

Jags sweep Valley to get over semifinal hump, will play Waukee NW for 5A crown

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team finally got over the hump. The second-ranked Jaguars advanced to the Class 5A championship match for the first time since 2018 with a sweep over No. 7 Valley on Wednesday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. They had lost in the semifinal round in each of the last three years. "It feels great," Centennial coach Jessica … [Read more...] about Jags sweep Valley to get over semifinal hump, will play Waukee NW for 5A crown

‘They put us on their backs’: Cheeseman, Schmidt lead Jags to sweep over I.C. West

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A third consecutive postseason sweep has put the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team in a familiar spot. The second-ranked Jaguars posted a 25-23, 25-17, 25-23 victory over No. 8 Iowa City West in the Class 5A quarterfinals on Monday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. They advanced to the semifinals for the fourth year in a row. "It feels really good. It's … [Read more...] about ‘They put us on their backs’: Cheeseman, Schmidt lead Jags to sweep over I.C. West

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Davis Johnson, Centennial boys’ cross country

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Senior Davis Johnson helped the Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team to a third-place finish in the Class 4A state meet on Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. It was the Jaguars' highest finish in school history. Johnson placed 43rd in the 5K race in a field of 130 runners. He posted a time of 16 minutes 14.1 seconds. Here is some … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Davis Johnson, Centennial boys’ cross country

‘We knew we had it in us’: Jaguars place 3rd in 4A, capture trophy for first time

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A year ago, the Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team didn't even qualify for the Class 4A state meet. On Saturday, the Jaguars found themselves on the awards podium following this year's meet at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. They placed third with 157 points, by far the highest finish in school history. Centennial's previous best was a … [Read more...] about ‘We knew we had it in us’: Jaguars place 3rd in 4A, capture trophy for first time

Podium finishers Blevins, Flick lead Jags to 5th place in 4A, school-record score

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team was looking to earn a spot on the awards podium for only the second time in school history. The sixth-ranked Jaguars settled for a school record instead. Centennial placed fifth in the Class 4A state meet on Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. The Jaguars scored 136 points, five fewer than … [Read more...] about Podium finishers Blevins, Flick lead Jags to 5th place in 4A, school-record score

‘We just came up a little bit short’: Jaguars’ late rally falls short in loss at Johnston

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After twice falling behind by three touchdowns, the Ankeny Centennial football team could have let its season come to an uneventful conclusion. But the Jaguars refused to go away quietly. Visiting Centennial rallied for a pair of scores and had a chance to drive for a tying touchdown in the final minutes before third-seeded Johnston held on for a 34-26 … [Read more...] about ‘We just came up a little bit short’: Jaguars’ late rally falls short in loss at Johnston

‘We did what we needed to do!’: Confident Jaguars are headed back to state tourney

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team won't need a map to Coralville. The Jaguars have made a habit of qualifying for the state tournament, so coach Jessica Rinehart and her players already know the way to Xtream Arena. Second-ranked Centennial advanced to the state tournament for the 12th time in the 13-year history of the program by sweeping visiting … [Read more...] about ‘We did what we needed to do!’: Confident Jaguars are headed back to state tourney

Ex-Jag Benkufsky captures No. 3 doubles crown for Rams at MWC Championships

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After a successful high school tennis career at Ankeny Centennial, Jenna Benkufsky has continued to find success at the collegiate level. The Cornell College sophomore teamed up with senior Audrey Small to claim the No. 3 doubles title in the Midwest Conference Women's Individual Championships on Oct. 19 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the campus of the … [Read more...] about Ex-Jag Benkufsky captures No. 3 doubles crown for Rams at MWC Championships

‘I’m proud of the girls’: Ankeny swimmers avenge losses, place 4th at CIML meet

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The Ankeny girls' swimming team avenged a pair of dual-meet losses during the regular season while placing fourth in the CIML Conference meet on Saturday at the Waukee Natatorium. The seventh-ranked Hawkettes racked up 309 points to finish far ahead of No. 11 Valley (199 points) and No. 5 Johnston (152), two teams that they lost to last month. "We had … [Read more...] about ‘I’m proud of the girls’: Ankeny swimmers avenge losses, place 4th at CIML meet

‘We’re extremely confident’: Jags wrap up playoff berth with 49-7 win over S.C. North

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) With playoff football looming in the background, Ankeny Centennial needed to come out on its home turf and take care of business before it worried about the postseason. And the Jaguars did just that. Centennial had the running clock going in the second half as the Jaguars earned their spot in the Class 5A playoffs with a … [Read more...] about ‘We’re extremely confident’: Jags wrap up playoff berth with 49-7 win over S.C. North

Playoff pairings announced: Hawks to host S.E. Polk, Jaguars travel to No. 3 Johnston

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The Class 5A football playoff pairings have been announced by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Fifth-seeded Ankeny (7-2) will host No. 12 Southeast Polk (5-4) in Friday's opening round. The Rams are the four-time defending state champions. The winner of that game will play either No. 4 Iowa City Liberty (8-1) or No. 13 Waukee (4-5) in the … [Read more...] about Playoff pairings announced: Hawks to host S.E. Polk, Jaguars travel to No. 3 Johnston

‘It was a good start’: Centennial begins postseason run with sweep over J-Hawks

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Ankeny Centennial volleyball’s aspirations for postseason play takes the Jaguars well beyond just the regional bracket. But all good postseason runs start by hitting the ground running. The second-ranked Jaguars used a couple big runs to help sweep visiting Cedar Rapids Jefferson (25-8, 25-10, 25-9) in three sets in … [Read more...] about ‘It was a good start’: Centennial begins postseason run with sweep over J-Hawks

Ankeny’s Corron places 14th, Subbert finishes 16th in CIML diving competition

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The diving portion of the CIML Conference girls' swimming meet was held on Thursday at the Waukee Natatorium. Ankeny's Isla Corron placed 14th in the 11-dive event with a score of 325.80 points. Teammate Kambelle Subbert finished 16th with 320.15. Holli Hetzer of Southeast Polk, the state's second-ranked diver, won the event with 435.00 points. Bailey … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Corron places 14th, Subbert finishes 16th in CIML diving competition

‘Celebrate first and reflect second’: Centennial teams advance to state meet

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For the first time since 2020, the Ankeny Centennial cross country teams traveled to Council Bluffs on Wednesday to compete in a state qualifying meet. And just like five years ago, both squads qualified for next week's state meet. The third-ranked Centennial girls' team placed second among nine squads with 50 points, finishing 13 points behind No. 6 … [Read more...] about ‘Celebrate first and reflect second’: Centennial teams advance to state meet

Jaguars tumble to No. 2 Dowling, will host S.C. North next with playoff berth at stake

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) On a night when two of the top three football teams in Class 5A got beat, the 12th-ranked Ankeny Centennial Jaguars wanted to get in on the action of knocking off a top seed. But Centennial just couldn’t find its footing offensively, and No. 2 Dowling Catholic took control in the second half as the Jaguars dropped to 4-4 on … [Read more...] about Jaguars tumble to No. 2 Dowling, will host S.C. North next with playoff berth at stake

‘It was a good night for us’: Jaguars place 4th, earn highest finish ever at CIML meet

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It's already been a successful fall for the Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team. Wednesday's CIML Conference meet at Johnston was just another sign of the Jaguars' progress this season. Ninth-ranked Centennial placed fourth in the nine-team field with 105 points. The Jaguars had finished eighth, seventh and sixth in the previous CIML meets since … [Read more...] about ‘It was a good night for us’: Jaguars place 4th, earn highest finish ever at CIML meet

‘It was another great day for racing’: Jags place 3rd, Ankeny takes 7th at CIML meet

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team was hoping to win its first CIML Conference title since 2022, which was also the last time the meet was held at Johnston. After placing second behind Johnston in each of the last two years, the third-ranked Jaguars raced to a third-place finish on Wednesday. They finished with 67 points. No. 2 Waukee … [Read more...] about ‘It was another great day for racing’: Jags place 3rd, Ankeny takes 7th at CIML meet