Ankeny Fanatic

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Boys' Cross Country

‘The result was great’: Centennial boys place 2nd, Hawks 7th at conference meet

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team is hoping that history repeats itself. A year ago, the Jaguars placed fourth in the CIML Conference meet before going on to earn a third-place trophy at the Class 4A state meet two weeks later. It was their highest finish ever at both meets. On Wednesday, ninth-ranked Centennial raised the bar even higher … [Read more...] about ‘The result was great’: Centennial boys place 2nd, Hawks 7th at conference meet

‘The guys were excited to race again’: Jaguars take 5th, Hawks 9th at Fort Dodge

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The Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' cross  country teams finally got a chance to compete again on Thursday after being idle for nearly three weeks. Fifteenth-ranked Centennial placed fifth among 26 squads in the Fort Dodge Invitational at Lakeside Golf Course, which will also host the state meet on Oct. 31. The Jaguars finished with 183 … [Read more...] about ‘The guys were excited to race again’: Jaguars take 5th, Hawks 9th at Fort Dodge

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Jax Alvarez, Centennial boys’ cross country

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Senior Jax Alvarez has led the Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team to a No. 14 ranking in Class 4A from the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. He is ranked seventh as an individual. Alvarez earned a top-10 finish in the prestigious Gans Creek Classic on Friday at Columbia, Mo. He placed sixth in a field of 316 runners with a time of 15 minutes 11.8 … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Jax Alvarez, Centennial boys’ cross country

Jaguar girls, Alvarez run record-setting races vs. elite field at Gans Creek Classic

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Competing against an elite field with teams from multiple states, the Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country squad placed sixth in the Gans Creek Classic on Friday at Columbia, Mo. The third-ranked Jaguars posted a score of 238 points in a meet that featured 40 teams and 323 runners. According to Centennial girls' coach Eric Cogdill, the course was built … [Read more...] about Jaguar girls, Alvarez run record-setting races vs. elite field at Gans Creek Classic

A MUDDY MESS: Ankeny teams, Jaguar boys race for fun at Heartland Classic

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The 21st Heartland Classic cross country meet was contested Saturday on a course in Pella that provided some huge challenges for the hundreds of runners. Heavy rains over the last week turned the Central College course into a muddy mess. "These were some incredibly tough conditions," said Ankeny girls' coach Josh Einertson. "I don’t know if I’ve ever … [Read more...] about A MUDDY MESS: Ankeny teams, Jaguar boys race for fun at Heartland Classic

No. 1 Centennial girls place 4th at Bobcat Invitational, suffer their first loss of season

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The top-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team suffered its first loss of the season on Thursday. After winning their first two meets, the Jaguars placed fourth among 17 teams in the Bobcat Invitational at Marshalltown Community College. They finished with 115 points. No. 3 Johnston scored 76 points and captured the title for the fourth … [Read more...] about No. 1 Centennial girls place 4th at Bobcat Invitational, suffer their first loss of season

‘Our girls came prepared’: Jaguars win title in heat, while Ankeny boys place 3rd

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The conditions were brutal for the 58th Kirk Schmaltz Invitational cross country meet on Thursday in Ames. The 90-degree temperatures and high humidity didn't seem to bother the Ankeny Centennial girls' team, though. The top-ranked Jaguars easily won the team title on the Iowa State course with 57 points, finishing 23 points ahead of No. 2 Waukee … [Read more...] about ‘Our girls came prepared’: Jaguars win title in heat, while Ankeny boys place 3rd

Centennial’s Alvarez, Ankeny’s Brown race to victories at Jaguar Early Bird Invite

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Jax Alvarez of Ankeny Centennial and Gus Brown of Ankeny didn't put much pressure on themselves heading into Tuesday's season-opening cross country meet. The duo responded with a pair of boys' victories in the Jaguar Early Bird Invitational at DMACC. Alvarez, a senior, pulled away from the field to win the 11/12 race in a time of 15 minutes 53 seconds. … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Alvarez, Ankeny’s Brown race to victories at Jaguar Early Bird Invite

‘Everyone’s excited to get racing’: Jaguars hope to build off 3rd-place finish at state

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Can the Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team keep the positive momentum going from last year's state meet? That's the question facing the Jaguars heading into the 2026 season. Last year, coach Chad Fickbohm's squad peaked at the perfect time. After dropping to 12th in the final Class 4A rankings from the Iowa Association of Track Coaches … [Read more...] about ‘Everyone’s excited to get racing’: Jaguars hope to build off 3rd-place finish at state

Centennial girls are No. 2 in Class 4A in IATC’s preseason cross country rankings

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team is No. 2 in Class 4A in the preseason rankings from the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. The preseason rankings were released on Monday afternoon. The Jaguars placed fifth in last year's Class 4A state meet. They are ranked behind defending state champion Waukee Northwest. Centennial also boasts four … [Read more...] about Centennial girls are No. 2 in Class 4A in IATC’s preseason cross country rankings

Centennial’s Cogdill, Fickbohm named Class 4A at-large XC coaches of the year

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Ankeny Centennial cross country coaches Eric Cogdill and Chad Fickbohm have been named Class 4A at-large coaches of the year by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. The IATC announced the awards following its fall meeting on Sunday. This is the seventh time that Cogdill has been honored. He guided the Centennial girls' team to a fifth-place finish in … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Cogdill, Fickbohm named Class 4A at-large XC coaches of the year

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

‘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

‘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

Centennial freshman Flick races to easy win on hilly course at Indianola Invite

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Ankeny Centennial cross country runner Rebecca Flick earned her second victory of the season on Thursday. Flick, who is ranked 15th in Class 4A, easily won the girls' 5K race in the Indianola Invitational at Pickard Park. She posted a time of 19 minutes 1 second to finish 32 seconds ahead of fellow freshman Hannah Schmitz of Norwalk. "Rebecca started … [Read more...] about Centennial freshman Flick races to easy win on hilly course at Indianola Invite

‘It was another good competitive effort’: Jaguar boys take 5th at Heartland Classic

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The fifth-ranked Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team earned a fifth-place finish in the Heartland Classic on Saturday at Central College in Pella. The Jaguars scored 179 points. Ankeny, meanwhile, took 13th in the 24-team field with 327 points. "It was another good competitive effort from the guys," said Centennial coach Chad Fickbohm. "It was … [Read more...] about ‘It was another good competitive effort’: Jaguar boys take 5th at Heartland Classic

Blevins, Centennial girls race to easy victories at Tom Karpan Invitational

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Tuesday's Tom Karpan Invitational at Valley Southwoods Freshman High School was expected to be a dual between the fourth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team and No. 12 Valley. It turned into more of a Jaguar domination. Centennial placed all seven of its runners in the top eight and easily won the meet with 18 points. The Jaguars … [Read more...] about Blevins, Centennial girls race to easy victories at Tom Karpan Invitational

Centennial boys, Ankeny teams turn in strong races at ‘competitive’ Bobcat Invite

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A total of 40 boys' and girls' cross country teams competed in the Bobcat Invitational on Thursday at Marshalltown Community College, including both Ankeny squads and the Ankeny Centennial boys' team. The fourth-ranked Jaguars placed fourth among 23 squads in the boys' division with 151 points. "It was another confidence-building race for us," … [Read more...] about Centennial boys, Ankeny teams turn in strong races at ‘competitive’ Bobcat Invite