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Jaguars

‘Our confidence is really growing’: Ankeny girls earn runner-up finish at Jags’ tourney

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Saturday's Ankeny Centennial Early Bird Invitational featured many of the state's top volleyball teams from multiple classes. In the end, the team walking away with the championship was the same one that captured the Class 5A title a year ago and began this season ranked No. 1 among the state's largest schools. Waukee Northwest posted a 25-22, 25-18 … [Read more...] about ‘Our confidence is really growing’: Ankeny girls earn runner-up finish at Jags’ tourney

‘We are excited about the team we have’: Ankeny swimmers set some big goals

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With the bulk of its qualifiers returning from last year's state meet, the Ankeny girls' swimming team enters the 2026 season with some higher expectations. Ankeny placed 27th at the state meet with 17 points after finishing 29th in 2024. Coach Dustin Rhoads' team saw some improvement, but still has a long way to go to again become a top-10 … [Read more...] about ‘We are excited about the team we have’: Ankeny swimmers set some big goals

Jaguars’ passing game unable to keep pace with S.E. Polk’s prolific ground attack

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The Ankeny Centennial football team got off to a promising start in its season opener on Friday. The Jaguars scored a touchdown on the game's first possession and trailed visiting Southeast Polk by just 21-18 at halftime after Noah Manning kicked a 42-yard field goal with 4 seconds left in the second quarter. But the Rams then totally dominated the … [Read more...] about Jaguars’ passing game unable to keep pace with S.E. Polk’s prolific ground attack

‘It was a great day of tennis’: Centennial girls defeat Hawkettes in rivalry matchup

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Thursday's Jag-Hawk showdown at the Prairie Ridge courts was about much more than girls' tennis. The two Ankeny teams donated the proceeds from their annual fundraiser to Miracle Travel Works. "Today was a great day to come together as one town and play for something much bigger than tennis!" said Ankeny Centennial coach Alli Gustafson. "We had several … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great day of tennis’: Centennial girls defeat Hawkettes in rivalry matchup

‘It was a really cool opportunity’: Jaguars fall to NW, top Waukee in outdoor event

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Thursday night's Marj White Classic at Valley Stadium was a smashing success. All four participating volleyball teams got a unique opportunity to play outdoors under the lights. With very little wind and temperatures in the 70s, the conditions could not have been any better for this special event. "It was a really cool opportunity for our team," said … [Read more...] about ‘It was a really cool opportunity’: Jaguars fall to NW, top Waukee in outdoor event

‘It’s a tough golf course’: Jaguars edge Ankeny by 2 shots for 7th place at Legacy

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It appears that there isn't much separation between the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' golf teams. The two squads collided on Thursday for the third time in nine days. They again battled down to the wire to a close finish. The Jaguars shot a 327 and placed seventh among 12 teams in the Waukee Northwest Invitational at The Legacy Golf Club in … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a tough golf course’: Jaguars edge Ankeny by 2 shots for 7th place at Legacy

Hawks edge Centennial golfers by one shot to win triangular meet at Briarwood

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After losing to Ankeny Centennial by four shots in the Jesse Peck Invitational a week ago, the Ankeny boys' golf team got some revenge Wednesday on the same course. The Hawks shot a 313 to edge Centennial by one stroke in a CIML Conference triangular meet at Briarwood Golf Club. Valley finished a distant third with a 328 total. "I was super happy with … [Read more...] about Hawks edge Centennial golfers by one shot to win triangular meet at Briarwood

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

‘My team did really well’: Centennial girls edge No. 1 Wolves to win Jaguar Invite

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A showdown between the top two girls' cross country teams in Class 4A lived up to the hype. Second-ranked Ankeny Centennial opened its season on Tuesday by edging No. 1 Waukee Northwest to win the Jaguar Early Bird Invitational at DMACC. The Jaguars scored 41 points when the results of the two races were merged, while Northwest--the defending state … [Read more...] about ‘My team did really well’: Centennial girls edge No. 1 Wolves to win Jaguar Invite

Centennial girls earn road victory over Rams, will face Hawkettes on Thursday

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' tennis team earned a 10-1 road victory at Southeast Polk on Tuesday to keep the Rams winless on the season. The Jaguars got at least one win from every player in the varsity lineup. They improved to 1-2 in the CIML Conference and 2-5 overall, while Southeast Polk's records fell to 0-3 and 0-6. "Tonight was a great night of … [Read more...] about Centennial girls earn road victory over Rams, will face Hawkettes on Thursday

‘We’re excited to see what we can do’: Jaguars to host S.E. Polk in Friday’s opener

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In recent years, the Ankeny Centennial football team has produced several Division I players. Easton Miller and Connor Welsch are on Iowa State's roster, while Braeden Jackson plays for Iowa. Brothers Elijah and Trey Porter are teammates at Northern Illinois. "It's really a compliment to our staff and to the program," said Centennial co-head coach Ryan … [Read more...] about ‘We’re excited to see what we can do’: Jaguars to host S.E. Polk in Friday’s opener

‘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

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kinnick Nelson, Ankeny Centennial boys’ golf

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Senior Kinnick Nelson shot a 73 to lead the Ankeny Centennial boys' golf team to a sixth-place finish in the Jesse Peck Invitational on Wednesday at Briarwood Golf Club. He tied for 14th place overall. Nelson is one of four returning varsity regulars this season for Centennial coach Andrew Reedy. He posted a 40.7 average for nine holes as a … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kinnick Nelson, Ankeny Centennial boys’ golf

‘I think 5A is going to be wild’: Jags look to make another deep postseason run

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A year ago, the Ankeny Centennial volleyball team got over a big hurdle by advancing to the Class 5A championship match for the first time since 2018. Taking the next step and winning a state title will be an even bigger challenge. CIML Conference rival Waukee Northwest enters the season as the favorite to capture its third crown in four years. The … [Read more...] about ‘I think 5A is going to be wild’: Jags look to make another deep postseason run

‘Today was a challenging meet’: Jaguars drop 11-0 decision to Dowling girls

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Ankeny Centennial girls' tennis coach Alli Gustafson tried to look on the bright side. Although the Jaguars dropped an 11-0 decision to visiting Dowling Catholic on Thursday, Gustafson was proud of her team's effort against one of the state's top squads. "Today was a challenging meet against a very strong Dowling team," Gustafson said. "While the … [Read more...] about ‘Today was a challenging meet’: Jaguars drop 11-0 decision to Dowling girls

MIDDLE OF THE PACK: Jaguars place 6th, Hawks finish 7th at Jesse Peck Invitational

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The Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny boys' golf teams finished in the middle of the pack at the Jesse Peck Invitational on Wednesday. Playing on their home course at Briarwood Golf Club, the Jaguars placed sixth in the 12-team field with a 306 total. The top five teams all broke 300, including three squads that finished under par. "We had four triple … [Read more...] about MIDDLE OF THE PACK: Jaguars place 6th, Hawks finish 7th at Jesse Peck Invitational

Ankeny is No. 3, Centennial No. 10 in Class 5A rankings; ACA is No. 4 in Class 1A

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The Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union announced its preseason volleyball rankings on Wednesday. Ankeny is No. 3 in Class 5A behind defending state champion Waukee Northwest and Iowa City West. Ankeny Centennial is No. 10. In Class 1A, Ankeny Christian Academy is No. 4. The Eagles are ranked behind defending state runner-up Janesville, Wapsie … [Read more...] about Ankeny is No. 3, Centennial No. 10 in Class 5A rankings; ACA is No. 4 in Class 1A