A trip to the boys' Class 4A state basketball tournament will be at stake on Tuesday when Ankeny's crosstown rivals meet in the postseason for the first time ever. The Hawks and Jaguars will take the court at Southeast Polk at 7 p.m. for the Substate 8 final. Both teams are looking to advance to Wells Fargo Arena for the third time in five … [Read more...] about Jag-Hawk III: Breaking down showdown for trip to Class 4A state tournament
Jaguars
Centennial’s Kronenberg commits to play for University of Alaska Fairbanks
Ankeny Centennial senior Ava Kronenberg has committed to play volleyball at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, an NCAA Division II progam. The Nanooks are members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Kronenberg helped the Jaguars to a 31-7 record and a second consecutive appearance in the Class 5A semifinals last fall. She recorded 71 kills and 64 … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Kronenberg commits to play for University of Alaska Fairbanks
Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Ava Martin, Centennial girls’ basketball
Junior guard Ava Martin has helped the fifth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team to a 14-8 record. She scored 10 points on Tuesday as the Jaguars rolled to a 53-25 win over No. 10 Sioux City East in a Class 5A regional final to advance to the state tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Martin is averaging 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Ava Martin, Centennial girls’ basketball
State tourney preview: Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for Class 5A quarterfinals
The players on the court may not be the only people wearing shorts on Monday at Wells Fargo Arena. With a forecast calling for a high temperature of 75 degrees, it's not going to feel like girls' state basketball tournament weather in Des Moines. But perhaps the unseasonably warm February day will be appropriate--because the action on the court could be … [Read more...] about State tourney preview: Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for Class 5A quarterfinals
‘We don’t win the game without them’: Klingner, Smith help Jags past Roosevelt
All season long, senior point guard Luke Winkel has been carrying a heavy load for the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team. On Friday at Centennial, two junior reserves--Cabryn Klingner and Will Smith--helped the 10th-ranked Jaguars keep their season alive. Klingner scored all eight of his points in the first half, then Smith had all eight of his … [Read more...] about ‘We don’t win the game without them’: Klingner, Smith help Jags past Roosevelt
‘I’m extremely blessed’: Centennial’s Lewis to play soccer at Rockhurst
Ankeny Centennial senior Avery Lewis has committed to play soccer at Rockhurst University, an NCAA Division II school in Kansas City. Lewis, a midfielder, announced her decision Thursday on social media. "I'm extremely blessed to announce my commitment to play soccer and further my education at Rockhurst University!" Lewis tweeted on X. "Thank you to … [Read more...] about ‘I’m extremely blessed’: Centennial’s Lewis to play soccer at Rockhurst
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 250
In the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America, publisher Dan Holm previews the girls' state basketball tournament with junior point guard Mya Crawford and coach Scott DeJong of Ankeny Centennial along with broadcaster Paul Yeager. … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 250
‘Our kids really stepped up’: Jaguars roll past S.C. East, earn another trip to state
The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team is headed back to Wells Fargo Arena. The fifth-ranked Jaguars advanced to the state tournament for the fourth consecutive year by defeating No. 10 Sioux City East, 53-25, in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday at Centennial. This time, coach Scott DeJong's squad didn't have to sweat out a close game in the … [Read more...] about ‘Our kids really stepped up’: Jaguars roll past S.C. East, earn another trip to state
‘It was a pretty easy choice’: Centennial’s Duax to play soccer at Western Illinois
Ankeny Centennial boys' soccer standout Ty Duax is headed to Macomb in the fall. The senior forward/midfielder has verbally committed to play for Western Illinois. "For me, it was a pretty easy choice," said Duax, the son of Centennial coach Brian Duax. "Western showed a lot of interest, and I clicked with the coaching staff pretty quickly. I didn't … [Read more...] about ‘It was a pretty easy choice’: Centennial’s Duax to play soccer at Western Illinois
Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Cale Vandermark, Centennial wrestling
Sophomore Cale Vandermark helped the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team to a fourth-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament last week at Wells Fargo Arena. It matched the Jaguars' highest finish in school history. Vandermark took fourth for the second year in a row, this time at 113 pounds. He finished the season with a 36-7 record. Here is some … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Cale Vandermark, Centennial wrestling
Centennial wrestlers place 4th, Hawks finish 14th in Class 3A state tournament
Jack Wignall and Jay Groth both walked away from Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday with their heads held high. The respective coaches for the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial wrestling teams had plenty of reasons to be proud of their teams' performances over the last four days. They also had bright futures to be excited about. Fourth-ranked Centennial placed … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers place 4th, Hawks finish 14th in Class 3A state tournament
Martin, Crawford lead No. 5 Jaguars past Sioux City North in postseason opener
Ava Martin wasn't going to let a gash on her head take her out of the lineup for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team. The junior guard made 4-of-7 3-point shots and scored 12 points to help the fifth-ranked Jaguars to a 64-30 victory over visiting Sioux City North in a Class 5A regional semifinal on Saturday. She wore a bandage across her … [Read more...] about Martin, Crawford lead No. 5 Jaguars past Sioux City North in postseason opener
Centennial quartet, Ankeny duo come up short in Class 3A semifinal matches
It was a rough Friday afternoon for both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial wrestling teams. The two squads combined to go 0-for-6 in the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. "That blood round has come back to haunt us for the second year in a row," said Centennial coach Jay Groth. "We didn't have a very good one last year … [Read more...] about Centennial quartet, Ankeny duo come up short in Class 3A semifinal matches
‘We fought hard’: Jaguars advance 4 to semis, stay in contention for team trophy
Four Ankeny Centennial wrestlers advanced to Friday's semifinals in a variety of ways at the Class 3A state tournament. In the process, the quartet moved the fourth-ranked Jaguars closer to a coveted team trophy. Centennial sits in third place at the midway point of the tournament with 77.5 points, 12 more than fourth-place Indianola. No. 1 Southeast … [Read more...] about ‘We fought hard’: Jaguars advance 4 to semis, stay in contention for team trophy
Winkel reaches milestone as Jags beat Johnston to close out regular season
The Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team closed out the regular season Thursday on a high note. The 10th-ranked Jaguars jumped out to a 17-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and went on to post a 59-40 victory over visiting Johnston, allowing them to complete a sweep of the season series. "We got off to a great start," said Centennial coach Bob … [Read more...] about Winkel reaches milestone as Jags beat Johnston to close out regular season
Jaguars sit in 2nd place, advance 8 of their 11 state qualifiers to quarterfinals
In 2019, the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team placed fourth in the Class 3A state tournament, the school's highest finish ever. This week at Wells Fargo Arena, the fourth-ranked Jaguars are looking to finish even higher. Centennial got off to a great start on Wednesday, when the Jaguars went 11-3 on the opening day of the tournament and advanced eight … [Read more...] about Jaguars sit in 2nd place, advance 8 of their 11 state qualifiers to quarterfinals
Tigges bowls 641 series at state qualifying meet; Hawks finish 7th overall
Ankeny senior Sam Tigges closed out his high school bowling career with another solid effort on Tuesday at Cedar Falls. But he still wasn't satsified. Tigges bowled a three-game series of 641 in a Class 3A state qualifying meet. He bowled games of 212, 204 and 225, but it wasn't good enough to qualify for state. "I feel like I could have done … [Read more...] about Tigges bowls 641 series at state qualifying meet; Hawks finish 7th overall
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 249
In the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America, publisher Dan Holm breaks down all of the boys' and girls' basketball postseason brackets with frequent guest Andy Pollock. … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 249
‘We played a lot better the 2nd half’: Jags solve zone defense, beat Winterset
It took awhile for the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team to figure out its opponent's zone defense on Monday night. After trailing by one point at halftime, the 10th-ranked Jaguars pulled away in the second half for a 59-47 non-conference win over visiting Winterset, the No. 7 team in Class 3A. It wasn't pretty, but Centennial improved to 15-6 … [Read more...] about ‘We played a lot better the 2nd half’: Jags solve zone defense, beat Winterset
Rubber match?: Ankeny, Centennial boys are top 2 seeds in Class 4A Substate 8
The Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball teams finally learned their postseason assignments on Monday. The crosstown rivals may have to play each other for a trip to the state tournament. After moving into the No. 8 spot in the final Class 4A rankings, Ankeny (14-6) was awarded the No. 1 seed in Substate 8 by the Iowa High School Athletic … [Read more...] about Rubber match?: Ankeny, Centennial boys are top 2 seeds in Class 4A Substate 8