Ankeny Fanatic

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Jaguars

Crawford, Pratt, Williams earn all-CIML Conference first-team honors for 2nd time

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Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball stars Mya Crawford and Jaeden Pratt have been named to the CIML Conference first team along with Ankeny standout Jayla Williams. Crawford was a unanimous pick for the second straight year, while Williams was again a repeat selection. Pratt also earned first-team honors for the second time; she was previously honored as … [Read more...] about Crawford, Pratt, Williams earn all-CIML Conference first-team honors for 2nd time

‘Tremendous’ four-year run for Centennial seniors ends with loss to potent Dragons

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Scott DeJong stood in the media interview room in the bowels of Wells Fargo Arena and beamed with pride even though the season had just ended for his Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team. "It's just been a tremendous run with these guys," DeJong said of his nine seniors. "They're my type of team. They play hard, they compete, and they work together. … [Read more...] about ‘Tremendous’ four-year run for Centennial seniors ends with loss to potent Dragons

‘There’s no margin for error’: Jaguars fall to No. 1 Johnston in Class 5A semifinals

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The fourth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team ended its season on Thursday with a 61-42 loss to No. 1 Johnston in the semifinals of the Class 5A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Mya Crawford and Ava Martin each had 13 points for the Jaguars, who finished the season at 17-8. Jaeden Pratt added six points and seven rebounds. "I was … [Read more...] about ‘There’s no margin for error’: Jaguars fall to No. 1 Johnston in Class 5A semifinals

The CIML Invitational: Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Class 5A semifinals

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The girls' Class 5A state basketball tournament--also known as the CIML Conference Invitational--resumes on Thursday morning with a semifinal doubleheader at Wells Fargo Arena. All four of the highest seeds from the CIML Conference posted victories in Monday's quarterfinals by an average of 16 points. That means that Friday's championship game will be an … [Read more...] about The CIML Invitational: Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Class 5A semifinals

Group assignments for 2025 and 2026 football seasons announced by IHSAA

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Following Wednesday morning’s Zoom meeting of the IHSAA Board of Control, district and group assignments for the 2025 and 2026 football seasons are now available. Districts and Class 5A groups are effective for a two-year cycle. This will be the second cycle with a socioeconomic factor added for football classifications. Approved in 2023 by the State … [Read more...] about Group assignments for 2025 and 2026 football seasons announced by IHSAA

‘Ava was awesome!’: Hot-shooting Martin leads Centennial girls past No. 5 Spartans

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Ava Martin has been a prolific scorer on the pitch for the Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer team. The Missouri Western soccer recruit showed on Monday that she can find the net on the basketball court, too. The senior guard made her first six shots from 3-point range and tied her career-high with 20 points to lead fourth-ranked Centennial to a 51-47 … [Read more...] about ‘Ava was awesome!’: Hot-shooting Martin leads Centennial girls past No. 5 Spartans

Jaguars hold off Pleasant Valley, will play No. 1 Johnston in Thursday’s semifinals

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Ava Martin tied her career-high with 20 points and the fourth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team posted a 51-47 victory over No. 5 Pleasant Valley in a Class 5A quarterfinal on Monday at Wells Fargo Arena. Mya Crawford and Jaeden Pratt each scored 10 points and dished out five assists for the Jaguars (17-7), who built a 20-point lead late in … [Read more...] about Jaguars hold off Pleasant Valley, will play No. 1 Johnston in Thursday’s semifinals

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Mya Crawford, Centennial girls’ basketball

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Senior guard Mya Crawford had 13 points, 11 rebounds, six steals and three blocks to help the fourth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team to a 42-37 victory over No. 13 Southeast Polk in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday at Centennial. The Jaguars advanced to the state tournament for the fifth consecutive year and will play No. 5 Pleasant … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Mya Crawford, Centennial girls’ basketball

State tourney preview: Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for Class 5A quarterfinals

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The girls' state basketball tournament tips off on Monday morning at Wells Fargo Arena, and top-ranked Johnston is the favorite to capture its fourth Class 5A championship in six seasons. The Dragons are an incredible 141-6 since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, when their dynasty began. They weren't exactly bad in the previous four seasons either, … [Read more...] about State tourney preview: Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for Class 5A quarterfinals

‘They just kept battling’: Jaguars finish 5-17 season with 78-44 loss at No. 4 NW

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team didn't go down without a fight. The Jaguars put a scare into fourth-ranked Waukee Northwest before the host Wolves pulled away in the second half for a 78-44 victory in a Class 4A substate semifinal on Friday. "Our kids were playing hard and playing fearless," said Centennial coach Bob Fontana. "It was tied … [Read more...] about ‘They just kept battling’: Jaguars finish 5-17 season with 78-44 loss at No. 4 NW

FROSH PHENOMS: Johnson, Winkel named to all-conference first team

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Ankeny natives Carson Johnson and Luke Winkel have both been named to the all-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference first team, the league office announced on Thursday. They were the only two freshmen among the 12 men's basketball players on the first team. Johnson, a former Ankeny star, earned the honor despite playing in only 17 games for MSU Moorhead … [Read more...] about FROSH PHENOMS: Johnson, Winkel named to all-conference first team

Ankeny senior Shaw bowls 548 series, places 22nd in Class 3A state tournament

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Ankeny's Johanna Shaw earned a 22nd-place finish in the girls' Class 3A state bowling tournament on Wednesday at Cadillac XBC in Waterloo. Shaw, a senior at Ankeny Christian Academy, became the first Ankeny girl to qualify for state as an individual since Emma Bryant and Brianna Payton both advanced in 2012. "This year was her first year of high school … [Read more...] about Ankeny senior Shaw bowls 548 series, places 22nd in Class 3A state tournament

Blackmore’s jumper ends scoring drought, sends Jaguars back to state tournament

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It might have been the biggest basket of Finley Blackmore's high school career. The 5-foot-10 guard scored only two points on Tuesday night, but her pull-up jumper with 1 minute 50 seconds left helped the fourth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team to a 42-37 victory over No. 13 Southeast Polk in a Class 5A regional final at Centennial, sending … [Read more...] about Blackmore’s jumper ends scoring drought, sends Jaguars back to state tournament

Jaguars overcome slow start to rout S.C. North, will face No. 4 Waukee NW Friday

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team is guaranteed to finish the season with a losing record. But that doesn't mean that the Jaguars can't make some noise in the postseason. Centennial kept its season alive on Monday by rolling to a 78-47 victory at Sioux City North in a Class 4A substate quarterfinal. The Jaguars were one of three teams from … [Read more...] about Jaguars overcome slow start to rout S.C. North, will face No. 4 Waukee NW Friday

Jaguars rout Marshalltown, will meet S.E. Polk for 3rd time in 19 days for state berth

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The Marshalltown girls' basketball team entered Saturday's Class 5A regional semifinal at Ankeny Centennial with a chance to reach double digits in victories for the first time since the 2006-07 season. The fourth-ranked Jaguars quickly made sure, though, that it wouldn't happen. Centennial jumped out to a 33-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, … [Read more...] about Jaguars rout Marshalltown, will meet S.E. Polk for 3rd time in 19 days for state berth

‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

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The title drought is over for the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers. In their seventh appearance in a Class 3A championship match, the Jaguars finally got an individual state championship on Saturday night courtesy of sophomore Max Dhabolt, who became the first boy in school history to capture a crown. "Oh my gosh, it's been a long time coming," said … [Read more...] about ‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

No. 4 Jaguars, No. 14 Hawkettes advance to regional finals with lopsided victories

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The Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball teams opened postseason play on Saturday night with lopsided victories. The fourth-ranked Jaguars rolled to a 68-17 triumph over visiting Marshalltown, while the No. 14 Hawkettes cruised to a 66-14 win over visiting Sioux City East in another Class 5A regional semifinal. We'll have stories on both games … [Read more...] about No. 4 Jaguars, No. 14 Hawkettes advance to regional finals with lopsided victories