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Boys' Tennis

‘I just kept fighting’: Blevins falls short in Class 2A title match despite valiant effort

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After playing four hours of grueling tennis on Saturday, Ankeny Centennial's Will Blevins sat down in a chair and reflected on the end of his glorious high school career. Blevins didn't reach his ultimate goal, but he nevertheless walked off the court as a winner--even if the scoreboard showed that he had lost. Putting up a valiant fight in the finals … [Read more...] about ‘I just kept fighting’: Blevins falls short in Class 2A title match despite valiant effort

Blevins earns runner-up finish at state; Jaguars’ duo places 6th in doubles

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Will Blevins left it all on the tennis court Saturday. So did his Ankeny Centennial teammates Nic Mackaman and Caleb Peterson. Blevins earned a second-place finish in singles at the boys' Class 2A state tournament in Cedar Rapids, while Mackaman and Peterson teamed up for a sixth-place finish in doubles. Both were the highest finishes in school … [Read more...] about Blevins earns runner-up finish at state; Jaguars’ duo places 6th in doubles

Blevins advances to Class 2A semifinals, while doubles team earns top-8 finish

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Ankeny Centennial's Will Blevins will have a chance on Saturday to avenge one of his three losses this season. He could potentially have a chance to avenge his other two singles defeats. The unseeded Blevins advanced to the semifinals of the boys' Class 2A state tennis tournament with a pair of lopsided victories on Friday at the University of Iowa's … [Read more...] about Blevins advances to Class 2A semifinals, while doubles team earns top-8 finish

‘I knew this would be a tough match’: Jaguars fall to Waukee in quarterfinals

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Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis coach Tami Lewton knew it wasn't going to be easy for her team to avenge a 9-2 loss at Waukee on April 27. She was right. The Warriors posted a 5-1 victory over Centennial in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A state team tournament on Saturday at Ankeny. The Jaguars finished the season with a 9-5 dual record. "I knew … [Read more...] about ‘I knew this would be a tough match’: Jaguars fall to Waukee in quarterfinals

Centennial boys top Urbandale, will host Waukee in Class 2A quarterfinals

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team has earned a rematch against Waukee. The Jaguars posted a 5-2 victory over visiting Urbandale in the final of a Class 2A substate team tournament on Friday. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the state team tournament and will host Waukee on Saturday at 11 a.m. Waukee, which rolled to a 5-0 win over Ames in … [Read more...] about Centennial boys top Urbandale, will host Waukee in Class 2A quarterfinals

Centennial doubles team wins district title, advances to state along with Blevins

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Ankeny Centennial's Will Blevins has qualified for the boys' state tennis tournament for the third time in his high school career. He'll be joined by teammates Caleb Peterson and Nic Mackaman. Blevins placed second in singles in a Class 2A district tournament on Wednesday at Ames, while Peterson and Mackaman teamed up to win the doubles title. The … [Read more...] about Centennial doubles team wins district title, advances to state along with Blevins

Blevins suffers his first loss, but Jaguars hold off Dowling for 6-5 victory

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Will Blevins and the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team got another chance to see Dowling Catholic before Wednesday's Class 2A district tournament at Ames. Thursday's dual meet at Ankeny produced some mixed results. Blevins suffered his first loss of the year in singles, but then bounced back with a win in doubles as Centennial posted a 6-5 victory in … [Read more...] about Blevins suffers his first loss, but Jaguars hold off Dowling for 6-5 victory

Jaguars win trio of three-set matches to edge Mason City, 6-5, on Senior Night

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There was no margin for error on Tuesday as the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team hosted Mason City on its Senior Night. The two squads went to a decisive third set in three of the 11 matches, and Centennial swept all three of them. That proved to be the difference as the Jaguars posted a 6-5 victory in the CIML Iowa Conference dual meet. "Senior … [Read more...] about Jaguars win trio of three-set matches to edge Mason City, 6-5, on Senior Night

Mackaman, Clark provide key victories in Jaguars’ 7-4 win at Ames

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Will Blevins and Caleb Peterson usually grab most of the headlines for the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team. On Thursday, it was Nic Mackaman and Wesley Clark who provided the key victories for the Jaguars in a 7-4 win at Ames. Mackaman posted a 6-7, 7-5, 10-7 triumph over Tharun Raju at the No. 3 singles position, while Clark rallied for a 4-6, … [Read more...] about Mackaman, Clark provide key victories in Jaguars’ 7-4 win at Ames

‘It definitely helps for seeding at state’: Blevins knocks off Waukee’s Ecklund

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Ankeny Centennial's Will Blevins may have taken a big step toward a state tennis title on Tuesday at Waukee. Blevins posted a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Waukee's Will Ecklund in a matchup of two of the state's top players. Blevins placed fourth in the Class 2A singles tournament as a sophomore in 2019, while Ecklund was a part of the state championship doubles … [Read more...] about ‘It definitely helps for seeding at state’: Blevins knocks off Waukee’s Ecklund

Mackaman’s rally sparks Centennial boys to 6-5 victory over Roughriders

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Senior Nic Mackaman fought off several match points to win the No. 3 singles match on Tuesday, sparking the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team to a 6-5 victory over visiting Des Moines Roosevelt. Mackaman rallied from a 9-4 deficit in the super-tiebreaker to defeat Alex Russell in three sets, 6-2, 2-6, 13-11. That win proved to be the difference as the … [Read more...] about Mackaman’s rally sparks Centennial boys to 6-5 victory over Roughriders

Jaguars drop 6-3 decision to Cedar Falls, then roll to 9-0 win over Bettendorf

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A long road trip to Bettendorf ended the same way it began for the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team--with a .500 record. The Jaguars entered Saturday with a 2-2 record, and they returned home with a 3-3 mark. After dropping a 6-3 decision to Cedar Falls, Centennial bounced back with a 9-0 victory over Bettendorf. "It was a great day of team building … [Read more...] about Jaguars drop 6-3 decision to Cedar Falls, then roll to 9-0 win over Bettendorf

Centennial boys drop 7-4 decision at Marshalltown in top-10 matchup

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Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis coach Tami Lewton saw some progress from her squad on Thursday at Marshalltown. But the Jaguars still have some more work to do. The host Bobcats relied on their depth to defeat Centennial, 7-4, in a CIML Iowa Conference dual meet. The Jaguars dropped to 1-1 in the league and 2-2 overall. "It was a tough night," said … [Read more...] about Centennial boys drop 7-4 decision at Marshalltown in top-10 matchup

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Will Blevins, Ankeny Centennial boys’ tennis

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Senior Will Blevins is a two-time state placewinner for the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team. He took fifth in the Class 2A singles tournament as a freshman in 2018, then placed fourth as a sophomore. Blevins boasts a career record of 39-10 in singles, including a 3-0 mark this season. He was named the captain of Ankeny Fanatic's all-time Ankeny boys' … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Will Blevins, Ankeny Centennial boys’ tennis

‘We need to strengthen our lineup’: Jaguars tumble to Valley boys, 7-4

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The top of the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team's lineup is about as strong as it gets. The rest of the Jaguars' lineup still needs some work. Visiting Valley relied on its depth to defeat Centennial, 7-4, in a non-conference meet on Tuesday. The Jaguars dropped to 1-1 on the season. "We hit a team that has the opposite strengths as us," said … [Read more...] about ‘We need to strengthen our lineup’: Jaguars tumble to Valley boys, 7-4

‘It was a great start to our season!’: Centennial boys roll past Norwalk

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Tuesday's cold and windy weather didn't seem to bother the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team. The Jaguars were just happy to be playing for the first time since 2019. Centennial opened its season with a 10-1 victory over visiting Norwalk in a non-conference meet. The Warriors' lone win came at No. 5 doubles. "I thought the guys played really … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great start to our season!’: Centennial boys roll past Norwalk

Blevins is back for final season, but Centennial lacks depth, experience

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COVID-19 took a toll on the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team. The Jaguars not only lost the entire 2020 season to the global pandemic. They also lost a lot of players in the process. "Many of the freshmen and sophomores that were new to tennis (last year) found jobs, or got involved in other activities and did not come out this year," said … [Read more...] about Blevins is back for final season, but Centennial lacks depth, experience