Ankeny Fanatic

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Boys' Tennis

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

‘I loved the team unity’: Centennial’s Blevins commits to play for Bulldogs

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An opportunity to play in front of the Drake tennis coaches has paid off for Ankeny Centennial standout Will Blevins. The senior has committed to play for the Bulldogs. "I'm so excited!" Blevins said. "Earlier in the fall I had been playing many ITA tournaments held by Drake in Des Moines. This gave me the opportunity to showcase my talents against … [Read more...] about ‘I loved the team unity’: Centennial’s Blevins commits to play for Bulldogs

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Samson Densmore, Centennial tennis

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Senior Samson Densmore was a member of the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team. He helped the Jaguars reach the Class 2A semifinals of the state team tournament last year. Densmore also qualified for the state doubles tournament along with teammate Ryan Lofgren. He compiled an 8-3 record in singles and went 13-6 in doubles, including 11-5 while playing … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Samson Densmore, Centennial tennis

Former Centennial coach helps Iowa City West to its 6th title in 8 years

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Collin Daniels was one of the youngest head coaches in the state when he took over the fledgling Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis program in 2013. Now, six years and two jobs later, Daniels has been a part of two state championship teams. On Tuesday, Daniels faced both of his former schools while helping Iowa City West to the boys' Class 2A crown for the … [Read more...] about Former Centennial coach helps Iowa City West to its 6th title in 8 years

Jaguars fall to eventual champs, finish 4th in 2A state team tourney

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The most successful boys' tennis season in Ankeny Centennial school history ended on Tuesday with a fourth-place finish in the Class 2A state team tournament at the Life Time Athletic Club in Urbandale. The Jaguars lost to eventual champion Iowa City West, 5-0, in the semifinals. They then dropped a 5-1 decision to Waukee in the third-place match. "I'm … [Read more...] about Jaguars fall to eventual champs, finish 4th in 2A state team tourney

Centennial’s Blevins earns 4th-place finish in Class 2A singles tournament

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Ankeny Centennial's Will Blevins finally ran out of gas on Saturday at the boys' state tennis tournament in Cedar Rapids. After playing two consecutive grueling three-set matches, Blevins dropped a 6-3, 7-5 decision to Luke VanDonslear of Linn-Mar (Marion) in the third-place match of the Class 2A singles tournament. By placing fourth, the sophomore … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Blevins earns 4th-place finish in Class 2A singles tournament

Blevins wins four-hour match to reach semifinals of Class 2A singles tourney

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After winning a boys' district tennis title on May 10, Ankeny Centennial's Will Blevins said he thought he was capable of beating anyone on any given day. On Friday, the sophomore proved that he was right. Blevins outlasted third-seeded Sam Shin of Iowa City West, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A state singles tournament in Cedar … [Read more...] about Blevins wins four-hour match to reach semifinals of Class 2A singles tourney