Ankeny Fanatic

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Boys' Tennis

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

‘We are going to the final four!’: Jaguars advance to state team tourney

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team earned the right to play for the Class 2A state team title on its home courts by winning a pair of thrilling matches on Friday at Dowling Catholic. The sixth-ranked Jaguars posted a 5-4 victory over No. 4 Cedar Rapids Washington in the substate final, then followed with another 5-4 win over No. 8 Ames in a state … [Read more...] about ‘We are going to the final four!’: Jaguars advance to state team tourney

Centennial boys advance 3 players to state tennis tournament

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For the second year in a row, the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team has qualified three players for the Class 2A state tournament later this month in Cedar Rapids. Sophomore Will Blevins won a district singles title on Friday at Ankeny, while teammates Samson Densmore and Ryan Lofgren combined to win the doubles crown. The Jaguars edged Dowling Catholic … [Read more...] about Centennial boys advance 3 players to state tennis tournament

Seniors lead the way as Centennial boys clinch outright conference crown

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Relying heavily on its seniors, the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team clinched the outright CIML Central Conference title with a 9-2 victory over visiting Urbandale on Friday. The Jaguars finished 5-0 in the conference and improved to 11-1 overall. Urbandale's records dropped to 0-4 and 2-8. "It was Senior Night, and we played a senior-heavy lineup," … [Read more...] about Seniors lead the way as Centennial boys clinch outright conference crown

Jaguars roll past Mason City, set school record for most wins in a season

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team set a school record for most wins in a season on Thursday. The Jaguars posted a 10-1 victory at Mason City to improve to 10-1 on the season. The previous record of nine wins was set in 2016 and equaled last year. "Mason City has a pretty strong 1 and 2 (singles players) and 1 doubles team, but Will (Blevins) and … [Read more...] about Jaguars roll past Mason City, set school record for most wins in a season

Jaguars top Ankeny boys, clinch share of Central Conference crown

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team continued its winning ways on Monday. This time, it came at the expense of its crosstown rival. The Jaguars clinched at least a share of the CIML Central Conference title with a 10-1 victory over Ankeny. They improved to 4-0 in the league and 9-1 overall, while the Hawks' records dropped to 1-3 and 2-7. "It … [Read more...] about Jaguars top Ankeny boys, clinch share of Central Conference crown

Centennial boys use 15 different players in 10-1 win over Scarlets

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Tuesday was an enjoyable night for the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team. The sixth-ranked Jaguars used 15 different varsity players during a dual meet against visiting Des Moines East. It was an almost all-senior lineup for Centennial, which rolled to a 10-1 victory. "We have quite a few seniors that are just below our varsity lineup, and this gave … [Read more...] about Centennial boys use 15 different players in 10-1 win over Scarlets

Jaguars overcome adversity, knock off top-10 foes Bettendorf, Cedar Falls

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A grueling week for the Ankeny Centennial boys' tennis team ended on a positive note Saturday with a pair of victories at the Prairie Ridge courts. After splitting two dual meets on the road earlier in the week and placing fourth in the Dennis Hoefle Invitational on Friday, the sixth-ranked Jaguars played host to a quadrangular meet that featured three … [Read more...] about Jaguars overcome adversity, knock off top-10 foes Bettendorf, Cedar Falls