Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Spring

Jaguars earn runner-up finish at Johnston Invite behind Petersen, Gustafson

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' tennis team took second place in the Johnston Invitational on Friday. The tournament featured three of the top six teams in Class 2A. Top-ranked Dowling Catholic won the team title. The No. 6 Jaguars edged No. 4 Valley for the runner-up spot after losing to the Tigers, 6-5, in their season opener on Tuesday. Abbie Petersen … [Read more...] about Jaguars earn runner-up finish at Johnston Invite behind Petersen, Gustafson

‘He’s a really special player’: Obia’s hat trick leads Valley boys past Jaguars

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Valley's Jaren Obia is one of the state's top boys' soccer players. He's even better when he's getting some help. Obia had a hat trick on Tuesday to lead the Tigers to a 4-2 victory over visiting Ankeny Centennial. The Jaguars' record dropped to 1-2 on the season. Centennial coach Brian Duax praised Obia, but said that his team gave the Valley star … [Read more...] about ‘He’s a really special player’: Obia’s hat trick leads Valley boys past Jaguars

‘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

Uhl races to victory in 400, helps Jaguars to third-place finish at Ames

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The lone victory for the Ankeny Centennial boys' track team on Tuesday came from an unexpected source. Ryan Uhl raced to a win in the 400 in the Hi Covey Relays at Ames. He posted a time of 52.42 seconds. "Ryan volunteered for the race, had a personal record and a first-place finish," said Centennial coach Nate Smith. The Jaguars placed third in the … [Read more...] about Uhl races to victory in 400, helps Jaguars to third-place finish at Ames

Centennial girls stress ‘positivity’, earn runner-up finish at Oldham Invite

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The theme this week for the Ankeny Centennial girls' track team is positivity. Tuesday's windy conditions provided a huge test for the Jaguars' mental toughness, but they were up to the challenge. Centennial placed second among seven teams in the Oldham Invitational at Johnston with 119 points. Waukee easily won the meet with 171 points. "It was a … [Read more...] about Centennial girls stress ‘positivity’, earn runner-up finish at Oldham Invite

No. 6 Centennial girls open their season with 6-5 loss at No. 4 Valley

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Even in a loss, the Ankeny Centennial girls' tennis team showed a glimpse of its potential on Tuesday. The sixth-ranked Jaguars opened their season with a 6-5 loss at No. 4 Valley. It was the team's first meet under new head coach Armando Espinosa. "It was a great match," Espinosa said. "We fought very hard." Centennial won four of the six singles … [Read more...] about No. 6 Centennial girls open their season with 6-5 loss at No. 4 Valley

‘We learned a lot about ourselves’: Jags top C.R. Washington, fall to I.C. West

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If nothing else, the Ankeny Centennial boys' soccer team is now battle-tested. The Jaguars opened their season on Saturday by splitting a pair of games in eastern Iowa. They posted a 1-0 victory over Cedar Rapids Washington before dropping a 2-0 decision to host Iowa City West. "We traveled with 21 guys, and we were down to 17 by the time we played … [Read more...] about ‘We learned a lot about ourselves’: Jags top C.R. Washington, fall to I.C. West

No. 6 Centennial girls to rely heavily on senior duo of Gustafson, Guan

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' tennis team is ranked sixth in Class 2A in the preseason rankings. The Jaguars will find out on Tuesday if they deserve that ranking when they open the season at No. 4 Valley. "I think the girls have done a really nice job at adapting to my way of coaching and practice," said Centennial coach Armando Espinosa. "I guess we … [Read more...] about No. 6 Centennial girls to rely heavily on senior duo of Gustafson, Guan

Collins, Johnson lead Centennial boys to team crown at Brooks Relays

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Even at less than full strength, the Ankeny Centennial boys' track team made an emphatic statement on Saturday. The Jaguars claimed their second title in five days by winning the Brooks Relays at Valley. They finished with 135 points. "We're just trying to get through the season," said Centennial coach Nate Smith. "We have some injuries, and we're … [Read more...] about Collins, Johnson lead Centennial boys to team crown at Brooks Relays

Centennial boys win 9 events, easily capture team title at Cub Relays

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' track team dominated the Cub Relays on Tuesday at Nevada. The Jaguars won nine events and easily captured the team title of the Class A division with 446.5 points. Mason City was second in the eight-team field with 346.5. "It was a great effort by all in not-so-great conditions," said Centennial coach Nate Smith. "The … [Read more...] about Centennial boys win 9 events, easily capture team title at Cub Relays

‘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

Vortherms enjoys ‘huge day’, leads Jaguars to runner-up finish at Iowa City

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Kathryn Vortherms will continue her track career at the University of Iowa next year. On Saturday, Vortherms traveled to the city of her future home and showed why the Hawkeyes offered her a scholarship. Competing in the Sherwood Relays at Iowa City High, Vortherms anchored Centennial's 4x800 relay to a victory in school-record time. She later placed … [Read more...] about Vortherms enjoys ‘huge day’, leads Jaguars to runner-up finish at Iowa City

Scrimmage between Centennial, Johnston boys ends with a shootout

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It was only a scrimmage, but the Ankeny Centennial boys' soccer team showed a lot of spunk Friday in its exhibition game against visiting Johnston. The Dragons jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Centennial rallied to forge a 4-4 tie at the end of regulation. Johnston then prevailed in a shootout, 5-4. "I didn't know what to expect after basically a … [Read more...] about Scrimmage between Centennial, Johnston boys ends with a shootout

Jaguars move outdoors for first time, win 7 events at Johnston Quadrangular

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Andrew Kruzich knows a lot more about his Ankeny Centennial girls' track team than he did 24 hours ago. The Jaguars opened their outdoor season on Thursday by competing in the Johnston Quadrangular. They dominated some events and also performed very well in many others. "We had a good night," Kruzich said. "It was great to get outdoors and have a meet … [Read more...] about Jaguars move outdoors for first time, win 7 events at Johnston Quadrangular

‘We have the opportunity to be quite formidable’: Jaguars boast depth, speed

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Making up for lost time is one of the goals for the Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer team. The Jaguars reached the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament in 2019 before the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We want to be playing soccer on absolutely every date possible," said Centennial coach Chris Allen. "We want to pass on … [Read more...] about ‘We have the opportunity to be quite formidable’: Jaguars boast depth, speed

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

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kathryn Vortherms, Centennial girls’ track

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Senior Kathryn Vortherms is a four-time state placewinner for the Ankeny Centennial girls' track team. She helped the Jaguars to a 12th-place tie in the Class 4A state meet in 2019 before her junior season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a sophomore, Vortherms anchored the the sixth-place distance medley relay and the fifth-place sprint … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kathryn Vortherms, Centennial girls’ track

Quass places 2nd in 800 at Central Indoor Meet, ties school record

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Ankeny Centennial's Rondi Quass has picked up right where she left off during the cross country season. Quass, a sophomore and one of the state's top distance runners, led the Jaguars to a third-place finish in the Class 4A state meet last fall. She placed 14th in a time of 18:54.4. On Saturday, Quass showed that she's ready for the outdoor track … [Read more...] about Quass places 2nd in 800 at Central Indoor Meet, ties school record

Jaguars return several players from 2019 team that posted 13-4 record

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Brian Duax won't have to wait much longer to see if the potential that his Ankeny Centennial boys' soccer team has comes to fruition. The Jaguars will play their first game in nearly two years when they open the season against visiting Johnston on March 26. "It feels great to be back at it," said Duax. "The excitement is super high. We are still taking … [Read more...] about Jaguars return several players from 2019 team that posted 13-4 record