Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

‘Our kids rose to the occasion’: Jaguars dominate Waukee NW in playoff rematch

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(Story by Rob Gray) From the first snap, Ankeny Centennial just looked different. The underdog Jaguars strode into Friday’s Class 5A playoff matchup at No. 4 Waukee Northwest with a spring in their step and a thirst for revenge in their roster-wide heart. “We’ve had the juice since Monday,” said Centennial running back Elijah Porter, who rushed for … [Read more...] about ‘Our kids rose to the occasion’: Jaguars dominate Waukee NW in playoff rematch

‘I always wanted to stay close to home’: Crawford commits to play for Bulldogs

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Ankeny Centennial junior Mya Crawford has verbally committed to play for the Drake women's basketball program. The versatile wing player announced her decision via social media on Friday. "I would like to take the time to thank all of my teammates, friends, and family for being my biggest supporters," she tweeted. "Thank you to ALL of my coaches who … [Read more...] about ‘I always wanted to stay close to home’: Crawford commits to play for Bulldogs

Eagles return to state with sweep over Riverside, will face Newell-Fonda next

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The Ankeny Christian Academy volleyball team will take a 26-match winning streak into next week's state tournament. The top-ranked Eagles advanced to state with a 25-19, 25-18, 25-12 victory over Riverside in a Class 1A regional final on Wednesday at Van Meter. They raised their record to 36-3, while Riverside ends the season at 27-11. "We accomplished … [Read more...] about Eagles return to state with sweep over Riverside, will face Newell-Fonda next

‘Ultimately, I went with my heart’: Ankeny junior to play softball at South Dakota

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Ankeny junior Aubrey Lensmeyer has verbally committed to play softball at South Dakota. Lensmeyer announced her decision via social media on Wednesday. "It was probably the hardest decision I have ever had to make," said Lensmeyer. "I kept going back and forth, and it took me a while to really figure out exactly what I wanted. Ultimately, I went with … [Read more...] about ‘Ultimately, I went with my heart’: Ankeny junior to play softball at South Dakota

‘Unfinished business’: Hawkettes qualify for state, get rematch vs. Centennial

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The Ankeny volleyball team got the rematch that many of the Hawkettes wanted. After sweeping visiting Iowa City Liberty in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday, seventh-ranked Ankeny will face No. 2 Ankeny Centennial in the quarterfinals of the state tournament on Monday at Xtream Arena in Coralville, beginning at 12:25 p.m. "I would love to go against … [Read more...] about ‘Unfinished business’: Hawkettes qualify for state, get rematch vs. Centennial

‘We knew what we had to do’: Jaguars sweep C.B. Lincoln, advance to state

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With a trip to the state tournament on the line, the Ankeny Centennial volleyball players didn't feel any pressure. The Jaguars simply knew what they had to do. Second-ranked Centennial rolled to a 25-17, 25-10, 25-15 victory over No. 15 Council Bluffs Lincoln in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday at Centennial. The Jaguars (30-6) advanced to the … [Read more...] about ‘We knew what we had to do’: Jaguars sweep C.B. Lincoln, advance to state

Eagles pound 22 aces in sweep over Mormon Trail, advance to regional final

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The Mormon Trail volleyball team had already played top-ranked Ankeny Christian Academy twice this season. But even though the Saints knew what to expect, there was little that they could do to stop the defending state champions. The host Eagles hit .418 on the night and pounded 22 aces in a 25-6, 25-15, 25-10 victory over Mormon Trail in a Class 1A … [Read more...] about Eagles pound 22 aces in sweep over Mormon Trail, advance to regional final

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Riese Gjerde, Ankeny Christian volleyball

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Senior libero Riese Gjerde has helped the top-ranked Ankeny Christian Academy volleyball team to a 34-3 record. She had 11 digs on Wednesday as the Eagles swept visiting Twin Cedars in a Class 1A regional quarterfinal. Gjerde leads the team with 264 digs. She has also contributed 18 aces. Gjerde surpassed the 700-dig career mark earlier this season. … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Riese Gjerde, Ankeny Christian volleyball

Ankeny swimmers edge Valley for 3rd place at CIML Conference meet

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The Ankeny girls' swimming team is hoping to peak at the end of the season. Saturday's CIML Conference meet at Johnston, which featured five of the state's top six teams, was a good place to start. Fifth-ranked Ankeny placed third in the six-team field with 283.5 points. The Hawkettes edged No. 6 Valley by a half-point for third place. "We had a … [Read more...] about Ankeny swimmers edge Valley for 3rd place at CIML Conference meet

Rematch Friday: Hawks to host Johnston, while Jaguars travel to Waukee NW

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The pairings are set for the Class 5A football playoffs. Both Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial are slated to face familiar opponents. The seventh-ranked Hawks (6-3) will host No. 10 Johnston (5-4) on Friday at 7 p.m. It's a rematch of a game from Sept. 15 that Ankeny won, 16-10. The two teams also met in last year's playoffs. The Dragons posted a 23-13 … [Read more...] about Rematch Friday: Hawks to host Johnston, while Jaguars travel to Waukee NW

‘We executed on all levels’: Jaguars thump Urbandale, earn trip to playoffs

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The Class 5A playoffs have already started for the Ankeny Centennial football team. In a do-or-die game between two opponents with identical 4-4 records, the 14th-ranked Jaguars punched their ticket to the postseason with a convincing 41-3 victory at No. 19 Urbandale on Friday. "It feels really good," said Centennial tight end Chase Schutty. "We needed … [Read more...] about ‘We executed on all levels’: Jaguars thump Urbandale, earn trip to playoffs

Hawks roll into playoffs with 49-19 win over C.R. Washington, improve to 6-3

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The Ankeny football team took care of business on Friday. The eighth-ranked Hawks not only rolled to a 49-19 victory over visiting Cedar Rapids Washington in their regular-season finale, but they jumped out to a big early lead that allowed coach Jeff Bauer to rest some of his starters for the Class 5A playoffs. "It was good to let some of the … [Read more...] about Hawks roll into playoffs with 49-19 win over C.R. Washington, improve to 6-3

‘I have heard only great things’: Ankeny’s Hensen to play golf at Iowa State

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Ankeny golfer Drew Hensen could have elected to play in college for a school in a warmer climate. Instead, he decided to stay close to home. Hensen has verbally committed to play for Iowa State. He announced his decision via social media on Friday. "Excited to announce that I have committed to continue my golf and academic career at Iowa State … [Read more...] about ‘I have heard only great things’: Ankeny’s Hensen to play golf at Iowa State

Hawkettes roll past Urbandale, will play Iowa City Liberty for trip to state tourney

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The beat goes on for the Ankeny volleyball team. Another injury struck the seventh-ranked Hawkettes, and the players responded with a shrug of their shoulders. With starting middle hitter Ava Wille out of the lineup due to a knee injury, Ankeny rolled to a 25-18, 25-11, 25-9 victory over visiting Urbandale in a Class 5A regional semifinal on … [Read more...] about Hawkettes roll past Urbandale, will play Iowa City Liberty for trip to state tourney

‘The energy is just crazy all around’: Jaguars sweep past Iowa City West

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The Ankeny Centennial volleyball team has been trying to find some additional offensive weapons to take the pressure off leading hitters Delaney Miller and Jaeden Pratt. The second-ranked Jaguars may have found some answers. Gabby Mixdorf had six kills and Ava Kronenberg added five more to help second-ranked Centennial to a 25-14, 25-15, 25-7 victory … [Read more...] about ‘The energy is just crazy all around’: Jaguars sweep past Iowa City West

‘We are peaking at the right time’: Hawks claim district crown, but aren’t satisfied

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The Ankeny boys' cross country team showed on Wednesday that it's a threat to win the Class 4A state championship. On Oct. 27 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge, the Hawks will have a chance to prove that they're the state's best team.Fourth-ranked Ankeny easily captured a district title at the Iowa State cross country course in Ames. While scoring 26 … [Read more...] about ‘We are peaking at the right time’: Hawks claim district crown, but aren’t satisfied

‘I’m pretty speechless’: Dominant Jags, Mohrhauser cruise to regional titles

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It was one of the most dominating performances ever by the Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team. The seventh-ranked Jaguars cruised to a Class 4A regional title on Wednesday at the Ashton cross country course in Iowa City. They scored 23 points and advanced to the state meet for the 10th time in the 11-year history of the program. "I'm pretty … [Read more...] about ‘I’m pretty speechless’: Dominant Jags, Mohrhauser cruise to regional titles