Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Eric Cogdill

FRESHMAN PHENOM: Ankeny’s Macke smashes 5K school record by 26 seconds

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Ankeny freshman Alli Macke didn't realize how fast she was running. The clock showed that she was having an incredible race. Macke placed second in the Kirk Schmaltz Invitational on Thursday at the Iowa State cross country course in Ames. She posted a time of 17:48 in the 5K race, smashing the previous school record by 26 seconds. "I don’t normally … [Read more...] about FRESHMAN PHENOM: Ankeny’s Macke smashes 5K school record by 26 seconds

Ankeny boys, girls earn runner-up finish at Dragon Twilight Invitational

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It appears that the Ankeny boys' and girls' cross country teams may have been underrated in the Class 4A preseason rankings. Both squads opened their season on Saturday night by placing second in the Dragon Twilight Invitational at Johnston High School. The Hawks and Hawkettes defeated multiple higher-ranked teams, including Ankeny Centennial. "I'm … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys, girls earn runner-up finish at Dragon Twilight Invitational

Centennial girls return 4 varsity regulars from last year’s 3rd-place squad

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Coming off the best season in school history, the Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team enters the 2021 campaign with its largest squad ever under coach Eric Cogdill. The Jaguars boast 78 girls on the roster, including 31 freshmen and nine other first-time competitors. "We have more girls on the team (40) that have never ran a high school cross … [Read more...] about Centennial girls return 4 varsity regulars from last year’s 3rd-place squad

Centennial’s Cogdill named Assistant Coach of the Year for girls’ track

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Ankeny Centennial assistant girls' track coach Eric Cogdill has been named Assistant Coach of the Year by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. Cogdill helped the Jaguars to a 14th-place finish in the Class 4A state meet last month. He primarily coaches the team's distance runners. Last fall, Cogdill was named the Class 4A cross country coach of the … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Cogdill named Assistant Coach of the Year for girls’ track

Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny girls’ cross country team

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Craig Doocy coached a lot of talented runners during his 28 years as the head coach of the Ankeny girls' cross country team. Doocy took over the program in 1989 and guided the Hawkettes to 15 state-meet appearances before retiring after the 2016 season. "I was blessed with coaching so many awesome, hard-working, dedicated student-athletes that I was … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny girls’ cross country team

Centennial’s Cogdill, VanderWilt earn coaching awards from IATC

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team enjoyed the best season in school history. Now, the Jaguars' coaches have been honored for leading their team to a third-place finish in the Class 4A state meet on Oct. 30. Head coach Eric Cogdill has been named the Class 4A Coach of the Year by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. "This doesn't … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Cogdill, VanderWilt earn coaching awards from IATC

‘Every girl had a phenomenal race’: Jaguars capture 3rd-place trophy

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As she crossed the finish line at the girls' Class 4A state cross country meet on Friday, Ankeny Centennial sophomore Rondi Quass knew that she had earned a spot on the awards podium. Quass later discovered that she would get to make two appearances on the clubhouse deck at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. She not only placed 14th as an individual, … [Read more...] about ‘Every girl had a phenomenal race’: Jaguars capture 3rd-place trophy

‘A great day to be a Jaguar’: Centennial boys, girls race to state-meet berths

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Ankeny Centennial will be well represented at next week's state cross country meet in Fort Dodge. The Jaguars qualified for both the boys' and girls' races with strong performances in a Class 4A state qualifying meet on Wednesday at Council Bluffs. While the girls' team qualified for the seventh time in eight years, the boys' squad advanced for the first … [Read more...] about ‘A great day to be a Jaguar’: Centennial boys, girls race to state-meet berths

Ankeny’s McMahon, Centennial girls race to titles at CIML Iowa Conference meet

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Ankeny senior Lauren McMahon raced to a conference title on Thursday. The Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team did as well. The fourth-ranked Jaguars overcame McMahon's victory and a strong performance by No. 11 Ankeny to win the CIML Iowa Conference crown at the Iowa State cross country course in Ames. It was the first league title since 2016 … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s McMahon, Centennial girls race to titles at CIML Iowa Conference meet

McMahon avenges her only loss, while Ankeny boys claim Fort Dodge crown

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Thursday was a good night for Lauren McMahon and the Ankeny girls' cross country team. The Ankeny boys' squad, and both Ankeny Centennial teams, also had some good performances at the Fort Dodge Invitational. The meet consisted of two separate pods so Ankeny's crosstown rivals did not race against each other. The top-ranked McMahon avenged her only … [Read more...] about McMahon avenges her only loss, while Ankeny boys claim Fort Dodge crown

Centennial boys, girls race to runner-up finishes at Knoxville Invitational

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After getting a week off, the Ankeny Centennial boys' and girls' cross country teams returned to action on Tuesday at the Knoxville Invitational. Both squads earned second-place finishes. In the boys' division, ninth-ranked Norwalk claimed the team title with 32 points, edging No. 10 Centennial by three points. No. 12 Urbandale was a distant third in … [Read more...] about Centennial boys, girls race to runner-up finishes at Knoxville Invitational

Jaguars start slow and finish strong, place 2nd at Tom Karpen Invitational

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Overcoming a slow start, the Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team raced to a second-place finish in the Tom Karpen Invitational on Tuesday. The defending champion Jaguars finished with 53 points despite missing a few of their varsity regulars. Fourth-ranked Valley easily won the seven-team meet on its home course at Valley Southwoods Freshman High … [Read more...] about Jaguars start slow and finish strong, place 2nd at Tom Karpen Invitational

Ankeny’s McMahon wins again, while Jaguars place 3rd at Bobcat Invitational

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The wet conditions didn't slow down the Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team on Thursday. They didn't seem to bother Ankeny runner Lauren McMahon, either. McMahon raced to her second straight victory to lead the Hawkettes to a seventh-place finish in the Red Division of the Bobcat Invitational on Thursday at Marshalltown, while Centennial relied … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s McMahon wins again, while Jaguars place 3rd at Bobcat Invitational

‘She’s transformed a little bit’: Former thrower wins her first cross country race

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Ankeny senior Lauren McMahon surprised herself on Thursday at the DMACC cross country course. She surprised her opponents, too. McMahon cruised to an easy victory in her first varsity race, posting a time of 18 minutes 32 seconds on the 5K course. She finished 23 seconds ahead of Valley's Lauren Schulze. "I had no idea what to expect honestly," said … [Read more...] about ‘She’s transformed a little bit’: Former thrower wins her first cross country race

‘Our goal is to be a top 10 team at state’: Centennial girls boast high hopes

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The members of the Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team are already running some fast times. During a recent practice, Rondi Quass and Kathryn Vortherms both broke the Jaguars' record in the mile time trial. Quass (5 minutes 18 seconds) and Vortherms (5:20) eclipsed the previous mark of 5:25 that was set by former Centennial standout Kate Smith on … [Read more...] about ‘Our goal is to be a top 10 team at state’: Centennial girls boast high hopes

Growth continues for Jaguars: Vortherms places 32nd; Jensen takes 74th

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Ankeny Centennial runners Kathryn Vortherms and Katie Jensen have come a long way in the last two years. On Saturday, that growth culminated in a pair of strong performances in the girls' Class 4A state cross country meet at Fort Dodge. Vortherms, a junior, raced to a 32nd-place finish in a field of 126 runners. The junior posted a time of 19 minutes … [Read more...] about Growth continues for Jaguars: Vortherms places 32nd; Jensen takes 74th

Centennial advances 3 boys, 2 girls to state cross country meet

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The cutoff point to qualify for the state cross country meet can leave runners feeling exhilarated or devastated. The Ankeny Centennial squads experienced both ends of the spectrum during Thursday's state qualifying meet at Council Bluffs. While the Centennial boys' team qualified three runners for the state meet, including a pair who earned the last … [Read more...] about Centennial advances 3 boys, 2 girls to state cross country meet

Centennial girls take 2nd at conference meet, while Hawkettes finish 5th

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Kathryn Vortherms and the Ankeny Centennial girls' cross country team didn't want to focus on next week's state qualifying meet just yet. "We know where we're going (for the regional meet), but we don't know the teams there yet," Vortherms said. "We're not going to look until after conference." Vortherms placed fifth in the CIML Central Conference meet … [Read more...] about Centennial girls take 2nd at conference meet, while Hawkettes finish 5th

Ankeny Centennial to host middle school state cross country meet on Saturday

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Ankeny Community Schools is pleased to announce that Ankeny Centennial High School will be hosting the Iowa Association of Track Coaches middle school state cross country meet on Saturday. A 2-mile course has been laid out on the ACHS campus at 2220 NW State St. Spectators are welcome to park in lots on the west and east sides of the building for $5. … [Read more...] about Ankeny Centennial to host middle school state cross country meet on Saturday