Steve Smith

Ankeny girls' tennis coach Steve Smith had no reasons to be disappointed following his squad's 5-0 loss to top-ranked Dowling Catholic in the opening round of the Class 2A state team tournament on Saturday at the Prairie Ridge courts. The Maroons (11-0) are likely headed to a state championship. "I thought everyone played pretty well despite the … [Read more...] about ‘Dowling is just that good’: No. 1 Maroons end Ankeny’s run at state team tourney

A year ago, Megan Sommerfeld advanced to the girls' state tennis tournament in singles, becoming Ankeny's first qualifier since the split into two high schools. Now, the seventh-ranked Hawkettes have achieved some more historic feats. Freshman Kira Smith won a Class 2A regional singles title on Wednesday at Ames, while the Ankeny doubles team of Anna … [Read more...] about Smith, Ankeny doubles team earn regional titles, advance to state tourney

The eighth-ranked Ankeny girls' tennis team tuned up for postseason play by posting a pair of victories on Friday at the Ankeny Quadrangular. The Hawkettes rolled to a 10-1 victory over Southeast Polk and also defeated Norwalk, 8-3. They were also supposed to play Marshalltown, but that match was cancelled due to a lack of time and the fact that the two … [Read more...] about Hawkettes roll to wins over S.E. Polk, Norwalk at Ankeny Quadrangular

It didn't take long for coach Steve Smith to turn the Ankeny girls' tennis program around. The eighth-ranked Hawkettes clinched the CIML Iowa Conference title on Tuesday with a 9-2 victory at Ames. They finished 6-0 in the league and improved to 7-2 overall. "It's crazy how well this season is going," said Smith. "This was supposed to be next year's … [Read more...] about ‘This was supposed to be next year’s goal’: Hawkettes capture league crown

Another cold and windy day provided a challenge for the Ankeny girls' tennis team. This time, the ninth-ranked Hawkettes didn't adjust well to the tough conditions. Ankeny dropped a 10-1 decision at No. 5 Johnston in a non-conference meet on Monday. The Dragons (4-1) rebounded after suffering their first loss of the season, 7-3, at No. 2 Valley on … [Read more...] about ‘Johnston was simply better’: Ankeny girls suffer 10-1 loss to No. 5 Dragons

The Dowling Catholic girls' tennis team might be the state's best squad--even without Allison Szalay. The top-ranked Maroons posted an 11-0 victory in a non-conference meet at No. 9 Ankeny on Tuesday. They played without Szalay, the defending Class 2A champion in singles. Szalay also plays goalkeeper for the Dowling girls' soccer squad and dislocated … [Read more...] about No. 1 Dowling girls blank Ankeny, even without defending state singles champ

The Ankeny girls' tennis players had more problems with the conditions on Monday than they did with their opponent. Overcoming cold temperatures and winds of 30-40 mph, the ninth-ranked Hawkettes rolled to an 11-0 victory at Mason City in a CIML Iowa Conference matchup. "I was proud we were able to endure some of the worst conditions I’ve experienced … [Read more...] about Hawkettes cruise past Mason City, will host No. 1 Dowling Catholic on Tuesday

Kira Smith and the Ankeny girls' tennis team dominated the Boone Invitational on Friday. Smith won the No. 1 singles flight without losing a single game in three matches, and the Hawkettes easily captured the overall crown with 143 points. They won five of the six flights in the four-team tournament. "The results this year show both how much we've … [Read more...] about Hawkettes dominate Boone Invitational, capture overall crown with 143 points

The wait was worth it for the Ankeny girls' tennis team. The Hawkettes finally got to open their season on Monday, and they cruised to an 11-0 victory over visiting Fort Dodge in a CIML Iowa Conference matchup at the Prairie Ridge courts. "We were excited to just play a meet after two weeks of postponements," said Ankeny coach Steve Smith. Ankeny … [Read more...] about ‘We were excited to just play’: Hawkettes blank Fort Dodge in season opener

A year ago, the Ankeny girls' tennis team laid the foundation for a bright future under first-year coach Steve Smith. The Hawkettes posted an 8-7 record, including a 3-2 mark in the CIML Iowa Conference. It was the program's first winning season since 2012. "Last year we focused on culture and process-oriented goals," said Smith. "So, we dialed in on … [Read more...] about ‘We’ll keep the same focus’: Hawkettes look to build on winning season

Although the Ankeny girls' tennis team dropped a 5-0 decision at Johnston in the semifinals of a Class 2A regional team tournament on Saturday, the final score didn't tell the whole story. The Hawkettes got strong efforts from Anna Schmitz and Rachel Rolow in the loss, forcing Johnston to work hard to earn the victory. The Dragons then lost to Waukee, … [Read more...] about Hawkettes hold their own in 5-0 loss at Johnston in regional team tourney