Ankeny Fanatic

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Steve Smith

‘We were excited to just play’: Hawkettes blank Fort Dodge in season opener

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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

‘We’ll keep the same focus’: Hawkettes look to build on winning season

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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

Peterson advances to Class 2A semifinals, while Guans earn top-8 finish

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Ankeny Centennial's Abbie Peterson is just two wins away from winning a state tennis title as a freshman. Peterson advanced to the semifinals of the girls' Class 2A singles tournament with a pair of victories on Wednesday at Iowa City. She will play second-seeded Allison Szalay of Dowling Catholic on Thursday morning. "There was no clear cut No. 1 seed … [Read more...] about Peterson advances to Class 2A semifinals, while Guans earn top-8 finish

Hawkettes hold their own in 5-0 loss at Johnston in regional team tourney

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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

‘Awesome young lady’ becomes Ankeny’s first state qualifier since 2013

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For most of the season, Ankeny's Megan Sommerfeld was planning to play doubles in a Class 2A regional tournament on Wednesday. The decision to go into singles instead paid off with a trip to the state tournament. Sommerfeld placed second in the regional meet that was moved from Southeast Polk to Lifetime Fitness due to rain. She became the Hawkettes' … [Read more...] about ‘Awesome young lady’ becomes Ankeny’s first state qualifier since 2013

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Ian Ferree, Ankeny boys’ tennis

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Senior Ian Ferree helped the Ankeny boys' tennis team to a 3-9 record. The Hawks closed out their season with a 5-2 loss at Urbandale in a preliminary substate match on Saturday. Ferree posted a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Andrew Lein of Des Moines East in the opening round of a Class 2A district tournament on Wednesday at Ankeny. He then dropped a 6-0, 6-2 … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Ian Ferree, Ankeny boys’ tennis

Hawkettes finish 2-1 at Ankeny Invite, improve overall record to 7-6

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The Ankeny girls' tennis team defeated two of its three opponents at the Ankeny Invitational on Friday. The Hawkettes opened the round-robin event with a 9-2 victory over Marshalltown. They defeated the Bobcats by the same score on April 29 at Marshalltown. Ankeny then followed with an 8-3 win over Southeast Polk before losing to Urbandale, 10-1, in … [Read more...] about Hawkettes finish 2-1 at Ankeny Invite, improve overall record to 7-6

Ames girls win several close matches in 9-2 victory over Hawkettes

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The Ankeny girls' tennis team is still trying to get over the hump. The Hawkettes lost several close matches to visiting Ames and dropped a 9-2 decision in a CIML Iowa Conference dual meet on Tuesday. "The meet once again came down to us not winning the close matches," said Ankeny coach Steve Smith. "We lost three match tiebreakers by a combined seven … [Read more...] about Ames girls win several close matches in 9-2 victory over Hawkettes

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Sydney Otto, Ankeny girls’ tennis

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Sophomore Sydney Otto has helped the Ankeny girls' tennis team to a 4-5 record. Otto played No. 3 doubles at the first meet of the season, then joined the singles lineup as well the following week and has played at the No. 4, 5 and 6 positions for the Hawkettes. "Sydney picked up a racket for the first time in February," said Ankeny coach Steve … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Sydney Otto, Ankeny girls’ tennis

Hawkettes keep their momentum going with 9-2 win at Marshalltown

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Even without one of its top players, the Ankeny girls' tennis team rolled to a 9-2 victory at Marshalltown on Thursday. The Hawkettes played without senior Abby Johnson. She is the squad's No. 2 singles player and part of the No. 1 doubles team. "Abby was gone for orientation in Aberdeen, (S.D.)," Ankeny coach Steve Smith said of Johnson, who will play … [Read more...] about Hawkettes keep their momentum going with 9-2 win at Marshalltown

‘Everyone was watching’: Hawkettes win final match for 6-5 victory over Roosevelt

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The Ankeny girls' tennis team got a much-needed victory on Tuesday. And it came in thrilling fashion. After losing four of their previous five meets, the Hawkettes edged visiting Des Moines Roosevelt, 6-5, in a non-conference matchup. The meet came down to the final match at No. 1 doubles, where the Ankeny duo of Megan Sommerfeld and Abby Johnson … [Read more...] about ‘Everyone was watching’: Hawkettes win final match for 6-5 victory over Roosevelt

The gauntlet ends: Hawkettes fall to another one of state’s top teams

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It's been a tough two-week stretch for the Ankeny girls' tennis team. The Hawkettes dropped to 2-4 on the season with an 11-0 loss to visiting Valley on Monday. All four of their losses have come in the last 14 days via shutout against some of the state's top teams. Ankeny fell to Waukee, Dowling Catholic and Ankeny Centennial before losing to the … [Read more...] about The gauntlet ends: Hawkettes fall to another one of state’s top teams

Dowling girls show why Ankeny coach has been voting them No. 1 every week

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Ankeny girls' tennis coach Steve Smith has been voting Dowling Catholic No. 1 in the Class 2A rankings every week. The Maroons showed why on Tuesday. Dowling rolled to an 11-0 victory over the visiting Hawkettes in a non-conference meet. "Dowling’s top four (players) are the best 1-4 in the state," Smith said. "I’ve coached all of them either at … [Read more...] about Dowling girls show why Ankeny coach has been voting them No. 1 every week

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Megan Sommerfeld, Ankeny girls’ tennis

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Senior Megan Sommerfeld is the No. 1 player for the Ankeny girls' tennis team. She has helped the Hawkettes to a 2-1 record. Sommerfeld has posted a 2-1 mark in singles. She has also teamed up with Abby Johnson for a 4-2 record at No. 1 doubles. Here is some inside info on Sommerfeld: How is the season going thus far? I feel like the season has … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Megan Sommerfeld, Ankeny girls’ tennis

Hawkettes roll to victory at Fort Dodge with ‘murderer’s row’ coming up next

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The Ankeny girls' tennis team may have spent more time on the bus Thursday than it did on the courts. The Hawkettes traveled to Fort Dodge for their CIML Iowa Conference opener, and they came away with a dominant 11-0 victory. They won all 11 matches in straight sets, losing a combined total of just 29 games on the day. "Our depth really was evident in … [Read more...] about Hawkettes roll to victory at Fort Dodge with ‘murderer’s row’ coming up next

‘I’m proud of how our team competed’: Hawkettes tumble to No. 10 Waukee

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The Ankeny girls' tennis team ran into one of the state's top squads on Tuesday. Visiting Waukee, the No. 10 team in Class 2A, posted a 11-0 victory at the Prairie Ridge tennis courts. The Warriors improved to 2-0 on the season, while Ankeny's record dropped to 1-1. "I knew we had a tough matchup with Waukee as their top 10 players take lessons year … [Read more...] about ‘I’m proud of how our team competed’: Hawkettes tumble to No. 10 Waukee

‘I really like this group of young ladies’: Hawkettes show progress at Boone

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The Ankeny girls' tennis team earned a third-place finish in the Boone Invitational on Friday. Indianola won the four-team tournament. Ames was second, followed by Ankeny and the host Toreadors. "I really like this group of young ladies," said Ankeny coach Steve Smith. "We identified some areas where we need improvement, and we’ll work on those this … [Read more...] about ‘I really like this group of young ladies’: Hawkettes show progress at Boone

Ankeny girls romp past East/Hoover in Smith’s coaching debut

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Many of the Ankeny girls' tennis players entered Tuesday's season-opening meet without any varsity experience. The Hawkettes ended the non-conference meet at Des Moines East/Hoover with a 10-1 victory--and some much-needed seasoning. "It was great to get these young ladies some experience," said new Ankeny coach Steve Smith. "I was proud of how they … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls romp past East/Hoover in Smith’s coaching debut