On Feb. 24, the Ankeny Hawkette basketball team accomplished a feat that hadn’t been done in 13 years. Ever since the 2013 Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial split, the girls’ basketball team hasn’t made it to the state tournament. Until now.

“I think it’s really exciting. Bakker came and talked to us the next day about how much it really means to the basketball program here because they’ve been pretty close through all the years and they’ve been through a lot,” said senior Jayla Williams. “Being able to be a part of the good in it and experience it, especially with the group that we have this year, was really cool.”

Williams is one of five Hawkettes who played their final game at Ankeny High School on Tuesday, earning a win to achieve the goal they have been working towards for the last four years in the program.

“It means a lot. We work hard all the time, so just to know that our hard work is finally paying off, and we get to experience it all together is pretty cool,” said senior Reagan Baldwin.

Three of Ankeny’s seniors have started all games this season, and their leadership and experience will be remembered.

“They’re a big reason that we are in this position, their leadership and work ethic and all that they’ve brought to the table for a long time now,” said varsity head coach Nate Tobey. “I’m glad we got to do all the fun things that are associated with making it to state, and glad their work is being recognized.”

Tobey has been leading Ankeny’s girls basketball for three seasons after serving as an assistant coach in the boys program. Getting past the regional finals has been a goal for Tobey since he took over the program.

“It means a lot, and that was one of the big reasons I decided to join the girls’ program,” said Tobey. “It feels awesome to get over the hump this year.”

A big piece of Ankeny’s ability to reach its goals this year was its team chemistry. Getting along on the court is important, but off-court relationships can strengthen teams even further.

“We’ve done so many fun activities outside of basketball this year. That has really glued our team together, and we’re constantly laughing with each other, and I think humor keeps us all upbeat all the time, so even during the hard times, we’re all there for each other,” said Baldwin.

This team chemistry shined in the regional final against Sioux City East. All eligible athletes for Ankeny were able to check in, allowing the starters to cheer on their teammates in the final minutes.

“That was really fun because that’s what they do for us all season, and it’s also a big part of why we were there because they support us through everything,” said Williams.

The Hawkettes have fallen in the regional final each of the past five seasons, so the pressure was on going into Tuesday’s matchup. However, there was also extra motivation to get the win.

“I can say we all definitely felt more pressure just because we knew for seniors it’s the last game if we were to lose, but we were also so very highly motivated and confident with this team,” said Baldwin.

Preparing for regional and state tournament games can be more difficult than regular season and conference games due to fewer common opponents, but the Hawkettes proved their ability to adapt in the regional final.

“Our staff did a great job getting our players ready, and it felt like we had a good game plan that we were able to execute,” said Tobey.

Ankeny will have to prepare well to face the fourth-ranked Cedar Rapids Washington Warriors in the first round of the state tournament.

“Every single person on their team plays really hard. All their starters and their bench that comes in, they all play really hard, and we obviously know they’re going to want to win,” said Williams.

The Hawkettes may have reached a big goal by making it to the Casey’s Center, but they aren’t done yet.

“Our goal has always been to play for a championship, and now we’re one of the last eight teams, but we just want to take this one matchup at a time and give each one our best shot,” said Tobey.

One difference playing at the state tournament is the typical fan increase, and the Hawkettes are looking to have a great crowd of Ankeny fans on Monday.

“Come watch us at state,” Baldwin said. “And we’re going to try as hard as we can to win for you.”