![Sophomore Lily Bell posing as a player in the senior assassin game. Seniors participating in the game eliminate others by squirting them with a water gun, and can wear goggles for immunity against others. “People did have to go out and buy [water] guns, but most people have the googles at home, but you don’t even have to use a gun, you can use water of any sort,” senior Gwyn Christensen said.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-1-1-900x1200.jpg)
![The shadows against a captivating blue are a nod to the “Catch Me If You Can” musical poster, both for this performance and the blue from the Broadway show. The detectives in this scene are at shooting practice, in preparation for when they finally encounter Frank Abagnale Jr. “We always say our motto is ‘theater is a team sport,’ and really just emphasizing to our students that everyone is welcome in the drama department. There's always a role for you, whether or not, on stage or behind the scenes, in the costume shop, in the scene shop. [There are] all sorts of different things that go into bringing a show to life. So we love our drama hawks and welcome everyone to drama,” Drama Director Mollie Jo Blahunka said.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/cmiyc-1200x800.jpg)
![Henry, Emily (2021). People we meet on vacation [Book cover]. Berkley Books. Image used under fair use for purposes of commentary and review. Haley, Brett (2026). People we meet on vacation [Movie poster]. Movie poster courtesy of 3000 Pictures and Temple Hill Entertainment. Made by Adilyn Hoop using Canva.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/vacay1.png)
![Lockhart, E. (2025). We fell apart [Book cover]. Delacorte Press. Image used under fair use for purposes of commentary and review. The newest book in the “We were liars” collection was released Nov. 4.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/wefell1.png)
![A Group of PEOPEL PE students and helpers set up an obstacle course during class. The “Amazing Race” unit had started in PEOPEL PE where the students and helpers got to compete in a variety of different activities and games. “We try our best to make [inclusion] a school-wide event, but it's just so much more different when you actually engage with the students hands-on and actually get to know them as people.” Sophomore Bree Christensen said. Photo Taken by Ada McNulty.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-12-1200x900.jpg)
After making history as the first Ankeny High Girls Basketball team to advance to the state tournament in 13 years, the 16-8 Hawkettes will take on the 25-0 Johnston Dragons on Thursday, March 5, at the Casey’s Center. The game tips off at 10 am and is available to watch on the IGHSAU website and YouTube Channel.
Things to look for:
Johnston has been nothing short of a dominant powerhouse in girls’ basketball. In the past six seasons, they’ve made the state championship game, coming out victorious four times, and in the last 10 calendar years, they have only lost 17 games total. The Dragons are consistently ranked highly in the nation among reputable sources; ESPN recently ranked them 17th in the nation, MaxPreps places them at 11th, while Sports Illustrated and Massey both have them at 3rd, and On3 Rivals has them at 4th in their composite rankings.
Meanwhile, Ankeny has pieced together nothing short of a historic and tremendous season. They started off rolling to a 4-0 start until their first loss against Johnston. Since then, they have compiled both dominant and competitive victories throughout an extremely difficult schedule, ranking 6th in strength of schedule, and having faced every team listed above them. The Hawkettes have 8 losses on the difficult season, with 2 of those losses coming from the Dragons, with the Hawkettes falling 74-51 and 50-32, respectively in both of those games.
Senior guard Jayla Williams has led the close-knit Ankeny team, averaging an impressive 21.0 points per game (PPG), with the backing of senior guard Ainsley Kiene and freshman guard Ali Aguirre. Kiene might not be a leading scorer, but Kiene ranks 10th in the state for assists in class 5A, and 22nd in rebounds, bringing value to the team not reflected on the score board.
The Hawkettes also had notable performances from senior guard Reagan Baldwin and senior guard Kyla Schaapveld. Both Baldwin and Schaapveld hit 5 threes, with Schaapveld setting her career high, and Baldwin tying her previous career high. As a team, the Hawkettes shot an astounding 41.4% from the three-point line, compared to their 35.1% season average.
Things to remember:
Johnston has won their last 74 games in a row, one of the longest win streaks in state history, and they are hungry for a championship 3-peat to solidify their legacy deep in Iowa high school sports history.
On the flip side, the Hawkette seniors have spent their entire career waiting to have a season like this one; they always hear about how much better Johnston is than everyone else, and four years of a bitter taste in your mouth is as motivating as anything could be.
Empires are built to fall, and Johnston has certainly built an empire. While on paper it may be a long shot, the Hawkettes have momentum, the backing of a community, and the power of their historical season. Why not the Hawkettes? Tune in to watch the Hawkettes battle to advance.
Key Players:
Ankeny – Senior Guard Jayla Williams – 21.0 PPG, 163 RBD, 71 AST, 86 STL, 26 BLK, with 504 points on the season
Senior Guard Ainsley Kiene – 9.2 PPG, 162 RBD, 79 AST, 44 STL, 4 BLK, with 220 points on the season
Freshman Guard Aliyana Aguirre – 9.5 PPG, 92 RBD, 24 AST, 17 STL, 8 BLK, with 228 points on the season
Senior Guard Reagan Baldwin – 8.2 PPG, 33 RBD, 28 AST, 7 STL, 4 BLK, with 181 points on the season
Senior Guard Kyla Schaapveld – 4.4 PPG, 65 RBD, 37 AST, 25 STL, 4 BLK, with 106 points on the season
Johnston –
Senior Guard Jenica Lewis – 20.4 PPG, 150 RBD, 84 AST, 69 STL, 19 BLK, with 511 points on the season
Sophomore Guard Kelli Kalb – 13.0 PPG, 147 RBD, 31 AST, 25 STL, 9 BLK, with 326 points on the season
Junior Guard Arianna Phillips – 8.6 PPG, 99 RBD, 80 AST, 44 STL, 31 BLK, with 214 points on the season
Junior Forward Adaya Phillips – 4.5 PPG, 136 RBD, 48 AST, 32 STL, 16 BLK, with 113 points on the season
Senior Guard Jaliyah Kinnetz – 8.8 PPG, 37 RBD, 32 AST, 20 STL, 3 BLK, with 167 points on the season
