Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Maggie Allen of Waukee Northwest slides around Ankeny Centennial's Peyten Spiegel during a Class 5A semifinal on Wednesday at Rogers Park.

For the first time since 2022, the Waukee Northwest softball team will play for a state championship.

The Wolves dominated CIML rival Ankeny Centennial here Wednesday at Rogers Park, 11-3 in five innings, advancing to the finals where they will meet Linn-Mar. That game takes place Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. on Channel Seeds Field.

Waukee Northwest (39-5 overall) has qualified for state each of the past two seasons, but failed to make it out of the quarterfinals. There was no doubt this time, as they put the Jaguars away with a five-run third.

Aunya Van Zetten, an Indian Hills commit, blasted a home run as part of her 4-for-4 day with four RBI and two runs scored. Alayna Schulte added two hits and two RBI with a run scored while Maggie Allen had two RBI and two runs.

That was all the support star ace Sophia Schlader needed, as the freshman sensation held Ankeny Centennial to just five hits with five strikeouts. In the quarterfinals, Schlader, ranked as the top player in her class, struck out a 5A-record 15 batters.

“This is so big for this team,” Schlader said. “I have never met a group of girls that want to work (as hard as they one). Right after our loss last year, we said this is not happening again. We came together as a team and have grown our team chemistry.”

Jordyn Kennedy, a junior who is committed to the University of Minnesota, connected on a home run off Schlader, finishing 2-for-3 with three RBI. She already has the school career record for homers.

During the regular season, the Jaguars played Waukee Northwest three times, with the Wolves taking two of three. Ankeny Centennial did post a 9-0 win in the nightcap of a doubleheader in early June.

“(Ankeny Centennial) is an amazing team,” Schlader said. “They are a really good group of girls, so props to them.

“We just prepare to play our game. It doesn’t matter who is in the other dugout.”

In 2022 when the Wolves won it all, they knocked off Fort Dodge in the finals.

Ankeny Centennial will take on Cedar Falls for third place on Thursday at 6 p.m. back on Iowa Central Field.

WAUKEE NW 11,

ANKENY CENTENNIAL 3 (5 inn.)

Centennial 000 12 — 3 4 2

Waukee NW 305 21 — 11 11 0

WP–Sophia Schlader (5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 K, 2 BB). LP–Aubrey Scieszinski (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 K, 2 BB).

HR–AC: Jordyn Kennedy; WNW: Aunya Van Zetten. 2B–AC: Makenna Foster; WNW: Aunya Van Zetten (2), Alayna Schulte (2), Sophia Schlader. RBI–AC: Jordyn Kennedy; WNW: Magie Allen, Meredith Thomsen, Hazel Leinen, Alayna Schulte (2), Aunya Van Zetten (4), Sophia Schlader. SB–AC: Mady Ott, Jordyn Kennedy; WNW: Aunya Van Zetten, Maggie Allen.