Ankeny Fanatic

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Archives for February 2018

Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen, Spencer Anderson capture district titles, punch ticket to state

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After being placed in a tough district, Ankeny advanced only two wrestlers to this week's state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Caleb Rathjen at 113 pounds and Spencer Anderson at 132 each won an individual title for the Hawks, who placed fourth among the eight teams in a Class 3A district tournament on Saturday at Waukee. They finished with 171.5 … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen, Spencer Anderson capture district titles, punch ticket to state

Centennial advances 8 wrestlers to state, the most in school history

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Jay Groth was hoping to advance all 14 of his Ankeny Centennial wrestlers to this week's state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. He'll have to settle for just eight. The Jaguars advanced the most qualifiers in school history while placing second in a Class 3A district tournament on Saturday at Dallas Center-Grimes. They racked up 227 points to finish … [Read more...] about Centennial advances 8 wrestlers to state, the most in school history

Hawk swimmers tie for 3rd at state, win coin flip for trophy

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Thanks to the flip of a coin, the Ankeny boys' swimming team returned home from Saturday's state meet with a coveted trophy. The top-ranked Hawks finished in a third-place tie with No. 5 Bettendorf after both teams scored 166.5 points at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center in Iowa City. A coin flip was then held to determine which team would get the … [Read more...] about Hawk swimmers tie for 3rd at state, win coin flip for trophy

Strong finish allows Jaguars to capture CIML Central Conference crown

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When Scott DeJong goes to sleep at night, he probably dreams of new ways to stop his opponents. That's how much his Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team focuses on defense. On Friday, the fifth-ranked Jaguars allowed just one point over the last 3 1/2 minutes and rallied for a 45-35 victory over No. 6 Waukee, spoiling the Warriors' Senior Night. … [Read more...] about Strong finish allows Jaguars to capture CIML Central Conference crown

Cold-shooting Jaguars tumble to Waukee in battle for league crown

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With less than 2 minutes left in Friday's game, Waukee forward Nathan Johnson leaped high in the air for an alley-oop near the basket. Johnson was unable to corral the pass, which was tipped by an Ankeny Centennial defender. But the ball went in the hoop anyway. It was that kind of night for the Jaguars. Waukee used an 11-0 run in the third quarter … [Read more...] about Cold-shooting Jaguars tumble to Waukee in battle for league crown

Young leads the way as Valley girls avenge loss to Hawkettes

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Valley's Zoe Young showed again on Friday why she's considered one of the nation's top girls' basketball players in the Class of 2019. Young, a Maryland recruit, made a trio of 3-point goals and scored 19 points to lead the 12th-ranked Tigers to a 68-58 victory over No. 15 Ankeny at Valley. The junior guard also had eight rebounds, three assists, two … [Read more...] about Young leads the way as Valley girls avenge loss to Hawkettes

Valley boys hold off Hawks, earn share of conference title

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A huge second quarter lifted the Valley boys' basketball team to a 68-60 victory over visiting Ankeny on Friday, allowing the Tigers to share the CIML Central Conference title with Waukee. Valley outscored Ankeny in the second quarter, 24-10, to build a 35-24 lead at halftime. The Hawks pulled to within six points in the second half, but could not get any … [Read more...] about Valley boys hold off Hawks, earn share of conference title

Newton AD Garvis hopes to build upon Centennial’s great athletic tradition

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In the fall of 2013, Scott Garvis became the Athletic Director at Newton High School at the same time that Tom Kinseth took control of the athletic department at Ankeny Centennial's brand new high school. Now, five years later, Garvis has been named the successor for the retiring Kinseth. He will take over the position this summer. "I know Scott, and … [Read more...] about Newton AD Garvis hopes to build upon Centennial’s great athletic tradition

Hawks to visit Ames, Jaguars to host Lincoln in substate play

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  The Ankeny boys' basketball team was expecting to head north for its postseason opener later this month. It turns out that the Hawks won't have to go as far up I-35 as they thought. Fifth-seeded Ankeny will play at fourth-seeded Ames in a Class 4A Substate 8 quarterfinal on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. The Little Cyclones (7-11) are currently on a … [Read more...] about Hawks to visit Ames, Jaguars to host Lincoln in substate play

No. 1 Ankeny swimmers looking to win their first state championship

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The members of the Ankeny boys' swimming team have set their sights on a state championship trophy. "That's definitely our goal," said sophomore sprinter Max Martin. "I feel really good about our chances." Ankeny enters Saturday's state meet in Iowa City as the No. 1 team in the state. The Hawks racked up 1,967 power points, 14 more than Ames, while … [Read more...] about No. 1 Ankeny swimmers looking to win their first state championship

Centennial boys, girls to play at Waukee for Central Conference crowns

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A pair of championships will be at stake on Friday night at the Waukee Fieldhouse. Waukee will host a basketball doubleheader against Ankeny Centennial, beginning with the girls' game at 6:15 p.m. The winner of both contests will capture the CIML Central Conference title. "I think it's important that we win the conference because it will build our … [Read more...] about Centennial boys, girls to play at Waukee for Central Conference crowns

Ankeny boys earn 3rd-place finish at Central Conference meet

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With a solid effort in the Baker games, the Ankeny boys' bowling team placed third in the CIML Central Conference meet on Thursday at Great Escape. The Hawks were the only team to surpass 1,000 pins in the Baker round, compiling a total of 1,004. They finished with an overall score of 2,915. Waukee won the boys' title with a total of 3,076. Defending … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys earn 3rd-place finish at Central Conference meet

Hawkeyes want Winters to shed some weight, move to offensive line

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Trey Winters celebrated the signing of his national letter of intent with a trip to Sports Page on Wednesday afternoon. In the future, though, the Ankeny Centennial football standout may have to skip a few meals. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Winters signed to play at Iowa, whose coaches would like the mammoth lineman to shed some weight. "I definitely … [Read more...] about Hawkeyes want Winters to shed some weight, move to offensive line

No. 1 Fort Dodge wrestlers ‘flex their muscle’ in victory over Hawks

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After avenging one of its dual-meet losses, the Ankeny wrestlers were hoping to avenge another one while earning a trip to next week's state duals tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Unfortunately, top-ranked Fort Dodge had some other ideas. The Dodgers won eight of the last nine matches, all of them by falls, and rolled to a 58-18 victory over No. 17 … [Read more...] about No. 1 Fort Dodge wrestlers ‘flex their muscle’ in victory over Hawks

Jaguars earn rematch against Johnston, but then fall in regional final

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In just six days, the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team closed the gap considerably on fifth-ranked Johnston. The No. 9 Jaguars just didn't close it far enough. The Dragons advanced to next week's state duals tournament with a 35-30 victory over visiting Centennial in a Class 3A regional final on Wednesday. The Jaguars, who dropped a 44-22 decision at … [Read more...] about Jaguars earn rematch against Johnston, but then fall in regional final

Loss at Fort Dodge could cost Jaguars No. 2 seed in substate tourney

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Tuesday's loss at Fort Dodge could have some costly ramifications for the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team. The Jaguars suffered a 50-37 loss that ended their two-game winning streak and dropped their record to 12-6 on the season. The outcome could have an effect on the seedings for the Class 4A Substate 7 tournament, which will be determined on … [Read more...] about Loss at Fort Dodge could cost Jaguars No. 2 seed in substate tourney

Centennial girls shake off slow start, beat Dodgers for 8th straight win

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It took awhile for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team to take control of Tuesday's game at Fort Dodge. The fifth-ranked Jaguars trailed in the second quarter, 19-16, before scoring the last nine points of the half. They then used a 24-4 run in the third quarter to pull away for a 62-41 victory in a CIML non-conference game. "We kind of had a … [Read more...] about Centennial girls shake off slow start, beat Dodgers for 8th straight win

Hawk bowlers surpass 3,000-pin mark for first time since 2014

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The Ankeny bowling teams tuned up for Thursday's CIML Central Conference meet with strong performances on their Senior Night against Southeast Polk Tuesday at Great Escape. The Ankeny boys' team dropped a 3,158-3,012 decision to the Rams, but the Hawks posted their highest score in more than four years. Ankeny surpassed the 3,000-pin mark for the first … [Read more...] about Hawk bowlers surpass 3,000-pin mark for first time since 2014

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Kyle Janssen, Ankeny Centennial wrestling

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Freshman Kyle Janssen of the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team is the Ankeny Fanatic Sub of the Week sponsored by Blimpie. Janssen has helped Centennial to a 21-8 mark that set a school record for most dual-meet victories in a season. The Jaguars will compete in a Class 3A regional dual on Wednesday at Johnston, beginning with a first-round matchup against … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Kyle Janssen, Ankeny Centennial wrestling