Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Archives for February 2020

‘I still desire to be a head football coach’: Rhoads lands bigger challenge at U of A

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Paul Rhoads still yearns to be a head football coach again. A move to the Arizona desert may help him get there. The Ankeny native and former Iowa State head coach is getting ready for spring ball at the University of Arizona, where he was named the defensive coordinator in late December. He spent the last two seasons on the staff of UCLA coach Chip … [Read more...] about ‘I still desire to be a head football coach’: Rhoads lands bigger challenge at U of A

‘They threw a lot of junk at us’: Hawks solve Fort Dodge’s defense in 66-46 win

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The Fort Dodge boys' basketball team tried several different defenses on Friday in an effort to slow down Ankeny star Braxton Bayless. None of them were very successful. Bayless poured in 26 points, 19 of them in the first half, to lead the Hawks to a 66-46 victory in a Class 4A substate semifinal at Ankeny. "They threw a lot of junk at us, but we … [Read more...] about ‘They threw a lot of junk at us’: Hawks solve Fort Dodge’s defense in 66-46 win

Kelling, No. 1 Centennial boys roll past Roughriders in postseason opener

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Ankeny Centennial's Preston Kelling drove to the basket on Friday with a Des Moines Roosevelt defender right at his side. Kelling then rose up and threw down a monster dunk late in the first half of a Class 4A boys' basketball substate semifinal at Centennial. "I was feeling it at the time," Kelling said. "I was feeling good. It was just in the … [Read more...] about Kelling, No. 1 Centennial boys roll past Roughriders in postseason opener

Jaguars, Hawks open substate play at home against familiar opponents

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The road to the state tournament begins on Friday night for both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball teams. The top-ranked Jaguars (21-1) will host Des Moines Roosevelt (7-14) in a Class 4A Substate 6 semifinal, while the Hawks (16-5) will host Fort Dodge (3-19) in a Substate 1 semifinal. Both games begin at 7 p.m. Centennial enters the … [Read more...] about Jaguars, Hawks open substate play at home against familiar opponents

Ankeny Christian holds off Madrid, will play No. 3 West Fork for trip to state

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During the first quarter of Thursday's game against Madrid, the Ankeny Christian Academy boys' basketball team struggled to solve the Tigers' zone defense. The Eagles fell into an early 14-5 hole and appeared to be in danger of being blown out in a Class 1A district final at Ankeny. The deficit grew to double digits when Madrid's CJ Dean opened the … [Read more...] about Ankeny Christian holds off Madrid, will play No. 3 West Fork for trip to state

‘A dream come true’: Ankeny bowlers earn highest finish in school history

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Ankeny boys' bowling coach Lane Richtsmeier could hardly contain his excitement while watching his team compete in the Class 3A state tournament on Wednesday at Cadillac Lanes in Waterloo. He wasn't even concerned about the Hawks' scores. "This was a dream come true today, not just for me but for the boys as well," said Richtsmeier. "Going into today, … [Read more...] about ‘A dream come true’: Ankeny bowlers earn highest finish in school history

Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 84

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Check out the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by the Ankeny office of Iowa Realty. Ankeny boys' swimming coach Justin Crouch and four-time state champion Trent Frandson stopped by to discuss the Hawks' runner-up finish in the state meet with Ankeny Fanatic publisher Dan Holm, who also recapped the state wrestling tournament with … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 84

Eagles knock off three-time defending state champs, advance to district final

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There will be a new boys' basketball king in Class 1A. Ankeny Christian Academy got a late rebound basket from Nic Worsham to defeat three-time defending state champion Grand View Christian, 48-46, in a district semifinal on Tuesday at Madrid. It was the 14th consecutive victory for the Eagles, who improved to 20-3 on the season and will play Madrid … [Read more...] about Eagles knock off three-time defending state champs, advance to district final

‘I couldn’t be more prouder of our kids’: Jaguars fall short in regional final

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As the players on the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team slowly trickled out of the locker room on Tuesday, the parents and fans of the Jaguars applauded for each of the girls. For Meg Burns and a few of her teammates, it marked the final time that they would wear the school's blue-and-silver uniforms. The 11th-ranked Jaguars closed out the … [Read more...] about ‘I couldn’t be more prouder of our kids’: Jaguars fall short in regional final

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Rachael Christmann, Ankeny girls’ basketball

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Junior guard Rachael Christmann helped the Ankeny girls' basketball team to a 10-13 record this season. Christmann played in 19 of the 23 games, averaging 3.7 points and 1.3 rebounds. She shot 43.5 percent from 3-point range, making 20-of-46 attempts. Christmann went 3-for-4 from behind the arc and scored a career-high 11 points in the Hawkettes' … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Rachael Christmann, Ankeny girls’ basketball

No. 5 Cedar Falls girls pull away in 2nd half to end Centennial’s season

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The 11th-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team ended its season on Tuesday with a 51-41 loss at No. 5 Cedar Falls in a Class 5A regional final. The Tigers overcame a 17-16 halftime deficit to raise their record to 19-4. They will advance to next week's state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. The loss ended a five-game winning streak for … [Read more...] about No. 5 Cedar Falls girls pull away in 2nd half to end Centennial’s season

Hawks earn all-state honors from Iowa High School Swim Coaches Association

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The Ankeny boys' swimming team has received numerous all-state honors from the Iowa High School Swim Coaches Association after placing second in the state meet on Feb. 15 at Iowa City. Junior Trent Frandson was a first-team selection in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events. He defended his state titles in both of those events. Freshman Lance Swanepoel … [Read more...] about Hawks earn all-state honors from Iowa High School Swim Coaches Association

‘We don’t have a lot to lose’: Jaguars look to top No. 5 Cedar Falls for state berth

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Playing on the road against a higher-ranked opponent isn't going to rattle the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team. The 11th-ranked Jaguars have been in this situation before. Centennial will travel to Cedar Falls on Tuesday for a Class 5A regional final against the No. 5 Tigers. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. The Jaguars will try to duplicate what they … [Read more...] about ‘We don’t have a lot to lose’: Jaguars look to top No. 5 Cedar Falls for state berth

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Chris Winters, Ankeny boys’ bowling

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Chris Winters helped the Ankeny boys' bowling team qualify for this week's Class 3A state tournament. The Hawks will compete against seven other teams on Wednesday at Cadillac Lanes in Waterloo. Winters has posted a 375.3 series average this season, which ranks third among the Hawks. He bowled a career-high total of 456 during a dual meet at Ottumwa on … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Chris Winters, Ankeny boys’ bowling

Third-quarter scoring drought proves costly as Hawkettes fall to C.B. Lincoln

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The Ankeny girls' basketball players had no reason to hang their heads following Saturday's 67-53 loss at Council Bluffs Lincoln in a Class 5A regional semifinal. The Hawkettes, who finished with a 10-13 record, exceeded most expectations after losing two of their top players to season-ending injuries. "I think we only had three or four wins when we … [Read more...] about Third-quarter scoring drought proves costly as Hawkettes fall to C.B. Lincoln

Jaguars shut down Indianola, advance to regional final at No. 5 Cedar Falls

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The Indianola girls' basketball team entered Saturday's Class 5A regional semifinal at Ankeny Centennial on a five-game winning streak. The Indians had averaged 67.2 points per game during that stretch, but most of those wins came against smaller schools. While amassing a 16-6 record, Indianola had played only a handful of Class 5A opponents. And the … [Read more...] about Jaguars shut down Indianola, advance to regional final at No. 5 Cedar Falls