Ankeny Fanatic

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Archives for February 2020

Rathjen dominates, becomes Ankeny’s fourth two-time state champion

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Ankeny's Caleb Rathjen doesn't want to just win state titles. He also wants to dominate his opponents on the wrestling mat. On Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena, Rathjen did both of those things. The top-ranked junior racked up eight takedowns and rolled to a 17-6 major decision over No. 2 Dreyzon Phillips of Fort Dodge to win the Class 3A crown … [Read more...] about Rathjen dominates, becomes Ankeny’s fourth two-time state champion

BLOODY GOOD: Ankeny’s Rathjen claims 2nd straight state wrestling crown

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Ankeny junior Caleb Rathjen captured his second straight state wrestling title on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena, despite getting a bloody nose for the second year in a row. The top-ranked Rathjen rolled to a 17-6 major decision over No. 2 Dreyzon Phillips of Fort Dodge to win the Class 3A crown at 138 pounds. He finished the season with a 43-1 … [Read more...] about BLOODY GOOD: Ankeny’s Rathjen claims 2nd straight state wrestling crown

‘I went back and got the best thing I could’: Anderson earns 3rd-place medal

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It took Ankeny's Trever Anderson a little while to recover from his semifinal loss in the Class 3A state wrestling tournament on Friday. The top-ranked sophomore dropped a 5-2 decision to No. 4 Ryder Downey of Indianola, ending his bid for a second straight title. "At first my mindset was that I failed a lot," said Anderson. "I failed myself and a lot … [Read more...] about ‘I went back and got the best thing I could’: Anderson earns 3rd-place medal

‘We saw the real Ben Monroe’: Centennial star closes career with 3rd-place finish

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Ankeny Centennial's Ben Monroe closed out his illustrious high school wrestling career with one of his biggest victories. The fourth-ranked Monroe posted a 7-5 decision over No. 1 Deven Strief of North Scott to earn a third-place finish at 145 pounds in the Class 3A state tournament on Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena. He finished the season with a 40-3 … [Read more...] about ‘We saw the real Ben Monroe’: Centennial star closes career with 3rd-place finish

Ankeny boys close out regular season with 87-62 victory over Mason City

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A 59-point first half allowed the Ankeny boys' basketball team to cruise to an 87-62 victory over visiting Mason City in its regular-season finale on Friday. The Hawks jumped out to a 28-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. They extended the margin to 59-27 at halftime. "It was another good first half for our guys. They really established … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys close out regular season with 87-62 victory over Mason City

Jaguars romp past Lincoln, will take 21-1 record into postseason play

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The top-ranked Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team completed the best regular season in school history with a 79-54 victory over visiting Des Moines Lincoln on Friday. It was the 15th straight win for the Jaguars, who improved to 21-1 heading into postseason play. Lincoln's record dropped to 12-9. "I'm real proud of the guys," said Centennial coach … [Read more...] about Jaguars romp past Lincoln, will take 21-1 record into postseason play

WELL DONE: Ankeny’s Rathjen, Kallem to wrestle for state titles on Saturday night

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Whenever Caleb Rathjen steps on the wrestling mat, he brings a ton of confidence with him. His teammate on the Ankeny squad, Sam Kallem, boasts just as much confidence in his own abilities. Both Rathjen and Kallem advanced to the Class 3A finals on Saturday night with a pair of victories on Friday in the state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. The duo … [Read more...] about WELL DONE: Ankeny’s Rathjen, Kallem to wrestle for state titles on Saturday night

Monroe rebounds from quarterfinal loss, becomes 4-time placewinner for Jaguars

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The dream of an individual state championship ended on Friday morning for Ankeny Centennial wrestlers Ben Monroe and Logan Neils. Both seniors suffered losses in the Class 3A quarterfinals at Wells Fargo Arena, but the fourth-ranked Monroe could still place as high as third at 145 pounds. He rebounded with a pair of major decisions in the consolation … [Read more...] about Monroe rebounds from quarterfinal loss, becomes 4-time placewinner for Jaguars

Leever pours in 30 points, leads Eagles past Melcher-Dallas in district opener

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The Ankeny Christian Academy boys' basketball team raced out to a 40-16 halftime lead and cruised to a 68-41 victory over visiting Melcher-Dallas in a Class 1A district quarterfinal on Thursday. It was the 13th consecutive win for the Eagles (19-3), who will play three-time defending state champion Grand View Christian (12-7) in a district semifinal on … [Read more...] about Leever pours in 30 points, leads Eagles past Melcher-Dallas in district opener

Ankeny advances 3 wrestlers into semifinals, surges into top 10 of Class 3A

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Sixth-ranked Ankeny has surged into eighth place in the Class 3A state tournament after advancing three wrestlers into the semifinals on Friday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena. The Hawks will also have a fourth placewinner in 10th-ranked Cael Cox at 120 pounds. The junior lost to defending state champion Drake Ayala of Fort Dodge in the quarterfinals on … [Read more...] about Ankeny advances 3 wrestlers into semifinals, surges into top 10 of Class 3A

Neils pins his way into 3A quarterfinals, while Monroe escapes with win

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A .500 record on the opening day of the Class 3A state tournament left Ankeny Centennial with two quarterfinalists and two more wrestlers alive in the consolation bracket. Top-ranked Logan Neils at 170 pounds and No. 4 Ben Monroe at 145 each won their first-round matches on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena. Teammates Jackson Bresson at 120 and Jackson … [Read more...] about Neils pins his way into 3A quarterfinals, while Monroe escapes with win

Hawks rack up 4 falls in opening round, sit in 12th place heading into Friday

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The Ankeny wrestling team stormed through the opening round of the Class 3A state tournament on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena. The sixth-ranked Hawks advanced four of their five qualifiers to Friday's quarterfinals, and all four of them recorded falls. "It's kind of what I hoped for and what I expected out of those four guys," said Ankeny coach Jack … [Read more...] about Hawks rack up 4 falls in opening round, sit in 12th place heading into Friday

Harrington, ‘Splash Sisters’ shoot lights out in regional win over Polar Bears

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During Golden State's recent dominance of the NBA, the Warriors have been known as the Splash Brothers. On Wednesday night, the Ankeny girls' basketball team looked like a version of the Splash Sisters. The Hawkettes made 14 3-point goals and rolled to a 76-32 victory over visiting Des Moines North in a Class 5A regional quarterfinal. The Polar Bears … [Read more...] about Harrington, ‘Splash Sisters’ shoot lights out in regional win over Polar Bears

Kumm shoots his way out of slump, leads Hawks to victory over East

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Jordan Kumm broke out of a shooting slump Tuesday in a big way. That could be a good sign for the Ankeny boys' basketball team's postseason hopes. The senior guard poured in 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting to lead the Hawks to a 99-54 victory at Des Moines East. He went 5-for-11 from 3-point range. "It felt good for some shots to fall," said Kumm. … [Read more...] about Kumm shoots his way out of slump, leads Hawks to victory over East

Jaguars roll past Fort Dodge, become first 20-win team in school history

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team achieved another milestone on Tuesday. The top-ranked Jaguars became the winningest team in school history with an 83-51 victory at Fort Dodge. They extended their winning streak to 14 games while raising their record to 20-1. It's the program's first 20-win season under coach Bob Fontana. His previous best … [Read more...] about Jaguars roll past Fort Dodge, become first 20-win team in school history

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Cael Hron, Ankeny Centennial wrestling

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Cael Hron is a member of the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team. Hron helped the Jaguars to a 17-5 dual record this season. "Cael bounced around between 113 and 120 pounds for us," said Centennial coach Jay Groth. "He won some matches on varsity and dominated on JV. He's a great kid." Hron, a sophomore, will likely be a contender for a varsity … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Cael Hron, Ankeny Centennial wrestling

Centennial’s Burns, Ankeny’s Pitz named to Class 5A West all-district team

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Senior guards Meg Burns of Ankeny Centennial and Kayla Pitz of Ankeny have both been named to the Class 5A West all-district girls' basketball team by the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association. Burns has led the 12th-ranked Jaguars to a 12-9 record. She is averaging a team-high 12.0 points per game while shooting 49.1 percent from 3-point range … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Burns, Ankeny’s Pitz named to Class 5A West all-district team

Ankeny boys’ bowling team qualifies for state for first time since 2015

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For the third time ever, the Ankeny boys' bowling team is headed to the state tournament. The Hawks placed second in a Class 3A district meet on Tuesday at Wayward Social in Marshalltown. They posted a season-best score of 3,130, but had to wait for other district results to find out that they were one of three at-large qualifiers for the state … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys’ bowling team qualifies for state for first time since 2015

A look at first-round matchups and beyond at state wrestling tournament

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The brackets for the state wrestling tournament were released on Sunday by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Two Ankeny wrestlers and one from Ankeny Centennial enter the tournament as No. 1 seeds. The Jaguars placed fourth in last year's Class 3A tournament, their highest finish ever under coach Jay Groth. The Hawks took 11th, their highest … [Read more...] about A look at first-round matchups and beyond at state wrestling tournament