Ankeny Fanatic

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Archives for December 2023

Gage returns to lineup, helps Williams, Hawkettes to historic win at S.E. Polk

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Perhaps nobody was more excited to have Savannah Gage back on the court than her Ankeny girls' basketball teammate Jayla Williams. Williams poured in a career-high 32 points, Gage chipped in 10 in her first start of the season, and the eighth-ranked Hawkettes posted a 62-56 victory at No. 11 Southeast Polk on Tuesday for their first win over the Rams … [Read more...] about Gage returns to lineup, helps Williams, Hawkettes to historic win at S.E. Polk

‘We had a fun meet’: Ankeny swimmers cruise to 137-33 triumph at Indianola

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Although the Ankeny boys' swimming team traveled to Indianola on Tuesday for a non-conference dual meet against the Indians, most of the competition involved intrasquad battles among the Hawks. Ankeny swept the top two places in all 11 events and rolled to a 137-33 victory at the Indianola YMCA. "We had a fun meet," said Ankeny coach Dustin Rhoads, … [Read more...] about ‘We had a fun meet’: Ankeny swimmers cruise to 137-33 triumph at Indianola

‘We’re ready to take on anybody’: Hawks romp to 2nd consecutive road victory

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A year ago, the Ankeny boys' basketball team won only two conference games on the road. The Hawks have already matched that total just three games into the 2023-24 season. Ankeny improved its record to 2-1 in the CIML Conference with a 76-59 victory at Southeast Polk on Tuesday. The Hawks also won at Johnston, 51-45, on Friday. "It's not easy to win … [Read more...] about ‘We’re ready to take on anybody’: Hawks romp to 2nd consecutive road victory

‘We set the tone right off the bat’: Jaguars build big lead, roll past Iowa City Liberty

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Coming off a tough loss on Friday at Dowling Catholic, the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team got off to a fast start on Tuesday and never looked back. The Jaguars jumped out to a 22-5 lead in the first quarter against visiting Iowa City Liberty, built a 45-17 halftime advantage and rolled to a 70-48 victory in a non-conference game. "I thought we … [Read more...] about ‘We set the tone right off the bat’: Jaguars build big lead, roll past Iowa City Liberty

Jaguars crown 3 individual champs, take 2nd overall at Keith Young Invitational

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Even with a depleted lineup, the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers earned runner-up honors in the Keith Young Invitational on Saturday at Cedar Falls. The Jaguars scored 177 points in the 16-team tournament. Dubuque Hempstead captured the crown with 184.5 points. "Our guys wrestled much better than they did on Thursday (against Waukee)," said Centennial … [Read more...] about Jaguars crown 3 individual champs, take 2nd overall at Keith Young Invitational

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Haylee McGrew, Ankeny girls’ wrestling

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Junior Haylee McGrew led the Ankeny girls' wrestling team to a fourth-place finish in the Dan Gable Donnybrook on Thursday and Friday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. McGrew placed second at 155 pounds. She currently boasts an 11-1 record. Here is some inside info on McGrew: What was your goal going into the tournament? Did you think you had a chance … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Haylee McGrew, Ankeny girls’ wrestling

‘We knew it was going to be tough’: Hawk wrestlers place 14th at Donnybrook

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall has a predicament on his hands. The Hawks' top two finishers in the Dan Gable Donnybrook on Friday and Saturday at Xtream Arena in Coralville were Ben Walsh and Isaac Wignall, who both competed at 106 pounds.  "It does create a dilemma," said Wignall. "You have two kids that are that good at the same weight. At … [Read more...] about ‘We knew it was going to be tough’: Hawk wrestlers place 14th at Donnybrook

SAUER ENDING: Cougars’ star finishes career with 5-set loss to No. 2 Stanford

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Kenna Sauer's collegiate volleyball career has come to an end. The former Ankeny Centennial star pounded 24 kills on Saturday night for her 10th career match with 20 or more, but it wasn't enough as 24th-ranked Houston was outlasted by No. 2 and top-seeded Stanford in five sets in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, … [Read more...] about SAUER ENDING: Cougars’ star finishes career with 5-set loss to No. 2 Stanford

McGrew earns runner-up honors, leads Ankeny to 4th-place finish at Donnybrook

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The level of competition in the Dan Gable Donnybrook was every bit as tough as Dustin Roland expected. His Ankeny girls' wrestling team placed fourth among 43 squads in the two-day event that concluded on Friday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. Ankeny finished with 338 points. The tournament featured many of the top wrestlers in the Midwest. Decorah … [Read more...] about McGrew earns runner-up honors, leads Ankeny to 4th-place finish at Donnybrook

‘They took the fight to us and we just didn’t respond’: Dowling boys top Jaguars

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(Story by Gabe Ploeger) The Dowling Catholic boys' basketball team got off to a hot start Friday and never cooled off. The Maroons made 5-of-8 3-point shots in the first quarter and went on to beat visiting Ankeny Centennial, 79-64, in a CIML Conference game. Both teams are now 1-1 in the league and overall. “Down 33 to 11 in the first half…we just … [Read more...] about ‘They took the fight to us and we just didn’t respond’: Dowling boys top Jaguars

‘Give Dowling credit’: No. 6 Maroons hand cold-shooting Centennial its first loss

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(Story by Gabe Ploeger) The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team just couldn’t get the shots to fall. Sixth-ranked Dowling Catholic outscored No. 2 Centennial in all four quarters and cruised to a 60-34 win over the visiting Jaguars on Friday. The Maroons bounced back from a 55-42 loss to No. 5 Valley on Tuesday, which could be a sign of things to … [Read more...] about ‘Give Dowling credit’: No. 6 Maroons hand cold-shooting Centennial its first loss

Hawks crank up defensive pressure, knock off Johnston for road triumph

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After giving up 83 points three nights earlier, the Ankeny boys' basketball team cranked up the defensive pressure on Friday. The Hawks held host Johnston to 3-of-20 shooting from 3-point range (15.0 percent) and posted a 51-45 victory in a CIML Conference game. Both teams are now 1-1 in the league and overall. "It felt good to get a win to start the … [Read more...] about Hawks crank up defensive pressure, knock off Johnston for road triumph

No. 1 Johnston girls build 25-point halftime lead in victory over Hawkettes

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The gap between top-ranked Johnston and the rest of the girls' basketball teams in Class 5A appears to be pretty sizable. The host Dragons raced out to a 42-17 halftime lead and rolled to a 70-49 victory over No. 8 Ankeny in a CIML Conference game on Friday. They improved to 2-0 in the league and 3-0 overall, while the Hawkettes' records dropped to 0-2 … [Read more...] about No. 1 Johnston girls build 25-point halftime lead in victory over Hawkettes

Ankeny bowling teams fall to Johnston in first-ever meet at B-Roll Bowling

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The Ankeny bowling teams were hoping to make a smashing debut in their first-ever meet at B-Roll Bowling. But visiting Johnston had other ideas. The Dragons swept Ankeny in a season-opening CIML Conference dual meet on Thursday. They won the boys' meet by a score of 2,315 to 2,303 and the girls' meet by a score of 1,973 to 1,844. The Johnston … [Read more...] about Ankeny bowling teams fall to Johnston in first-ever meet at B-Roll Bowling

‘We got the job done’: Jags top Waukee, but aren’t satisfied with performance

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A moral victory is defined as a defeat that can be interpreted as a victory on moral terms, because the defeated team exceeded its expectations. The Ankeny Centennial wrestling team may have experienced the opposite of a moral victory on Thursday, when the Jaguars posted a 39-24 win over a visiting Waukee squad that they defeated a year ago by 66 … [Read more...] about ‘We got the job done’: Jags top Waukee, but aren’t satisfied with performance

‘I’m proud of my guys’: Ankeny swimmers win 3 events in loss to powerful Waukee

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The Ankeny boys' swimming team proved on Thursday that it could compete with three-time defending state champion Waukee. Even though the Warriors posted a 105-65 victory in the CIML Conference dual meet, Ankeny won three events and should have won another at Trail Point Aquatics Center. "Obviously, it’s a tough way to start the dual season against the … [Read more...] about ‘I’m proud of my guys’: Ankeny swimmers win 3 events in loss to powerful Waukee

Dowling wrestlers overcome 21-point deficit to tie Hawks, then win on criteria

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With four matches left in Thursday's CIML Conference dual meet at Dowling Catholic, the Ankeny wrestling team held a 16-point lead and appeared to be on its way to a season-opening victory. Then things suddenly went awry. Dowling reeled off four straight triumphs, Ankeny was penalized a team point along the way for unsportsmanlike conduct, and that … [Read more...] about Dowling wrestlers overcome 21-point deficit to tie Hawks, then win on criteria