The Ankeny girls’ wrestling program has made tremendous strides in its first two years of competition.
Now, coach Dustin Roland is hoping to take his squad to the next level.
“Our goal is to bring home a team trophy this season,” he said.
Ankeny placed seventh in last year’s state tournament after finishing 40th in its inaugural season. The team scored 86 points and was just 10 points out of the runner-up spot.
Ankeny is third in Class 2A in the preseason rankings. The sport will move to two classes for the 2024-25 season with the 64 largest wrestling schools competing in 2A.
Ankeny boasts seven ranked individuals, led by a pair of top-ranked wrestlers in Hayden Bratland at 140 pounds and Haylee McGrew at 155.
“If our lineup plays out the way I think it will, we will have three returning state placewinners, three other returning state qualifiers, four returning letterwinners, two freshman AAU placewinners, and just two weights with question marks,” said Roland, whose team posted a 23-2 dual record last season. “In our third year, this would definitely make it our most experienced squad.”
McGrew, a senior, is a returning state runner-up. She posted a 33-3 record after going 31-4 as a sophomore, when she placed seventh at 155 while competing for Des Moines Public Schools.
McGrew posted a 4-2 decision over Emmalee Spurgeon of Pella in the quarterfinals of the state tournament, avenging a loss to Spurgeon in the final of a super regional meet the previous week. She then advanced to the title match with a stunning fall over top-ranked Skyler Slade of Southeast Polk, handing the No. 8 wrestler in the country her first loss in 47 matches.
Bratland, a sophomore, could also be a state title contender. She placed third at 140 as a freshman by posting a 5-0 decision over Cadence Bushong of Nevada.
Bratland went 5-1 in the tournament and finished with a 39-4 mark.
Junior Nora Bockes is Ankeny’s other returning placewinner. She compiled a 38-9 record and placed seventh at 110.
Bockes became a placewinner when she pinned Lila Walding of Sergeant Bluff-Luton in the blood round. She later posted an 8-1 decision over Abby Jager of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in the seventh-place match.
Bockes, who went 38-10 as a freshman at 110, is ranked second at 115.
Ankeny’s other returning state qualifiers are sophomore Lauren Watson at 100, senior Elyse Engebretson at 125 and junior Trudy Haag at 130. They are seventh, eighth and 10th, respectively, in the preseason rankings.
Watson posted a 37-10 mark as a freshman. Engebretson went 33-10 at 120 after going 30-7 at 115 as a sophomore, while Haag went 27-12 at 115 after going 28-12 at 120 as a freshman.
There are about 45 girls on the squad, including senior Claire Close. She is 11th at 170 in the preseason rankings.
“We are still working on a final roster as some girls have been hit or miss in the first week (of practice),” Roland said.
Ankeny will open the season on Tuesday by hosting a quadrangular dual meet at Ankeny Centennial. SouthWest Area Team, Waverly-Shell Rock and DMPS will also compete.
Roland expects to put a deep and talented lineup on the mat.
“We’re a little shallow at 100, 105, 190 and 235, but from weights 115 to 170 we will have at least three girls at each weight,” he said.