Ankeny Fanatic

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Archives for December 2024

‘It was a fun night’: Ankeny wrestlers rely on bonus points to defeat Centennial

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Ankeny senior Andrew Haase wanted his last Jag-Hawk wrestling dual to be a memorable one. He did his part to make sure that it was. Haase recorded one of his team's five falls as the Hawks rallied from an early 13-0 deficit to beat visiting Ankeny Centennial, 40-33, in a CIML Conference matchup on Thursday. "It feels really good," said Haase. "It … [Read more...] about ‘It was a fun night’: Ankeny wrestlers rely on bonus points to defeat Centennial

IHSAA announces Sioux City will host Class 4A state baseball tourney in 2025

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Locations for the next four years of the IHSAA State Baseball Tournament are set following extensive planning for the upcoming 2025 postseason and beyond. The split site tournament will head west next summer to Sioux City and Carroll, then return to Cedar Rapids and Carroll from 2026 through at least 2028. “Thanks to a great team effort, our state … [Read more...] about IHSAA announces Sioux City will host Class 4A state baseball tourney in 2025

COMING HOME: Ex-Centennial star Pennington to play soccer for Bulldogs

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A former Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer star is coming home. After playing two seasons at Western Illinois, sophomore midfielder Alanna Pennington is transferring to Drake. "I just wanted a change, and I felt that Drake was the competitive environment I was looking for," said Pennington. "I loved the team and the fact that I was going to be closer to … [Read more...] about COMING HOME: Ex-Centennial star Pennington to play soccer for Bulldogs

‘That’s a tough formula to win’: Hawks shoot 4-of-19 inside arc, fall to Johnston

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) They might’ve been down, but at no point did the Ankeny boys' basketball players ever feel they were out of it. The Hawks clawed their way back from several deficits during Tuesday's matchup against unbeaten Johnston, but just couldn’t get over the hump as they dropped to 1-2 on the season with a 59-49 home … [Read more...] about ‘That’s a tough formula to win’: Hawks shoot 4-of-19 inside arc, fall to Johnston

No. 1 Johnston girls extend their winning streak to 30 games with victory at Ankeny

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny girls' basketball team is getting some big tests in December, and none was bigger than Tuesday night's. The seventh-ranked Hawkettes were tasked with trying to snap the 29-game winning streak of reigning Class 5A state champion Johnston, but a large deficit in the first quarter ended those hopes as the No. 1 … [Read more...] about No. 1 Johnston girls extend their winning streak to 30 games with victory at Ankeny

‘I knew it was where I wanted to be!’: Jags’ Martin to play soccer at Missouri Western

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At the end of her junior basketball season, Ankeny Centennial's Ava Martin wasn't planning to play a sport in college. But she had a change of heart. "I reconsidered," Martin said. "I was unsure for awhile, but I couldn’t imagine myself being done with soccer after high school. That led me to go out for club soccer this past fall where I had great … [Read more...] about ‘I knew it was where I wanted to be!’: Jags’ Martin to play soccer at Missouri Western

‘They set the tempo right away’: Maroons start fast, roll to win over Centennial boys

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The Dowling Catholic boys' basketball team led from start to finish in a 69-54 victory over visiting Ankeny Centennial on Tuesday. The Maroons jumped out to an early 8-2 advantage and eventually led by as many as 23 points. They improved to 2-0 in the CIML Conference and overall, while Centennial's records dropped to 0-3 and 0-3. Dowling had opened the … [Read more...] about ‘They set the tempo right away’: Maroons start fast, roll to win over Centennial boys

Ankeny girls record 5 falls, get big win from Bockes in 57-18 triumph over Valley

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The third-ranked Ankeny girls' wrestling team remained unbeaten in dual-meet competition with a 57-18 victory over Valley in its CIML Conference opener on Tuesday at Urbandale. Ankeny won six of the eight matches that were contested to raise its overall record to 4-0. "We were happy with the way we competed in the limited matches that we had," said … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls record 5 falls, get big win from Bockes in 57-18 triumph over Valley

‘We had a good night’: Ankeny swimmers romp to 132-38 victory over Indianola

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The Ankeny boys' swimming team cruised to a 132-38 victory over visiting Indianola in a non-conference dual meet on Tuesday at Trail Point Aquatics Center. The Hawks won nine of the 11 events to even their overall record at 1-1. They swept the top three places in six individual events and took the two places in all three relays. "We had a good night … [Read more...] about ‘We had a good night’: Ankeny swimmers romp to 132-38 victory over Indianola

‘We left it out there’: Jaguars’ rally falls short in 56-52 loss at No. 2 Dowling

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Don't be surprised if the two CIML Conference rivals who met on Tuesday at Dowling Catholic collide again in March at the girls' state basketball tournament. The second-ranked Maroons and No. 5 Ankeny Centennial both look primed to make deep postseason runs. "They're No. 2 for a reason, that's for sure," Centennial coach Scott DeJong said following his … [Read more...] about ‘We left it out there’: Jaguars’ rally falls short in 56-52 loss at No. 2 Dowling

Centennial offensive lineman Humphrey commits to play for UW-Platteville

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Ankeny Centennial offensive lineman Gavin Humphrey has verbally committed to play football next year at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, an NCAA Division III school. The 6-foot-1, 240-pound Humphrey announced his decision on social media over the weekend. "I’m blessed to announce that I will be committing to UW-Platteville to pursue my academic … [Read more...] about Centennial offensive lineman Humphrey commits to play for UW-Platteville

Iowa State backup QB Kohl enters transfer portal, will have 3 years of eligibility left

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Less than a week after Jase Bauer entered the transfer portal, his successor as the quarterback for the Ankeny football team has followed suit. Iowa State redshirt freshman JJ Kohl announced on Monday that he will be looking for a new home as well. "Thank you to my coaches, teammates, and Cyclone Nation for all your support," Kohl tweeted on X. "I have … [Read more...] about Iowa State backup QB Kohl enters transfer portal, will have 3 years of eligibility left

‘I’m looking forward to this next chapter’: Ex-Hawk Crandall enters transfer portal

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One of the most productive linebackers at the NCAA Division I FCS level has entered the transfer portal. Former Ankeny standout Ryan Crandall, who led Western Illinois with 91 tackles this season while helping the Leathernecks to a 4-8 record, announced on Monday that he is seeking a new home. "Thank you Western Illinois University for the opportunity … [Read more...] about ‘I’m looking forward to this next chapter’: Ex-Hawk Crandall enters transfer portal

Robinson earns 500th career block, helps Badgers advance to Sweet 16 in Lincoln

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Former Ankeny Centennial star Devyn Robinson earned her 500th career block as the Wisconsin volleyball team defeated Georgia Tech in four sets on Friday to advance to the NCAA Regionals for the 12th consecutive season. The second-seeded Badgers overcame a one-set deficit to post a 25-27, 25-20, 25-23, 25-21 victory in the second round of the NCAA … [Read more...] about Robinson earns 500th career block, helps Badgers advance to Sweet 16 in Lincoln

Kovacs’ game-winning PK sends Minn. St. to NCAA Division II National Semifinals

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The Minnesota State women's soccer team was less than 10 minutes away from a season-ending loss on its home pitch. Trailing 1-0 late in the second half of Saturday's game against Grand Valley State, the Mavericks got a tying goal in the 83rd minute from Ashlyn Watt and went on to post a 2-1 victory in a penalty kick shootout to advance to the NCAA … [Read more...] about Kovacs’ game-winning PK sends Minn. St. to NCAA Division II National Semifinals

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Luke Anderson, Ankeny boys’ basketball

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Senior guard Luke Anderson scored all seven of his points in the second half as the Ankeny boys' basketball team rallied to beat visiting Ankeny Centennial, 58-48, on Friday. His 3-point goal with 6 minutes 4 seconds left broke a 41-41 tie and put the Hawks ahead for good. Anderson is averaging 8.5 points and 2.0 assists per game. He had 10 points in the … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Luke Anderson, Ankeny boys’ basketball

Vandermark, Dhabolt capture titles while Jaguars claim team crown at Young Invite

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After nearly winning the tournament a year ago, the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers dominated the Keith Young Invitational on Saturday at Cedar Falls. The Jaguars advanced five wrestlers to the finals, crowned two individual champions, and cruised to the team title with 189.5 points. North Scott was a distant second in the 15-team field with 169. "I … [Read more...] about Vandermark, Dhabolt capture titles while Jaguars claim team crown at Young Invite

Walsh, Folkers lead Ankeny wrestling team to 11th-place finish at Donnybrook

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall wanted to test his wrestlers by competing in the Dan Gable Donnybrook on Friday and Saturday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. The challenge was as tough as he expected. The Hawks placed 11th in the 38-team field with 187 points. They had four top-10 finishers. "It was a huge challenge," said Wignall. "Our upper … [Read more...] about Walsh, Folkers lead Ankeny wrestling team to 11th-place finish at Donnybrook