‘Tonight was a total team effort’: Ankeny girls defeat S.E. Polk on Senior Night

The arm of Ankeny’s Aysia Moser is raised by the referee after she pinned Southeast Polk’s Addyson Hall in 1 minute 17 seconds in the 235-pound match on Tuesday at Ankeny Centennial. Moser’s fall sealed Ankeny’s 43-36 victory over the Rams in a CIML Conference dual meet. (Photo by Evan Reiter)

It was an unforgettable Senior Night for the Ankeny girls’ wrestling team.

Ankeny posted a 43-36 victory over visiting Southeast Polk on Tuesday at Ankeny Centennial, avenging last year’s 52-30 loss to the Rams. Coach Dustin Roland’s team improved to 3-1 in the CIML Conference and 23-3 overall.

Ankeny tied the program record of 23 wins that was set in the 2023-24 season.

“These girls don’t care what the outcome should be, they just go out and fight. Tonight was a total team effort, and that makes our staff extremely proud,” said Roland. “Shout out to our JV, who we truly believe played a role in this win by being dominant to start the night. I watched the air being taken out of their sails as we won five of the six JV matches.”

**Ankeny coach Dustin Roland gives instructions to one of his wrestlers during Tuesday’s meet. (Photo by Evan Reiter)**

Ankeny got off to a great start when Reagan Semrow recorded a fall at 100 pounds in the opening match. She pinned Erin Speer in 3 minutes 45 seconds.

“Reagan took that momentum and ran with it in picking up a huge fall to start the night,” Roland said.

After Southeast Polk got a pin from Natalie Nichols at 105, Ankeny answered with a fall from Lauren Watson at 110. She pinned London Vermillion in 1:23 to give her team the lead for good.

“Lauren took advantage of an overaggressive opponent,” Roland said. “It was great to see her weather the storm and take what was given to her.”

**Ankeny’s Lauren Watson records a fall over Southeast Polk’s London Vermillion in 1 minute 23 seconds in the 110-pound match. Watson’s pin put Ankeny ahead to stay. (Photo by Evan Reiter)**

Ankeny eventually built a 37-18 lead after 10 matches before the Rams reeled off three straight pins to close the gap to 37-36. One of the falls came at 170 from Skylar Slade, who won a state title as a freshman in 2023.

That meant the outcome of the meet would be decided at 235, and Ankeny’s Aysia Moser came through with a decisive fall. She pinned Addyson Hall in 1:17 to seal the victory.

“Aysia went out and took care of business,” Roland said. “She has grown so much mentally over the last year and when the dual is on the line, our staff feels very comfortable. She is quietly having one of the best seasons on the team as she currently is our wins leader with 33.”

Ankeny also got falls from Karlie Kruse at 125 and Jammie Krah at 145.

**Ankeny’s Karlie Kruse works for a fall against Southeast Polk’s Ella Deines in the 125-pound match. She got the pin in 4 minutes 23 seconds. (Photo by Evan Reiter)**

“Karlie got off to a slow start, but she showed growth by staying in the match mentally to record the result we needed,” Roland said. “And Jammie Krah did Jammie Krah stuff. We are so happy she is in our singlet.”

The closest match of the night came 140, where Ankeny’s Haley Togba held off a late rally by Claire Golly to post a 15-13 decision.

“Haley got out to a big lead and was able to hold on for the win,” Roland said. “We said night one she would be a wild ride, and she proved that tonight in finding the win.”

Nora Bockes and Trudy Haag provided Ankeny’s other wins. Bockes posted a 12-1 major decision over Gianna Halsted at 115 before Haag won by forfeit at 120.

**Ankeny’s Nora Bockes tries to take Southeast Polk’s Gianna Halsted to her back during the 115-pound match. Bockes went on to post a 12-1 major decision. (Photo by Evan Reiter)**

“Nora wrestled a near perfect match against an opponent who has an extremely bright future,” Roland said.

Bockes and Haag were among the seniors who were honored before the meet.

“Shout out to Jaedyn Stites and Audri Headrick who both wrestled the last home dual of their career,” Roland said of the two seniors. “Audri has been with us for three years and Jaedyn, along with Trudy and Nora, will be the first three girls in the history of our program to complete four years. They will forever be in our heart and will always be considered the matriarchs of our program. We want to thank those three for their commitment to Ankeny girls’ wrestling!”

**Trudy Haag was among the Ankeny seniors who were honored before the meet. (Photo by Evan Reiter)**

Ankeny will host the Bob Sharp Invitational on Friday at Ankeny. Roland’s team will try to defend the title it won a year ago.

Here are the match-by-match results from Thursday’s meet:

Ankeny 43, Southeast Polk 36

100: Semrow (A) pinned Speer, 3:45; 105: Nichols (SEP) pinned Sullivan, 4:52; 110: Watson (A) pinned Vermillion, 1:23; 115: Bockes (A) beat Halsted, 12-1; 120: Haag (A) won by forfeit; 125: Kruse (A) pinned Deines, 4:23; 130: Varvel (SEP) pinned Stites, 1:48; 135: Nelson (SEP) pinned Headrick, 1:32; 140: Togba (A) beat Golly, 15-13; 145: Krah (A) pinned Steele, 1:49; 155: VanderBeek (SEP) pinned Stephenson, 1:41; 170: Slade (SEP) pinned Kat, :43; 190: Reed (SEP) pinned Shade, 1:12; 235: Moser (A) pinned Hall, 1:17.