Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Dan Holm

Jaguars rout Marshalltown, will meet S.E. Polk for 3rd time in 19 days for state berth

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The Marshalltown girls' basketball team entered Saturday's Class 5A regional semifinal at Ankeny Centennial with a chance to reach double digits in victories for the first time since the 2006-07 season. The fourth-ranked Jaguars quickly made sure, though, that it wouldn't happen. Centennial jumped out to a 33-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, … [Read more...] about Jaguars rout Marshalltown, will meet S.E. Polk for 3rd time in 19 days for state berth

‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

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The title drought is over for the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers. In their seventh appearance in a Class 3A championship match, the Jaguars finally got an individual state championship on Saturday night courtesy of sophomore Max Dhabolt, who became the first boy in school history to capture a crown. "Oh my gosh, it's been a long time coming," said … [Read more...] about ‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

No. 4 Jaguars, No. 14 Hawkettes advance to regional finals with lopsided victories

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The Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball teams opened postseason play on Saturday night with lopsided victories. The fourth-ranked Jaguars rolled to a 68-17 triumph over visiting Marshalltown, while the No. 14 Hawkettes cruised to a 66-14 win over visiting Sioux City East in another Class 5A regional semifinal. We'll have stories on both games … [Read more...] about No. 4 Jaguars, No. 14 Hawkettes advance to regional finals with lopsided victories

Bruhl, Rathjen make impressive runs on bracket’s back side to place 3rd, 4th

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Ankeny Centennial's Isaac Bruhl bounced back from a disappointing loss in a big way. Ankeny's Calvin Rathjen made a similar run through the consolation bracket of the Class 3A state wrestling tournament. The fifth-seeded Bruhl rebounded from a quarterfinal loss on Thursday with four consecutive wins. He posted a 4-2 decision over No. 6 Elijah Blewitt … [Read more...] about Bruhl, Rathjen make impressive runs on bracket’s back side to place 3rd, 4th

Jaguars move into 8th place, will have 4 placewinners along with Ankeny wrestlers

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Ankeny Centennial wrestling coach Jay Groth has vowed to get a tattoo the first time a Jaguar wins an individual state title. Now, it's possible that he might have to get two. Centennial's Cale Vandermark and Max Dhabolt both advanced to Saturday's championship matches by recording technical falls in the semifinal round of the Class 3A tournament on … [Read more...] about Jaguars move into 8th place, will have 4 placewinners along with Ankeny wrestlers

DYNAMIC DUO: Vandermark, Dhabolt advance to Saturday’s finals in Class 3A

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The Ankeny Centennial duo of Cale Vandermark and Max Dhabolt advanced to Saturday's finals in the Class 3A state wrestling tournament at Wells Fargo Arena with technical falls on Friday. "It's good to be back in the finals again. It's been a little while since we've been there," said Centennial coach Jay Groth, whose last finalist came in 2019. "Those two … [Read more...] about DYNAMIC DUO: Vandermark, Dhabolt advance to Saturday’s finals in Class 3A

‘We still have confidence’: Hawks gear up for substate play after season-ending loss

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It wasn’t exactly the way they wanted to close out the regular season, but the Ankeny boys' basketball players are still confident heading into substate play. The Hawks traveled to Waukee Northwest on Thursday for a showdown against the fourth-ranked Wolves. After a strong start turned into a 90-52 loss, the Ankeny players … [Read more...] about ‘We still have confidence’: Hawks gear up for substate play after season-ending loss

‘We knew it was going to be a dogfight’: Jaguars fall to S.E. Polk in season finale

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It's time for the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team to put the regular season in the rear-view mirror. "The records don't matter in the postseason," said Centennial senior Sean Tunks. The Jaguars closed out the regular season on Thursday with a 53-49 loss to visiting Southeast Polk. It was a matchup of two squads trying to avoid finishing in the … [Read more...] about ‘We knew it was going to be a dogfight’: Jaguars fall to S.E. Polk in season finale

Hawks surge into 8th place, advance 2 to semifinals along with Centennial duo

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall was left speechless by his team's performance on Thursday morning. The Hawks won 12 of 14 matches on the second day of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena, allowing them to catapult from 15th in the team standings into eighth place with 60.5 points. They recorded seven pins and two technical falls along … [Read more...] about Hawks surge into 8th place, advance 2 to semifinals along with Centennial duo

Jaguars advance 4 wrestlers to Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ankeny duo moves on

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Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny advanced a total of six wrestlers into Thursday's quarterfinal round of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The Jaguars won eight of 13 matches on Wednesday and are currently in seventh place in the team standings with 32.5 points. They advanced second-seeded Cale Vandermark at 120 pounds, No. 6 … [Read more...] about Jaguars advance 4 wrestlers to Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ankeny duo moves on

Ankeny boys’ bowling team places 8th in district tournament at Sioux City

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The Ankeny boys' bowling team ended its season on Tuesday with an eighth-place finish in a Class 3A district tournament at Plaza Bowl in Sioux City. Ankeny finished with a score of 2,098. The Hawks bowled a 178 in their fifth baker game and surpassed 150 in five other games, but averaged just 127 in the other nine games. Waukee won the team title with … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys’ bowling team places 8th in district tournament at Sioux City

No. 7 Little Cyclones pull away in 2nd half for 57-29 victory over Centennial boys

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For the first 20 minutes of Tuesday's game at Ames, the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team hung around with the seventh-ranked squad in Class 4A. The Jaguars were in a position to possibly pull off an upset with a strong finish, trailing by just 28-22 midway through the third quarter. But then the Little Cyclones cranked up the defensive pressure … [Read more...] about No. 7 Little Cyclones pull away in 2nd half for 57-29 victory over Centennial boys

‘Coe checked all my boxes’: Ankeny’s Weddingfeld to play golf for Kohawks

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Ankeny senior Caden Weddingfeld will continue his golf career at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. Weddingfeld, the son of longtime Ankeny coach Mike Weddingfeld, said he was really impressed by Eric Karius--who coaches both the men's and women's teams at Coe. "I had talked to several different coaches, but just found that the Coe coach was the most active … [Read more...] about ‘Coe checked all my boxes’: Ankeny’s Weddingfeld to play golf for Kohawks

‘It’s frustrating’: Urbandale boys use late 12-3 run to rally past Hawks for 62-61 win

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team led almost the entire way during Tuesday's game at Urbandale. The J-Hawks led, though, when it mattered the most. Jaxson Cathcart made two free throws with 2.1 seconds left to cap off a 12-3 run, and Urbandale escaped with a 62-61 victory over the Hawks in a CIML Conference game. "I like how hard our team plays," … [Read more...] about ‘It’s frustrating’: Urbandale boys use late 12-3 run to rally past Hawks for 62-61 win

‘I really like his style of play’: Benge commits to Flinn’s Drake soccer program

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Ankeny boys' soccer standout Landon Benge found everything he was looking for at nearby Drake University. That's why the senior forward has committed to play for the Bulldogs next year. "I love the size, location, the soccer program and the coaching staff," said Benge. "I’ve had the opportunity to work with coach Pat (Flinn) at some camps, and I really … [Read more...] about ‘I really like his style of play’: Benge commits to Flinn’s Drake soccer program

Ankeny’s Shaw qualifies for girls’ state bowling tournament as an individual

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Ankeny's Johanna Shaw has qualified for the girls' state bowling tournament. While Shaw placed fourth as an individual during Monday's Class 3A regional meet at Bowlerama Lanes, the Ankeny girls' team saw its season come to an end. Coach Nick Payton's squad placed fifth in the eight-team field with a score of 2,200. Des Moines Lincoln won the team … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Shaw qualifies for girls’ state bowling tournament as an individual

Crawford, Pratt, Gage, Williams, Quick earn all-district girls’ basketball honors

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Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball stars Mya Crawford and Jaeden Pratt have been named to the Class 5A West all-district team along with Ankeny standouts Savannah Gage and Jayla Williams. The teams were selected by the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association, which also named Ankeny Christian Academy standout Katie Quick to the South all-district team in Class … [Read more...] about Crawford, Pratt, Gage, Williams, Quick earn all-district girls’ basketball honors

Boys’ pairings announced: Hawks to host semifinal; Jaguars to play at S.C. North

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The road to the state tournament won't be an easy one for the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball teams. The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced its Class 4A substate pairings on Monday. Ankeny was awarded the No. 2 seed in Substate 8, while Centennial received the No. 5 seed in Substate 7. Ankeny (10-9) will host a substate … [Read more...] about Boys’ pairings announced: Hawks to host semifinal; Jaguars to play at S.C. North