Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Dan Holm

‘I can’t thank this group enough’: Seniors lead Ankeny swimmers past Johnston

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The seniors on the Ankeny boys' swimming team took center stage on Thursday at Trail Point Aquatics Center. On the team's Senior Night, the seventh-ranked Hawks rolled to a 123-47 victory over No. 15 Johnston in a CIML Conference dual meet. The win evened their records at 2-2 in the league and 4-4 overall. "We had a very fun and successful Senior … [Read more...] about ‘I can’t thank this group enough’: Seniors lead Ankeny swimmers past Johnston

Centennial wrestlers knock off No. 5 Johnston on Max Dhabolt’s technical fall

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Thursday's dual meet at Johnston came down to the final match for the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team. Freshman Max Dhabolt won by a technical fall over Wes Weiford at 144 pounds, 16-0, to give the 10th-ranked Jaguars a 35-30 victory over No. 5 Johnston. "I told Max before he went out on the mat that I don't know if I've ever been more confident … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers knock off No. 5 Johnston on Max Dhabolt’s technical fall

Ankeny girls defeat Algona, W. Marshall, Winterset at North Polk Duals

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The Ankeny girls' wrestling team turned in a dominant performance on Thursday at the North Polk Duals. Ankeny posted wins over Algona (57-15), West Marshall (48-36) and Winterset (84-0) to raise its overall record to 17-2. Coach Dustin Roland's team won every match against Winterset, all but three against Algona and eight of the 14 matches against West … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls defeat Algona, W. Marshall, Winterset at North Polk Duals

‘We knew it was going to be tough’: AHS wrestlers drop 60-6 decision at S.E. Polk

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall wasn't looking forward to Thursday's dual meet at top-ranked Southeast Polk. "We knew it was going to be tough, and I think I had more anxiety about that than when we have a dual meet that is fun and close," said Wignall. "They're just really good, and where we're good they're a little bit better." The Rams won 12 of … [Read more...] about ‘We knew it was going to be tough’: AHS wrestlers drop 60-6 decision at S.E. Polk

Ex-Ankeny setter Wallace transfers from William Jewell to Pittsburg State

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By all accounts, former Ankeny volleyball standout Jesa Wallace had a productive freshman season at William Jewell College. She wasn't sure, though, if the Cardinals would even field a team next year. "Entering the transfer portal definitely wasn’t on my radar, but there was a lot of things going on that were out of my control at Jewell," said Wallace, … [Read more...] about Ex-Ankeny setter Wallace transfers from William Jewell to Pittsburg State

‘I know what I’m getting’: Starr to follow in mother’s footsteps, will play for Central

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Ankeny Centennial third baseman Addi Starr is already pretty familiar with the Central College softball program. Her mother, Missy, was one of the captains for the 2002 Central squad. "I grew up hearing stories about and following the team," said Starr, who has committed to playing for the Dutch and legendary coach George Wares. "I know what I'm … [Read more...] about ‘I know what I’m getting’: Starr to follow in mother’s footsteps, will play for Central

‘We were good at the right time’: Jaguars use late run to beat NW for first time ever

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It wasn't pretty, but the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team finally earned its first victory against Waukee Northwest on Tuesday. There were seven ties and six lead changes before the eighth-ranked Jaguars pulled away down the stretch for a 57-53 win at Northwest. They broke away from a 49-49 tie with an 8-4 run over the final 2 minutes 57 … [Read more...] about ‘We were good at the right time’: Jaguars use late run to beat NW for first time ever

‘We finished it out strong’: Centennial girls hold off Wolves’ rally for road victory

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It's never easy to win on the road. The sixth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team built a 17-point lead and then held off a furious rally by No. 12 Waukee Northwest to escape with a 52-45 road victory on Tuesday. The Wolves, who never led, closed the gap to 44-42 in the fourth quarter before Centennial ended the game with an 8-3 … [Read more...] about ‘We finished it out strong’: Centennial girls hold off Wolves’ rally for road victory

Late free throws by Jacks, Gage allow Hawkettes to beat No. 5 Valley, 55-50

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Anytime the ball is in Karsen Jacks' hands, Ankeny girls' basketball coach Nate Tobey is confident that the senior point guard will make the right play. Jacks was fouled with 17.5 seconds left to go and made two free throws to put her team ahead, and the eighth-ranked Hawkettes went on to post a 55-50 victory over No. 5 Valley in a CIML Conference game on … [Read more...] about Late free throws by Jacks, Gage allow Hawkettes to beat No. 5 Valley, 55-50

‘Wartburg had the full package’: Ankeny’s Cleveland to wrestle for Knights

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Dana Cleveland has been a trailblazer for the Ankeny girls' wrestling team. A year ago, she became the first state placewinner in program history as a junior, when she compiled a 40-6 record and placed fourth at 135 pounds. Now, Cleveland has become the first female wrestler from Ankeny to take her talents to the next level. She has signed a letter of … [Read more...] about ‘Wartburg had the full package’: Ankeny’s Cleveland to wrestle for Knights

‘She’s baaaack’: Ex-Jaguar star Robinson to play 5th collegiate season for Badgers

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With a simple tweet, Devyn Robinson announced some breaking news. "Tell a friend to tell a friend...she's baaaack. #5thyear," she tweeted on Dec. 22. The former Ankeny Centennial volleyball star has elected to play a fifth collegiate season at Wisconsin, where she helped the Badgers to a national championship in 2021. Robinson, a 6-foot-2 right-side … [Read more...] about ‘She’s baaaack’: Ex-Jaguar star Robinson to play 5th collegiate season for Badgers

‘I knew that Cornell was the perfect fit’: Benkufsky to play tennis for Rams

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Ankeny Centennial senior Jenna Benkufsky has committed to play tennis at Cornell College in Mount Vernon. It took Benkufsky a little while to find the right school for her. "I looked at a number schools within Iowa and one was no better than the other, but when I visited Cornell, I just knew that it was the school for me to continue not only my … [Read more...] about ‘I knew that Cornell was the perfect fit’: Benkufsky to play tennis for Rams

Ankeny bowling teams post season-high scores, but tumble to Johnston again

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The Ankeny bowling teams closed out the first part of their season with losses to Southeast Polk and Johnston. The Ankeny girls' squad nearly picked up its second victory on Dec. 21 at Game Day Lanes, but the Hawkettes came up just short in a loss to Johnston--falling by a score of 2,121 to 2,108. Still, it was the team's best score of the season. The … [Read more...] about Ankeny bowling teams post season-high scores, but tumble to Johnston again

Centennial girls pull away from No. 3 North Polk, head into 2024 with 5-5 mark

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team may have turned its season around prior to the holiday break. After ending a five-game losing streak with a win over their crosstown rival three nights earlier, the sixth-ranked Jaguars evened their overall record at 5-5 with a 58-43 victory over visiting North Polk in a non-conference game on Dec. 22. "We … [Read more...] about Centennial girls pull away from No. 3 North Polk, head into 2024 with 5-5 mark

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Brock Peterson, Ankeny boys’ swimming

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Junior Brock Peterson has helped the Ankeny boys' swimming team to a No. 7 ranking in the state with 3,232 power points. The Hawks boast a 3-4 dual-meet record, including a 1-2 mark in the CIML Conference. Peterson is ranked 17th in Iowa in the 100 butterfly with a time of 54.48 seconds. He is 19th in the 100 backstroke (55.47) and 23rd in the 200 … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Brock Peterson, Ankeny boys’ swimming

‘TREVER IS A BAD DUDE’: UNI’s Anderson knocks off top-ranked Camacho

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Former Ankeny wrestling standout Trever Anderson posted the biggest victory of his collegiate career on Tuesday during the 2023 edition of the Journeymen Collegiate Duals at the Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tenn. Anderson, a redshirt freshman at Northern Iowa who is the No. 32/31 wrestler in the nation at 125 pounds, stunned North Carolina … [Read more...] about ‘TREVER IS A BAD DUDE’: UNI’s Anderson knocks off top-ranked Camacho

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Finley Blackmore, Centennial girls’ hoops

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Junior guard Finley Blackmore has helped the sixth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team to a 4-5 record. She scored six points in the Jaguars' 50-49 victory over visiting Ankeny on Tuesday. Blackmore is averaging 5.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. She has made 11-of-34 attempts from 3-point range (32.4 percent). Here is some inside info … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Finley Blackmore, Centennial girls’ hoops

PIN TO WIN: Hawks record 6 falls, rally from huge deficit to beat No. 12 Carlisle

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The last time the Ankeny wrestlers competed at Carlisle, the Hawks weren't happy with their performance. It was a different story on Thursday. Ankeny, the No. 17 team in the Class 3A dual rankings, recorded six falls and posted a 36-31 victory at No. 12 Carlisle in a non-conference meet. The Hawks evened their overall mark at 5-5. "We were in … [Read more...] about PIN TO WIN: Hawks record 6 falls, rally from huge deficit to beat No. 12 Carlisle