Sometimes, everything falls into place for a high school athlete in pursuit of a collegiate career. That's what happened with Ankeny senior Justice Miller, who has committed to play two sports--football, and track and field--at Grand View University. "I was looking for a school I could do track at and Grand View offered me for track, but after our … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Miller to play two sports–football and track–at Grand View
Hawks
‘One of my top accomplishments’: Ankeny’s Cox reaches 100-win milestone
Ankeny wrestler Cael Cox reached a milestone on Tuesday during the Hawks' double dual meet at Waukee. Cox, who is ranked fifth at 126 pounds in Class 3A, posted a 6-3 decision over No. 3 Connor Kelley of Waukee to earn his 100th career victory. "The key to beating Kelley was getting to my offense," Cox said. "My coaches have stressed the importance of … [Read more...] about ‘One of my top accomplishments’: Ankeny’s Cox reaches 100-win milestone
Blimpie Sub of the Week: Katelyn Anderson, Ankeny girls’ basketball
Junior forward Katelyn Anderson has helped the Ankeny girls' basketball team to a 3-1 record. Anderson had seven points and four rebounds as the Hawkettes opened their season with a 71-47 victory at Mason City on Dec. 11. She is averaging 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. "Katelyn brings a variety of things (to the team)," said Ankeny coach Dru … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Katelyn Anderson, Ankeny girls’ basketball
Potent Waukee boys shut down Hawks in rematch of last year’s Class 4A title game
The Waukee boys' basketball team that lost to Ankeny in last year's Class 4A championship game was a loaded squad with at least two Division I recruits. Now, the Warriors are even better. The addition of Dowling Catholic transfer Omaha Biliew, one of the nation's top prospects in the Class of 2023, has made Waukee the prohibitive favorite to capture … [Read more...] about Potent Waukee boys shut down Hawks in rematch of last year’s Class 4A title game
A SPLIT DECISION: Ankeny girls edge Bondurant-Farrar, but Hawk bowlers fall
The Ankeny girls' bowling team squeezed out a narrow victory over Bondurant-Farrar in a dual meet on Monday at Great Escape, but the Ankeny boys' squad wasn't as fortunate. The Hawkettes won by a score of 2,233 to 2,205. They raised their record to 3-0 on the season. The Hawks, though, fell to Bondurant-Farrar by a score of 2,884 to 2,589. They dropped … [Read more...] about A SPLIT DECISION: Ankeny girls edge Bondurant-Farrar, but Hawk bowlers fall
Central Bank Athlete of the Month: Abby Johnson, Ankeny senior
Walker to join Division III progam that has won 12 national titles since 1987
A second member of the Ankeny boys' golf team has decided to take his game to the collegiate level. Corbin Walker has verbally committed to play for Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. Methodist is an NCAA Division III school and a member of the USA South Athletic Conference. Walker's teammate, Hunter Johnson, previously committed to Iowa … [Read more...] about Walker to join Division III progam that has won 12 national titles since 1987
‘They were hitting everything’: Waukee girls make 12 3-pointers, roll past Ankeny
A 3-0 start for the Ankeny girls' basketball team consisted of victories over Mason City, Pella and Fort Dodge. None of those teams is in the same stratosphere as Waukee. The Hawkettes discovered that reality on Monday as third-ranked Waukee opened its season with an 81-38 victory over Ankeny at the Waukee Fieldhouse. The Warriors made 12 3-point goals … [Read more...] about ‘They were hitting everything’: Waukee girls make 12 3-pointers, roll past Ankeny
Rathjen wins matchup of top-ranked wrestlers, claims crown at Indianola
Caleb Rathjen is still working himself into wrestling shape. The Ankeny senior, though, is still dominating his opponents on the mat. Rathjen, a two-time state champion who is ranked No. 1 at 152 pounds in Class 3A, easily captured a title at 160 in the Indianola Invitational on Saturday. He won his first three matches by fall in a combined 2 minutes … [Read more...] about Rathjen wins matchup of top-ranked wrestlers, claims crown at Indianola
Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Nate Nessa, Ankeny wrestling
Ankeny junior Nate Nessa placed seventh at 170 pounds in the Indianola wrestling tournament on Saturday. He helped the seventh-ranked Hawks to a fifth-place finish in the seven-team field. Nessa was a backup running back on the state champion Ankeny football team this fall. He rushed 27 times for 249 yards and six touchdowns. Here is some inside info … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Nate Nessa, Ankeny wrestling
Ankeny boys romp past Fort Dodge as 4 players score in double figures
Bouncing back from its first loss of the season, the Ankeny boys' basketball team romped to an 80-48 victory over visiting Fort Dodge on Friday. The ninth-ranked Hawks, who had lost at Pella on Tuesday, improved to 2-0 in the CIML Iowa Conference and 2-1 overall. The Dodgers dropped to 0-3 on the season, with all three losses coming against league … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys romp past Fort Dodge as 4 players score in double figures
Hawkettes remain unbeaten, gear up for Monday’s showdown at No. 3 Waukee
The Ankeny girls' basketball team remained unbeaten with a 74-44 victory over visiting Fort Dodge on Friday. The Hawkettes jumped out to a 23-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. They extended the margin to 45-24 at halftime. "I thought we ran in transition very well and did an extremely good job at making the extra pass," said Ankeny coach Dru … [Read more...] about Hawkettes remain unbeaten, gear up for Monday’s showdown at No. 3 Waukee
‘I had a really good feeling about Grand View’: Somers to play for Vikings
One of the best big-play receivers in the Central Iowa Metropolitan League has decided to stay close to home. Ankeny senior Kade Somers has committed to play for Grand View University, one of the top NAIA programs in the nation. He picked the Vikings over Iowa Western Community College and Morningside. "It was really tough to decide on whether I should … [Read more...] about ‘I had a really good feeling about Grand View’: Somers to play for Vikings
Ankeny swimmers cruise past Bobcats, but look for more improvement
The Ankeny boys' swimming team will have plenty of time to work on some things over the holiday break. The top-ranked Hawks cruised to a 117-53 victory at Marshalltown on Thursday, but Ankeny coach Justin Crouch said his team still needs to get better. "I felt like we were prepared for the meet, but we had quite a few errors," Crouch said. "To be … [Read more...] about Ankeny swimmers cruise past Bobcats, but look for more improvement
Fort Dodge builds 19-0 lead en route to 38-31 victory over Hawk wrestlers
A tough opening week for the Ankeny wrestling team continued on Thursday as the seventh-ranked Hawks suffered a 38-31 loss at No. 4 Fort Dodge in their CIML Iowa Conference opener. Ankeny dropped to 0-2 overall after opening the season with a loss to Cedar Falls on Tuesday. "We didn’t wrestle bad," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall. "Fort Dodge was just a … [Read more...] about Fort Dodge builds 19-0 lead en route to 38-31 victory over Hawk wrestlers
‘I like everything about Grand View’: Ankeny’s Tetmeyer to bowl for Vikings
Isabel Tetmeyer has been the top bowler for the Ankeny girls' bowling team ever since she joined the varsity lineup as a freshman. It's no surprise, then, that a slew of college coaches was interested in her. Grand View coach Melody Felton was one of them, and Felton was thrilled when Tetmeyer decided to join the Vikings' program. She signed her letter … [Read more...] about ‘I like everything about Grand View’: Ankeny’s Tetmeyer to bowl for Vikings
Miller replaces longtime friend Smith as Ankeny boys’ tennis coach
The new head coach of the Ankeny boys' tennis team is already familiar with the Hawks' program. Ron Miller has been hired to replace Steve Smith, who resigned from his position to become the head coach of the Ankeny girls' squad. Miller and Smith are longtime friends. "We've been playing tennis together for about 10 years," Miller said. "Steve … [Read more...] about Miller replaces longtime friend Smith as Ankeny boys’ tennis coach
Bonus points are the difference: Cedar Falls wrestlers edge Ankeny, 34-32
Despite racking up bonus points in all of its wins, the eighth-ranked Ankeny wrestling team opened its season on Tuesday with a 34-32 loss to visiting Cedar Falls. The Tigers won eight of the 14 matches and had three falls, including one at 152 pounds that sealed the victory. Ankeny got falls from top-ranked Caleb Rathjen at 160 and No. 9 Nate Nessa at … [Read more...] about Bonus points are the difference: Cedar Falls wrestlers edge Ankeny, 34-32
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 118
Check out the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America. Publisher Dan Holm discusses Ankeny Fanatic's all-time Ankeny volleyball team with former Ankeny coach Terry Carlson as well as several of Ankeny's all-time greats--Jaali Winters, Kristin Belzung, Sarah Oexmann, Kylee Macke and Megan Ballenger. Amy … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 118
‘I couldn’t be happier with the way the kids bowled’: Ankeny teams top Dodgers
Gage Payton and the Ankeny bowling teams enjoyed another good day on Tuesday. Payton bowled a 412 series to lead the Hawks to a victory over visiting Fort Dodge in their CIML Iowa Conference opener at Great Escape. They won the meet by a score of 2,820 to 2,568. The Ankeny girls' squad also prevailed by a score of 2,514 to 2,363. The Hawkettes and … [Read more...] about ‘I couldn’t be happier with the way the kids bowled’: Ankeny teams top Dodgers