The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers earned a third-place finish in the Osage Duals on Saturday. After going 2-2 during the preliminary rounds, the eighth-ranked Jaguars posted a 39-30 victory over Humboldt in the third-place match. They are now 19-5 on the season. "We had a little bit of a letdown after our big win over Johnston (on Thursday)," said … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers beat Humboldt to earn 3rd-place finish at Osage Duals
Hawks
Hawk swimmers edge Linn-Mar in battle of top-5 teams, finish 4-3-1 in duals
Saturday's non-conference dual meet at Linn-Mar (Marion) was a good test for the Ankeny boys' swimming team. The fourth-ranked Hawks, who will return to eastern Iowa in four weeks for the state meet, earned perhaps their biggest win of the season with a 90-80 victory over No. 5 Linn-Mar. They finished the dual-meet schedule with an overall record to … [Read more...] about Hawk swimmers edge Linn-Mar in battle of top-5 teams, finish 4-3-1 in duals
Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny football team (2nd team)
For several months, Ankeny Fanatic has been contacting the members of its all-time Ankeny football team to get a reaction from some of the players, as well as stories and favorite memories from their high school careers. One former Ankeny standout responded with a poem that he wrote. Ross Naylor entitled it, "Pezzetti's Proposal", in honor of his … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny football team (2nd team)
‘We all knew we could win’: Hawks pull off stunning upset over No. 3 Waukee
Ankeny's Maddox Ward blew a kiss to the Waukee students as the final seconds ticked off the clock. The senior guard made a pair of late 3-point goals to lift the Hawks to a stunning 56-51 upset over third-ranked Waukee in a CIML Conference boys' basketball game on Friday at Ankeny. "It feels great," said Ward, who scored all 11 of his points in the … [Read more...] about ‘We all knew we could win’: Hawks pull off stunning upset over No. 3 Waukee
Waukee girls win seesaw battle against Ankeny, despite Gage’s career-high 29
In the rugged CIML Conference, even an unranked team like Waukee could be a threat to make a deep run in the girls' basketball postseason. The Warriors showed how dangerous they could potentially be on Friday, when they posted a 69-58 victory at 13th-ranked Ankeny. They avenged an earlier 46-42 loss to the Hawkettes. "They did a really good job of … [Read more...] about Waukee girls win seesaw battle against Ankeny, despite Gage’s career-high 29
Hawks stay perfect in CIML Conference with victories over Valley, Dowling
With two more victories on Thursday, the Ankeny wrestling team has put itself in position to win the CIML Conference dual-meet championship. The fourth-ranked Hawks posted a 42-23 win at No. 5 Valley in the opener of a triangular meet. They then followed with a 46-30 triumph over Dowling Catholic. Ankeny raised its records to 7-0 in the conference and … [Read more...] about Hawks stay perfect in CIML Conference with victories over Valley, Dowling
Jaguars roll past No. 7 Johnston, could be in position to host 3A regional dual
The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers may have secured a top-eight seed for the Class 3A regional duals later this month. The eighth-ranked Jaguars defeated a pair of opponents on Thursday during a CIML Conference triangular at Centennial. After rolling to a 70-4 win over Waukee, Centennial followed with a 62-15 triumph over No. 7 Johnston--which is one of the … [Read more...] about Jaguars roll past No. 7 Johnston, could be in position to host 3A regional dual
‘It was definitely a nailbiter’: Ankeny boys’ team edges Valley bowlers by 2 pins
For the Ankeny boys' bowling team, Thursday's dual meet against visiting Valley came down to the last frame at Great Escape. A final shot by the Tigers left two pins standing, allowing Ankeny to emerge with the victory by the narrowest of margins. The Hawks won by a score of 2,807 to 2,805. "It literally came down to the last frame where a great shot … [Read more...] about ‘It was definitely a nailbiter’: Ankeny boys’ team edges Valley bowlers by 2 pins
Ankeny swimmers beat S.E. Polk to even their records, will face Linn-Mar next
It's been a good week thus far for the Ankeny boys' swimming team. After rolling to a non-conference win over visiting Indianola on Tuesday, the fourth-ranked Hawks traveled to Southeast Polk on Thursday and dominated a CIML Conference dual meet. Ankeny won all 11 events and romped to a 132-38 victory over the No. 18 Rams. The Hawks evened their … [Read more...] about Ankeny swimmers beat S.E. Polk to even their records, will face Linn-Mar next
‘The boys had a fun time competing’: Hawk swimmers cruise past Indianola
The Ankeny boys' swimming team is trending in the right direction. That was the assessment of coach Justin Crouch following the fourth-ranked Hawks' 128-42 victory over No. 19 Indianola in a non-conference meet on Tuesday at Trail Point Aquatics Center. "The boys had a fun time competing tonight," said Crouch. "It was good to get a win, but even … [Read more...] about ‘The boys had a fun time competing’: Hawk swimmers cruise past Indianola
Ankeny girls rout Urbandale, then edge Rams to claim league dual-meet crown
Chalk up another accomplishment for the Ankeny girls' wrestling program in its inaugural season. Ankeny wrapped up the CIML Conference dual-meet championship with a pair of wins over Urbandale and host Southeast Polk on Tuesday. Coach Dustin Roland's team rolled to a 72-6 victory over the J-Hawks, then followed with a 42-34 win over the Rams. Ankeny … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls rout Urbandale, then edge Rams to claim league dual-meet crown
‘We got exposed’: Ankeny hangs around for awhile before Dragons dominate
The Central Iowa Metropolitan League boasts seven of the top 11 teams in Class 5A in the latest girls' basketball rankings from the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union. Despite the overall strength of the nine-team league, top-ranked Johnston continues to dominate its CIML rivals. The defending state champion Dragons extended their winning streak to … [Read more...] about ‘We got exposed’: Ankeny hangs around for awhile before Dragons dominate
Johnston boys pull away with 24-5 run in 3rd quarter, defeat Hawks for 2nd time
This time, the Johnston boys' basketball team didn't blow a big lead. The Dragons, who let a 16-point cushion in the fourth quarter slip away in a 65-64 loss at fifth-ranked Indianola on Saturday, bounced back with a 63-50 victory over visiting Ankeny on Tuesday. They opened the second half with a 24-5 run to build a 54-29 advantage, then cruised to the … [Read more...] about Johnston boys pull away with 24-5 run in 3rd quarter, defeat Hawks for 2nd time
Nelson resigns after 8 years at Ankeny, will rejoin UNI as offensive line coach
Ankeny football coach Rick Nelson is headed back to Cedar Falls. Nelson, who was a longtime assistant coach at Northern Iowa before taking over the Hawks' program in 2015, has announced his resignation. He will rejoin the Panthers' staff as the offensive line coach. Nelson replaces Ryan Clanton, who was the offensive line coach and offensive … [Read more...] about Nelson resigns after 8 years at Ankeny, will rejoin UNI as offensive line coach
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 208
In the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America, publisher Dan Holm interviews Cole Netten and JJ Kohl about their selections to the Fanatic all-time Ankeny football team. Kohl also discusses his performance at last week's Under Armour Next All-America Game in Orlando. Ankeny Fanatic sponsor Nick Jarosh of … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 208
Hansen, Anderson win titles, lead Hawks to overall crown at Mendenhall Invite
A long layoff didn't seem to bother the Ankeny wrestling team. Competing for the first time since Dec. 20, the seventh-ranked Hawks easily captured the team title in the Jack Mendenhall Invitational on Saturday at Ames. They scored 211.5 points to finish 58.5 points ahead of No. 4 Fort Dodge, which placed second in the 17-team field. "We had an 18-day … [Read more...] about Hansen, Anderson win titles, lead Hawks to overall crown at Mendenhall Invite
Centennial wrestlers crown 4 champs, capture overall title at Lepic Invite
The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers crowned four individual champions and also captured the team title in the Tom Lepic Invitational on Saturday at Iowa City West. The Jaguars racked up 189.5 points, 16 more than runner-up Pleasant Valley. Norwalk, Fort Madison and Iowa City West also competed in the round-robin event. "We wrestled an aggressive style," … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers crown 4 champs, capture overall title at Lepic Invite
Ankeny Fanatic Preps of the Week: Chase Jordan and Kali Ogg, Ankeny bowling
Senior Chase Jordan leads the Ankeny boys' bowling team with a 358.5 series average. He bowled a season-high total of 413 in the Hawks' win over Johnston in their season opener on Dec. 1 at Game Day Lanes. Sophomore Kali Ogg ranks second on the Ankeny girls' squad with a 303 series average. She bowled a career-best total of 334 to lead the Hawkettes to a … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Preps of the Week: Chase Jordan and Kali Ogg, Ankeny bowling
Hawkettes rout Roosevelt girls, avenge last year’s loss in Class 5A regional final
The Ankeny girls' basketball team took an early lead against visiting Des Moines Roosevelt on Saturday without any time running off the clock. The Roughriders were called for a technical foul before the opening tipoff because the uniform number for one of their players was incorrectly entered into the scorebook. It was that kind of day for … [Read more...] about Hawkettes rout Roosevelt girls, avenge last year’s loss in Class 5A regional final
Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny football team (3rd team)
For the last 54 years, a lot of young boys have grown up in Ankeny wanting to play football for coach Jerry Pezzetti. Some of those players wanted to follow in the footsteps of their fathers who played for Pezzetti. That was the case for Drew Carlson, a standout linebacker on Ankeny's 2012 state championship team. His father, Luke, starred for Pezzetti … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny football team (3rd team)