Ankeny Fanatic

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Hawks

Ankeny’s Crandall decommits from Mankato, signs with Western Illinois

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Ryan Crandall has decided to wear different shades of purple and gold. After earlier committing to play football at Minnesota State-Mankato, the Ankeny defensive back has signed a letter of intent to play for Western Illinois next year. "It was a hard decision, but it's always been a dream of mine to play at the highest level I can possibly play at," … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Crandall decommits from Mankato, signs with Western Illinois

Hawkettes rally for dramatic victory, keep their Iowa Conference title hopes alive

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team's bid to win the CIML Iowa Conference title was hanging by a thread on Tuesday at Fort Dodge. Trailing by 58-51 late in the fourth quarter, the 10th-ranked Hawkettes appeared to be dangerously close to falling out of championship contention. But Ankeny then rallied for 10 consecutive points down the stretch, posting a … [Read more...] about Hawkettes rally for dramatic victory, keep their Iowa Conference title hopes alive

Hawks pull away in 2nd half, defeat Fort Dodge by 18-point margin for 2nd time

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team didn't have any time to dwell on Monday's loss to top-ranked Ames. The No. 6 Hawks traveled to Fort Dodge on Tuesday for another CIML Iowa Conference game and posted a 69-51 victory, defeating the Dodgers by an 18-point margin for the second time this season. "It was nice to win after a tough Monday night game," said … [Read more...] about Hawks pull away in 2nd half, defeat Fort Dodge by 18-point margin for 2nd time

‘They’re the best team in the state’: Ames boys snap Hawks’ 8-game winning streak

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team made a huge statement with Friday's win at third-ranked Waukee Northwest. No. 1 Ames made one of its own on Monday. The Little Cyclones jumped out to a 13-0 lead and cruised to a 69-50 victory at No. 8 Ankeny, snapping the Hawks' eight-game winning streak. "They were definitely ready, and we just didn't have an … [Read more...] about ‘They’re the best team in the state’: Ames boys snap Hawks’ 8-game winning streak

Ankeny girls romp past Little Cyclones, get their swagger and confidence back

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Monday's game against visiting Ames gave the Ankeny girls' basketball team a chance to reset mentally. Coming off its worst loss of the season, the 10th-ranked Hawkettes placed four players in double figures and rolled to a 77-19 victory in a CIML Iowa Conference contest. "We just kind of needed to recharge the battery and clear the mindset," said … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls romp past Little Cyclones, get their swagger and confidence back

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Ben Hansen, Ankeny wrestling

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Sophomore Ben Hansen has helped the eighth-ranked Ankeny wrestling team to a 15-2 dual-meet record. He is ranked sixth at 126 pounds in Class 3A with a 25-6 mark. Hansen placed second in the CIML Invitational on Friday at Johnston, where he helped the Hawks to a third-place finish in the 18-team field. He reached the finals before losing by a technical … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Ben Hansen, Ankeny wrestling

Hawks, Jaguars could see familiar opponents in Class 4A substate play

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The Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball teams could see some familiar opponents in substate play. The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced its postseason assignments on Friday. The eighth-ranked Hawks (12-2) have been placed in Class 4A Substate 1, while the Jaguars (9-6) have been placed in Substate 2. Ankeny will be joined in … [Read more...] about Hawks, Jaguars could see familiar opponents in Class 4A substate play

Hawks place 3rd, Jaguars finish 4th in final year of CIML’s 18-team tournament

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As the wrestling season heads into the home stretch, both Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial are sitting in good positions. The two teams earned top-four finishes in the CIML Invitational on Friday at Johnston. This was the final year of the 18-team tournament before the CIML splits into two conferences next year. Eighth-ranked Ankeny placed third with 174 … [Read more...] about Hawks place 3rd, Jaguars finish 4th in final year of CIML’s 18-team tournament

‘It was a great team win’: Hawks knock off Northwest, will host No. 1 Ames next

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This time, the Ankeny boys' basketball team didn't let a second-half lead slip away against Waukee Northwest. The eighth-ranked Hawks stayed alive in the race for the CIML Iowa Conference title with a 74-63 victory at No. 3 Northwest on Friday. The win was Ankeny's eighth in a row and avenged an earlier 57-50 loss to the Wolves. "It was a great team … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great team win’: Hawks knock off Northwest, will host No. 1 Ames next

‘Sometimes it’s just one of those nights’: Hawkettes suffer worst loss of season

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It's been a season of memorable moments for the Ankeny girls' basketball team. Friday's game at Waukee Northwest will be a forgettable one. The 10th-ranked Hawkettes got off to a slow start and never really recovered in a 63-25 loss to No. 12 Northwest, which avenged an earlier 44-41 defeat at Ankeny. It was by far the worst loss of the season for … [Read more...] about ‘Sometimes it’s just one of those nights’: Hawkettes suffer worst loss of season

Marshalltown bowlers surpass 3,000-pin mark in victory over Ankeny boys’ squad

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One of the state's best bowling teams visited Great Escape on Thursday for a CIML Iowa Conference dual meet against host Ankeny. The Marshalltown boys' squad lived up to the hype. The Bobcats defeated Ankeny by a score of 3,186 to 2,590. They improved to 9-1 on the season, while the Hawks dropped to 0-3 in the conference and 2-9 overall. Demitri … [Read more...] about Marshalltown bowlers surpass 3,000-pin mark in victory over Ankeny boys’ squad

‘This was a good time to step away’: State’s all-time winningest coach retires

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Ankeny volleyball coach Dave Whims has retired again. Whims, who came out of retirement to coach the Hawkettes for a second stint in 2019, said this time he won't be coming back. "I'll do some consulting with coaches, and I'll share videos and drills with them," Whims said. "I think that'll keep me busy. But as far as being a head coach somewhere, I … [Read more...] about ‘This was a good time to step away’: State’s all-time winningest coach retires

Hawks roll past Marshalltown, will head to Johnston for CIML Invite on Friday

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The Ankeny wrestling team tuned up for Friday's CIML Invitational by romping to a 66-12 victory over visiting Marshalltown on Thursday. The eighth-ranked Hawks won 12 of the 14 matches and had eight falls. They finished 6-0 in the CIML Iowa Conference and improved their overall dual-meet record to 15-2. Heavyweight Joe Kingston opened the meet by … [Read more...] about Hawks roll past Marshalltown, will head to Johnston for CIML Invite on Friday

‘It’s just a huge win in so many ways’: Hawkettes’ late rally stuns No. 5 Dowling

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The last two Tuesday nights ended in disappointment for the Ankeny girls' basketball team. The 12th-ranked Hawkettes experienced a much better feeling this time. Ankeny dominated the fourth quarter to rally for a 35-29 victory over No. 5 Dowling Catholic in a non-conference game on Tuesday at the AHS gym. The Hawkettes erased a 28-21 deficit with a … [Read more...] about ‘It’s just a huge win in so many ways’: Hawkettes’ late rally stuns No. 5 Dowling

Surging Hawks improve to 11-2 heading into showdown at Waukee Northwest

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team never trailed Tuesday en route to a 77-66 victory over visiting Dowling Catholic in a non-conference game. The eighth-ranked Hawks shot 55.3 percent from the field (26-of-47) while raising their record to 11-2. Dowling, which was coming off a 41-36 loss at No. 1 Ames on Saturday, dropped to 4-9. "It was a good win," … [Read more...] about Surging Hawks improve to 11-2 heading into showdown at Waukee Northwest

Ankeny girls’ bowling squad edges Gilbert for its first victory of the season

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The Ankeny girls' bowling team finally got to play on a level playing field. The Hawkettes responded on Tuesday with their first victory of the season. Ankeny defeated Gilbert by a score of 1,506 to 1,458 in a non-conference dual meet at Perfect Games. The Hawkettes improved their record to 1-9, while Gilbert dropped to 0-7. "It was a big win for … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls’ bowling squad edges Gilbert for its first victory of the season

Centennial, Ankeny girls achieve success on wrestling mat, look ahead to future

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It was a good weekend for the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial female wrestlers. The future for the sport of girls' wrestling looks even brighter. While both Ankeny schools had some competitors in the girls' state tournament, the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union announced prior to the start of the championship round that it will begin sanctioning … [Read more...] about Centennial, Ankeny girls achieve success on wrestling mat, look ahead to future

‘What stood out about Simpson is the potential’: Schlee to play for Storm

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Dylan Schlee has been a valuable member of the Ankeny pitching staff the last two seasons. Next year, he'll be taking his talents to the Simpson baseball program. Schlee has verbally committed to play for the Storm, beginning in the fall of 2022. "They see me as a guy who can come and compete for innings and provide for the team on the mound right … [Read more...] about ‘What stood out about Simpson is the potential’: Schlee to play for Storm

Ankeny wrestlers capture Dave Ewing Duals crown for 3rd consecutive year

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After more than a week off, the Ankeny wrestling team returned to action on Saturday and won the Dave Ewing Duals for the third consecutive year. The eighth-ranked Hawks defeated all five of their opponents to raise their overall record to 14-2. They posted a 43-21 victory over Bondurant-Farrar in what turned out to be the deciding match, then later … [Read more...] about Ankeny wrestlers capture Dave Ewing Duals crown for 3rd consecutive year