Here are some quick observations after looking at the brackets for this week's Class 3A state wrestling tournament: *At 113 pounds, Ankeny's Caleb Rathjen and Ankeny Centennial's Noah Blubaugh could be headed for a showdown in Friday's quarterfinals. The second-ranked Rathjen will be favored to beat unranked Hons Von Rabenau of Iowa City West in … [Read more...] about Some thoughts on the Class 3A wrestling brackets
Boys' Wrestling
Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen, Spencer Anderson capture district titles, punch ticket to state
After being placed in a tough district, Ankeny advanced only two wrestlers to this week's state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Caleb Rathjen at 113 pounds and Spencer Anderson at 132 each won an individual title for the Hawks, who placed fourth among the eight teams in a Class 3A district tournament on Saturday at Waukee. They finished with 171.5 … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen, Spencer Anderson capture district titles, punch ticket to state
No. 1 Fort Dodge wrestlers ‘flex their muscle’ in victory over Hawks
After avenging one of its dual-meet losses, the Ankeny wrestlers were hoping to avenge another one while earning a trip to next week's state duals tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Unfortunately, top-ranked Fort Dodge had some other ideas. The Dodgers won eight of the last nine matches, all of them by falls, and rolled to a 58-18 victory over No. 17 … [Read more...] about No. 1 Fort Dodge wrestlers ‘flex their muscle’ in victory over Hawks
Hawk wrestlers rout Roosevelt, then slip past Carlisle
The Ankeny wrestling team closed out the regular season on Thursday with a pair of victories in a double dual meet at Des Moines Roosevelt. The Hawks rolled to a 73-3 win over Roosevelt before posting a 42-32 triumph over Carlisle. They raised their record to 10-8 on the season. "It was a long night," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall. "Some of our guys … [Read more...] about Hawk wrestlers rout Roosevelt, then slip past Carlisle
Neils captures CIML wrestling title, leads Jaguars to fifth-place finish
Logan Neils made some history on Friday in the CIML Invitational at Southeast Polk. The 160-pound sophomore became the first Ankeny Centennial wrestler in the school's brief history to capture an individual conference title. After pinning his first three opponents, the fifth-ranked Neils posted a 3-0 decision over seventh-ranked Levi Egli of Fort Dodge in … [Read more...] about Neils captures CIML wrestling title, leads Jaguars to fifth-place finish
Hawks, Jaguars face difficult paths to state duals tournament
The road to the Class 3A state duals tournament will be a difficult one for both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial wrestling teams. The pairings for the regional duals were announced on Wednesday by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Both the Hawks and Jaguars will have to win two matches, one of them against a top-five opponent, to reach the state … [Read more...] about Hawks, Jaguars face difficult paths to state duals tournament
Blimpie Sub of the Week: Barsat Fnu, Ankeny wrestling
Barsat Fnu of the Ankeny wrestling team is the Ankeny Fanatic Sub of the Week sponsored by Blimpie. Fnu placed sixth at 113 pounds in the Bob Sharp Invitational on Jan. 13 at Ankeny. He has been filling in for injured freshman Caleb Rathjen, who is ranked second in Class 3A. "Barsat is a first-year wrestler, originally from Afghanistan, and just an … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Barsat Fnu, Ankeny wrestling
Jaguars capture 4th straight Bob Sharp title; Ankeny’s Anderson upsets Centennial’s Monroe
The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers are beginning to feel right at home in their crosstown rival's gym. The Jaguars visited Ankeny on Saturday for the Bob Sharp Invitational and came away with the team title for the fourth straight year. They racked up 217.5 points in the 10-team tournament. "It's awesome. I'm pretty happy," said Centennial coach Jay … [Read more...] about Jaguars capture 4th straight Bob Sharp title; Ankeny’s Anderson upsets Centennial’s Monroe
Big meets ahead for Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers
Crosstown rivals Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial will see a lot of each other on the wrestling mat over the next 10 days. Both teams will compete in the Bob Sharp Invitational on Saturday at Ankeny, beginning at 10 a.m. The Jaguars will be seeking their fourth consecutive Bob Sharp title after winning last year's tournament with 194 points, while the Hawks … [Read more...] about Big meets ahead for Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers
Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Spencer Anderson, Ankeny wrestling
Spencer Anderson is the Ankeny Fanatic prep of the week sponsored by Revive Clinic and Spa. The senior has compiled a 15-7 record at 132 pounds for the Ankeny wrestling team. Anderson placed third in the Rollin Dyer Invitational on Saturday at Atlantic, helping the Hawks to the team title. He will celebrate his 18th birthday on Jan. 16. Here is some … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Spencer Anderson, Ankeny wrestling
Hawks win Atlantic tournament; Kallem named most outstanding wrestler
The Ankeny wrestlers needed a strong performance in the final round of the Rollin Dyer Invitational on Saturday to come away with the team title. And that's exactly what they got. The Hawks won 11 of their last 14 matches and racked up 234.5 points to edge Sergeant Bluff-Luton, which had 231 points, for the crown. The tournament was held at … [Read more...] about Hawks win Atlantic tournament; Kallem named most outstanding wrestler
Hawks fall to No. 4 Valley despite thrilling wins from Green, Cole Rathjen
The Ankeny wrestling team is still seeking that breakthrough victory. The Hawks battled fourth-ranked Valley down to the wire before dropping a 38-29 decision in a CIML Central Conference dual meet on Thursday at Ankeny. "I thought the kids wrestled with a lot of heart tonight and that's been pretty typical," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall, whose team … [Read more...] about Hawks fall to No. 4 Valley despite thrilling wins from Green, Cole Rathjen
Hawk wrestlers off to 5-4 start, will host No. 5 Valley Thursday
Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall is anxious to get the second half of the season under way. The Hawks, who will host fifth-ranked Valley on Thursday, finished 2017 with a 5-4 dual-meet record. Three of their four losses came to opponents ranked in the top five of the Iowa Wrestling Coaches Association dual team rankings. "We were ready for a break," … [Read more...] about Hawk wrestlers off to 5-4 start, will host No. 5 Valley Thursday