Ankeny junior Ben Hansen was excited when the regional dual wrestling assignments came out. The fourth-ranked Hawks learned last week that they would likely host No. 13 Bondurant-Farrar in Tuesday's regional final at Ankeny. The two teams met at the Dave Ewing Duals on Jan. 21, when Ankeny posted a 39-21 victory in the championship match. However, the … [Read more...] about Hawk wrestlers roll past Bluejays, earn another trip to state duals tournament
Boys' Wrestling
‘It was a nailbiter’: Jaguars edge Carlisle on 9th criteria, advance to state duals
When Ankeny Centennial's Cael Wiener stepped onto the wrestling mat Tuesday night, he had a chance to send his team to the Class 3A state duals tournament. The 132-pound senior just didn't know for sure by what margin he needed to win in order to give the sixth-ranked Jaguars a victory over No. 10 Carlisle in a regional final at Centennial. "At first … [Read more...] about ‘It was a nailbiter’: Jaguars edge Carlisle on 9th criteria, advance to state duals
RAM TOUGH: S.E. Polk wrestlers top Ankeny to capture conference crown
There's still a gap between the Southeast Polk wrestling team and the rest of the CIML Conference. The top-ranked Rams won 11 of the 14 matches and rolled to a 45-12 victory at No. 4 Ankeny on Thursday, allowing them to wrap up the league's dual-meet crown. The Hawks finished 7-1 in the conference and dropped to 19-2 overall. "We got outwrestled in … [Read more...] about RAM TOUGH: S.E. Polk wrestlers top Ankeny to capture conference crown
Centennial wrestlers close out regular season with 36-34 loss at Waukee NW
The Ankeny Centennial wrestling team closed out the regular season on Thursday with a 36-34 loss at Waukee Northwest. The Wolves won eight of the 14 matches to offset four pins and two technical falls by Centennial. The 10th-ranked Jaguars finished 4-4 in the CIML Conference and dropped to 20-6 overall. Northwest sealed the win when defending state … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers close out regular season with 36-34 loss at Waukee NW
No. 4 Ankeny, No. 6 Centennial to host regional wrestling duals on Jan. 31
Both Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial will host Class 3A regional wrestling duals on Jan. 31. The fourth-ranked Hawks (19-1) will host either No. 13 Bondurant-Farrar or No. 19 Iowa City High in the regional final. Those two teams will meet in the preliminary round at 6 p.m., with the winner advancing to face Ankeny. The Hawks defeated Bondurant-Farrar, … [Read more...] about No. 4 Ankeny, No. 6 Centennial to host regional wrestling duals on Jan. 31
‘It’s a good feeling to win it again’: Hawks capture 4th straight Ewing Duals title
The storybook season continues for the Ankeny wrestling team. The fourth-ranked Hawks easily won their own Dave Ewing Duals on Saturday for the fourth consecutive year. They defeated their four opponents by an average margin of 50 points to raise their overall record to 19-1. Ankeny surpassed its total of 17 wins from last year, which had been its … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a good feeling to win it again’: Hawks capture 4th straight Ewing Duals title
‘They weren’t afraid of the competition’: Jaguars take 4th at rugged Winger Invite
Saturday's Ed Winger Invitational at Urbandale gave the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers an opportunity to test themselves against some of the state's top grapplers. The Jaguars responded with a strong performance, placing fourth in a field of 24 teams with 120 points. They had eight top-six finishes. "I was pretty pleased with the way things went," said … [Read more...] about ‘They weren’t afraid of the competition’: Jaguars take 4th at rugged Winger Invite
HAPPY HOMECOMING: Wignall guides Hawks to 72-6 victory at Knoxville
Thursday's trip to Knoxville was a sentimental one for Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall. Wignall, who spent a lot of time in Knoxville while growing up in southern Iowa, guided the fourth-ranked Hawks to a 72-6 victory in the non-conference dual meet. "We had a good time," said Wignall. "It was good to see my family there. They hadn't seen me coach … [Read more...] about HAPPY HOMECOMING: Wignall guides Hawks to 72-6 victory at Knoxville
Jaguars rout Dowling on Senior Night, reach 20 wins for 3rd time under Groth
It was a memorable Senior Night for the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers on Thursday. The sixth-ranked Jaguars recorded six pins and rolled to a 57-22 victory over visiting Dowling Catholic in a CIML Conference dual meet. "We wrestled well," said Centennial coach Jay Groth. "I thought all of our guys went out there and fought." Prior to the meet, … [Read more...] about Jaguars rout Dowling on Senior Night, reach 20 wins for 3rd time under Groth
Hawks crown trio of champs at Sharp Invite, place 2nd overall behind W-SR
With three individual champions, the Ankeny wrestling team earned a runner-up finish in the Bob Sharp Invitational on Saturday at Ankeny. The fifth-ranked Hawks racked up 234 points in the 10-team tournament. Waverly-Shell Rock captured the team title with 267.5 points. "We were hoping to win it," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall. "But we lost a couple … [Read more...] about Hawks crown trio of champs at Sharp Invite, place 2nd overall behind W-SR
Centennial wrestlers beat Humboldt to earn 3rd-place finish at Osage Duals
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 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
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
‘We did what we needed to do’: Jaguars get bonus points to edge Fort Dodge
Last month, Ankeny Centennial wrestling coach Jay Groth said his team's runner-up finish at the Don Miller Invitational would have felt even better if the Jaguars could have defeated host Fort Dodge. On Thursday, Groth's team returned to Fort Dodge and accomplished what it couldn't on Dec. 17. Tenth-ranked Centennial posted a 35-33 victory over the No. … [Read more...] about ‘We did what we needed to do’: Jaguars get bonus points to edge Fort Dodge
Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Xander Kenworthy, Ankeny wrestling
Senior Xander Kenworthy has helped the fourth-ranked Ankeny wrestling team to a 12-1 record, including a 5-0 mark in the CIML Conference. He is currently ranked seventh in Class 3A at 182 pounds with a 13-2 record. Kenworthy was a state qualifier last year at 170. He posted a 26-15 mark as a junior. Here is some inside info on Kenworthy: How is the … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Xander Kenworthy, Ankeny wrestling
Hawk wrestlers record 12 pins, throttle Waukee schools to raise record to 12-1
The Ankeny wrestling team is getting a well-deserved break. After placing third in the Battle of Waterloo over the weekend, the fourth-ranked Hawks completed their pre-Christmas schedule on Tuesday with a CIML Conference triangular meet at Waukee. They rolled to a 55-18 victory over the host Warriors, then followed with a 48-26 win over No. 13 Waukee … [Read more...] about Hawk wrestlers record 12 pins, throttle Waukee schools to raise record to 12-1
‘We have to fight’: Jaguars seek mental toughness after losing to Valley, S.E. Polk
It's not often that a wrestling team would want to be compared to the NFL's Detroit Lions. But that's exactly who Ankeny Centennial coach Jay Groth compared his squad to following Tuesday's triangular meet at Southeast Polk. "We've got to get healthy," Groth said after the Jaguars suffered losses to Southeast Polk and Valley. "We have three varsity … [Read more...] about ‘We have to fight’: Jaguars seek mental toughness after losing to Valley, S.E. Polk
‘We’re putting the whole state on notice’: Hawks finish 3rd at Battle of Waterloo
The Ankeny wrestling program is moving into uncharted territory. The Hawks turned in a spectacular performance on Friday and Saturday at the Battle of Waterloo, where they advanced to the championship bracket for the first time ever and defeated two nationally-ranked teams en route to a third-place finish overall. "I tried to stay in the moment because … [Read more...] about ‘We’re putting the whole state on notice’: Hawks finish 3rd at Battle of Waterloo