Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Winter

‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

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The title drought is over for the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers. In their seventh appearance in a Class 3A championship match, the Jaguars finally got an individual state championship on Saturday night courtesy of sophomore Max Dhabolt, who became the first boy in school history to capture a crown. "Oh my gosh, it's been a long time coming," said … [Read more...] about ‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

No. 4 Jaguars, No. 14 Hawkettes advance to regional finals with lopsided victories

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The Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball teams opened postseason play on Saturday night with lopsided victories. The fourth-ranked Jaguars rolled to a 68-17 triumph over visiting Marshalltown, while the No. 14 Hawkettes cruised to a 66-14 win over visiting Sioux City East in another Class 5A regional semifinal. We'll have stories on both games … [Read more...] about No. 4 Jaguars, No. 14 Hawkettes advance to regional finals with lopsided victories

Bruhl, Rathjen make impressive runs on bracket’s back side to place 3rd, 4th

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Ankeny Centennial's Isaac Bruhl bounced back from a disappointing loss in a big way. Ankeny's Calvin Rathjen made a similar run through the consolation bracket of the Class 3A state wrestling tournament. The fifth-seeded Bruhl rebounded from a quarterfinal loss on Thursday with four consecutive wins. He posted a 4-2 decision over No. 6 Elijah Blewitt … [Read more...] about Bruhl, Rathjen make impressive runs on bracket’s back side to place 3rd, 4th

Jaguars move into 8th place, will have 4 placewinners along with Ankeny wrestlers

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Ankeny Centennial wrestling coach Jay Groth has vowed to get a tattoo the first time a Jaguar wins an individual state title. Now, it's possible that he might have to get two. Centennial's Cale Vandermark and Max Dhabolt both advanced to Saturday's championship matches by recording technical falls in the semifinal round of the Class 3A tournament on … [Read more...] about Jaguars move into 8th place, will have 4 placewinners along with Ankeny wrestlers

DYNAMIC DUO: Vandermark, Dhabolt advance to Saturday’s finals in Class 3A

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The Ankeny Centennial duo of Cale Vandermark and Max Dhabolt advanced to Saturday's finals in the Class 3A state wrestling tournament at Wells Fargo Arena with technical falls on Friday. "It's good to be back in the finals again. It's been a little while since we've been there," said Centennial coach Jay Groth, whose last finalist came in 2019. "Those two … [Read more...] about DYNAMIC DUO: Vandermark, Dhabolt advance to Saturday’s finals in Class 3A

‘We still have confidence’: Hawks gear up for substate play after season-ending loss

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It wasn’t exactly the way they wanted to close out the regular season, but the Ankeny boys' basketball players are still confident heading into substate play. The Hawks traveled to Waukee Northwest on Thursday for a showdown against the fourth-ranked Wolves. After a strong start turned into a 90-52 loss, the Ankeny players … [Read more...] about ‘We still have confidence’: Hawks gear up for substate play after season-ending loss

Hawks surge into 8th place, advance 2 to semifinals along with Centennial duo

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall was left speechless by his team's performance on Thursday morning. The Hawks won 12 of 14 matches on the second day of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena, allowing them to catapult from 15th in the team standings into eighth place with 60.5 points. They recorded seven pins and two technical falls along … [Read more...] about Hawks surge into 8th place, advance 2 to semifinals along with Centennial duo

Jaguars advance 4 wrestlers to Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ankeny duo moves on

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Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny advanced a total of six wrestlers into Thursday's quarterfinal round of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The Jaguars won eight of 13 matches on Wednesday and are currently in seventh place in the team standings with 32.5 points. They advanced second-seeded Cale Vandermark at 120 pounds, No. 6 … [Read more...] about Jaguars advance 4 wrestlers to Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ankeny duo moves on

Ankeny boys’ bowling team places 8th in district tournament at Sioux City

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The Ankeny boys' bowling team ended its season on Tuesday with an eighth-place finish in a Class 3A district tournament at Plaza Bowl in Sioux City. Ankeny finished with a score of 2,098. The Hawks bowled a 178 in their fifth baker game and surpassed 150 in five other games, but averaged just 127 in the other nine games. Waukee won the team title with … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys’ bowling team places 8th in district tournament at Sioux City

‘It’s frustrating’: Urbandale boys use late 12-3 run to rally past Hawks for 62-61 win

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team led almost the entire way during Tuesday's game at Urbandale. The J-Hawks led, though, when it mattered the most. Jaxson Cathcart made two free throws with 2.1 seconds left to cap off a 12-3 run, and Urbandale escaped with a 62-61 victory over the Hawks in a CIML Conference game. "I like how hard our team plays," … [Read more...] about ‘It’s frustrating’: Urbandale boys use late 12-3 run to rally past Hawks for 62-61 win

Ankeny’s Shaw qualifies for girls’ state bowling tournament as an individual

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Ankeny's Johanna Shaw has qualified for the girls' state bowling tournament. While Shaw placed fourth as an individual during Monday's Class 3A regional meet at Bowlerama Lanes, the Ankeny girls' team saw its season come to an end. Coach Nick Payton's squad placed fifth in the eight-team field with a score of 2,200. Des Moines Lincoln won the team … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Shaw qualifies for girls’ state bowling tournament as an individual

Crawford, Pratt, Gage, Williams, Quick earn all-district girls’ basketball honors

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Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball stars Mya Crawford and Jaeden Pratt have been named to the Class 5A West all-district team along with Ankeny standouts Savannah Gage and Jayla Williams. The teams were selected by the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association, which also named Ankeny Christian Academy standout Katie Quick to the South all-district team in Class … [Read more...] about Crawford, Pratt, Gage, Williams, Quick earn all-district girls’ basketball honors

Boys’ pairings announced: Hawks to host semifinal; Jaguars to play at S.C. North

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The road to the state tournament won't be an easy one for the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball teams. The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced its Class 4A substate pairings on Monday. Ankeny was awarded the No. 2 seed in Substate 8, while Centennial received the No. 5 seed in Substate 7. Ankeny (10-9) will host a substate … [Read more...] about Boys’ pairings announced: Hawks to host semifinal; Jaguars to play at S.C. North

‘Whitman definitely stood out’: Ankeny standout commits to Division III program

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Ankeny boys' swimming standout Finn Stukerjurgen has verbally committed to Whitman College, an NCAA Division III program in Walla Walla, Wash. Stukerjurgen, a senior, said he looked at several other schools before making his decision. "Whitman definitely stood out due to its high quality academics and the supportive culture," said Stukerjurgen. … [Read more...] about ‘Whitman definitely stood out’: Ankeny standout commits to Division III program

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Andrew Roland, Ankeny Centennial wrestling

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Senior Andrew Roland helped the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team to a Class 3A district crown on Saturday at Fort Dodge. He won an individual title at 126 pounds, joining five of his teammates atop the awards podium. Roland qualified for state for the third consecutive year. He currently boasts a 23-15 record. Here is some inside info on … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Andrew Roland, Ankeny Centennial wrestling

‘I’m excited for the guys who are going’: Hawks advance 8 wrestlers to the Well

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Saturday was an up-and-down day for the Ankeny wrestling team. The Hawks placed third in a Class 3A district tournament at Marshalltown and qualified eight wrestlers for the state meet at Wells Fargo Arena, but Ankeny coach Jack Wignall was hoping for a little bit more. "We got six kids into the finals, and I was really happy with that," he said. "When … [Read more...] about ‘I’m excited for the guys who are going’: Hawks advance 8 wrestlers to the Well

‘We all stepped up and swam great’: Ankeny ties Dowling for 13th at state meet

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The Ankeny boys' swimming team double-placed in two events, scored points in three others and tied for 13th place overall in the state meet on Saturday at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center in Iowa City. Tenth-ranked Ankeny finished with 67 points, matching the total of No. 9 Dowling Catholic--its CIML Conference rival. No. 4 Dubuque Hempstead … [Read more...] about ‘We all stepped up and swam great’: Ankeny ties Dowling for 13th at state meet