Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Winter

‘I didn’t mean to bank it!’: Kiene’s 3-pointer at buzzer lifts Hawkettes past Cedar Falls

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Ainsley Kiene wasn't supposed to take the final shot for the Ankeny girls' basketball team. But with time running out and the ball in her hands from well beyond the arc, Kiene knew that she had no other choice. The senior guard banked in a 3-point goal from the top of the key as time expired to give the third-ranked Hawkettes a 50-47 victory at No. 8 … [Read more...] about ‘I didn’t mean to bank it!’: Kiene’s 3-pointer at buzzer lifts Hawkettes past Cedar Falls

‘We just didn’t shoot very well’: Hawks drop to 3-3 with 53-38 loss at Cedar Falls

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The offensive struggles continued on Friday for the Ankeny boys' basketball team. After being held to 46 points in a loss to Southeast Polk on Tuesday, the Hawks traveled to Cedar Falls for their final game before the holiday break and dropped a 53-38 decision in a non-conference matchup. "We're 3-3 now, and that's the reality of it," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘We just didn’t shoot very well’: Hawks drop to 3-3 with 53-38 loss at Cedar Falls

Hawks take 3rd in pool, will wrestle for 9th through 12th place at Battle of Waterloo

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The Ankeny wrestling team went 2-1 in Bracket B and placed third in its pool on Friday at the Battle of Waterloo. The Hawks opened the tournament with a 37-32 victory over Waverly-Shell Rock. They then dropped a 41-31 decision to Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, one of the top teams in Class 2A, in the semifinals. Clarion-Goldfield-Dows avenged a 54-25 loss to … [Read more...] about Hawks take 3rd in pool, will wrestle for 9th through 12th place at Battle of Waterloo

‘The whole team was motivated to swim fast’: Ankeny routs Johnston on Sr. Night

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The seniors on the Ankeny boys' swimming team celebrated their special night with a dominating victory. Eighth-ranked Ankeny won all 11 events and rolled to a 132-38 victory over No. 16 Johnston on Thursday at Trail Point Aquatics Center. It was Senior Night for coach Dustin Rhoads' team, which improved to 1-2 in the CIML Conference and 5-6 overall. … [Read more...] about ‘The whole team was motivated to swim fast’: Ankeny routs Johnston on Sr. Night

‘They were pretty jacked’: Ankeny boys’ bowling squad snaps long losing streak

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The drought has ended for the Ankeny boys' bowling team. The squad defeated visiting Johnston in a CIML Conference dual meet on Thursday at B-Roll Bowling. They won by a score of 2,225 to 2,071 to end a streak of 26 consecutive losses. "I believe that was their first win in three years," said Ankeny coach Adam Booth. "They were pretty jacked." The … [Read more...] about ‘They were pretty jacked’: Ankeny boys’ bowling squad snaps long losing streak

‘We were confident we could come back’: Hawks rally for 41-30 victory at Johnston

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The Ankeny wrestling team won four of the last five matches to post a 41-30 victory at Johnston on Thursday night. The Hawks defeated Johnston in a dual meet for the first time since the 2022-23 season opener. They had finished nine points behind the Dragons while placing sixth on Saturday in the Frank Baltzley Invitational, which was held in the same … [Read more...] about ‘We were confident we could come back’: Hawks rally for 41-30 victory at Johnston

‘It was not fun to go through’: Ankeny boys struggle offensively in 61-46 loss to Rams

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After getting off to an impressive 3-0 start, the Ankeny boys' basketball team has suffered back-to-back losses on its home court. Friday's 66-59 loss to an unbeaten Waukee squad was disappointing, but hardly a cause for concern. Tuesday's 61-46 defeat at the hands of Southeast Polk was more puzzling. "It was one of those situations," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘It was not fun to go through’: Ankeny boys struggle offensively in 61-46 loss to Rams

‘We’re hungry this year’: Hawkettes move up to No. 3 in 5A after defeating S.E. Polk

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The target on their backs is only going to get bigger for the Ankeny girls' basketball players. The Hawkettes moved up one spot to No. 3 in the latest Class 5A rankings after posting a 52-38 victory over visiting Southeast Polk on Tuesday. It is the program's highest ranking since the community of Ankeny split into two high schools in 2013. "Every game … [Read more...] about ‘We’re hungry this year’: Hawkettes move up to No. 3 in 5A after defeating S.E. Polk

Pearson, Smith combine for 3 victories in Ankeny’s loss to No. 5 Valley swimmers

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Despite two wins from Bryer Pearson and another from Jake Smith, the eighth-ranked Ankeny boys' swimming team dropped a 95-75 decision to No. 5 Valley on Tuesday at Trail Point Aquatics Center. The Tigers won eight of the 11 events to improve to 2-0 in the CIML Conference and 7-2-1 overall. Ankeny's records dropped to 0-2 and 4-6. "We battled a very … [Read more...] about Pearson, Smith combine for 3 victories in Ankeny’s loss to No. 5 Valley swimmers

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Ryleigh Egeberg, Ankeny wrestling

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Junior Ryleigh Egeberg helped the Ankeny wrestling team to a 40-28 victory at Ankeny Centennial in a CIML Conference dual meet on Thursday. He recorded a fall over Wes Schroder at 190 pounds to give his squad a 34-25 lead with just two matches left. Egeberg then placed fifth in the Frank Baltzley Invitational on Saturday at Johnston, where he helped the … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Ryleigh Egeberg, Ankeny wrestling

Hawks place 6th at Baltzley Invite behind champion Walsh, while Jaguars finish 13th

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It didn't take long for Ankeny wrestler Ben Walsh to get into midseason form. After making his season debut two nights earlier, the fifth-ranked Walsh cruised to the 126-pound title in the Frank Baltzley Invitational on Saturday at Johnston. He posted a 10-3 decision over Lou Elsten of Lawrence (Kan.) in the title match. "Sometimes when you have a kid … [Read more...] about Hawks place 6th at Baltzley Invite behind champion Walsh, while Jaguars finish 13th

‘Tonight we learned a lot’: Hawks suffer first loss as Waukee boys control 2nd half

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) By the end of the night, it was guaranteed that the CIML Conference was going to have one fewer undefeated boys' basketball team at the top of the league standings. A second-half cold streak for Ankeny opened the door for visiting Waukee to come away with a 66-59 win on Friday as the Hawks suffered their first loss of the … [Read more...] about ‘Tonight we learned a lot’: Hawks suffer first loss as Waukee boys control 2nd half

Williams reaches 1,000-point mark, leads Hawkettes to victory over No. 13 Waukee

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Over the past couple of years, Jayla Williams has been the engine that’s kept the Ankeny girls' basketball team moving. The senior guard and future Creighton Bluejay checked off a major milestone while guiding the fourth-ranked Hawkettes to a 56-48 home win over No. 13 Waukee on Friday night. Williams scored a game-high … [Read more...] about Williams reaches 1,000-point mark, leads Hawkettes to victory over No. 13 Waukee

Dowling Catholic bowling teams sweep Ankeny squads in meet at Val Lanes

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The Ankeny girls' bowling team posted a season-high score of 1,988 during Thursday's dual meet against Dowling Catholic at Val Lanes. It wasn't enough to produce a victory, though. The Maroons finished with a total of 2,235 to improve to 1-2 in the CIML Conference and 2-2 overall, while Ankeny's records fell to 0-3 and 0-4. Olivia Harris bowled a 334 … [Read more...] about Dowling Catholic bowling teams sweep Ankeny squads in meet at Val Lanes

‘We’re heading in right direction’: Hawks top Centennial for 2nd consecutive year

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With two of their stalwarts back in the lineup, the Ankeny wrestlers defeated their crosstown rival for the second consecutive year. The Hawks traveled across town to Ankeny Centennial on Thursday and posted a 40-28 victory, getting a pair of pins from returning state placewinners Ben Walsh and Calvin Rathjen. "It was nice having both Ben and Calvin … [Read more...] about ‘We’re heading in right direction’: Hawks top Centennial for 2nd consecutive year

Hawks use late run to defeat Johnston, stay 1 of 4 unbeaten teams in conference

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Ankeny boys' basketball coach Brandt Carlson knows that every game on the road in the CIML Conference is going to be a grind. Fortunately, he appears to have a team capable of winning in tough environments. The Hawks used a late 13-5 run to post a 63-58 victory at Johnston on Tuesday. There were 15 lead changes and six ties in the seesaw … [Read more...] about Hawks use late run to defeat Johnston, stay 1 of 4 unbeaten teams in conference

‘Johnston keeps coming at you’: No. 1 Dragons surge past Ankeny girls, 74-51

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It's not often that a high school basketball team can take some positives away from a 23-point loss. But that was the case on Tuesday for the sixth-ranked Ankeny girls' squad, which held a lead midway through the second quarter at No. 1 Johnston before the Dragons rallied for a 74-51 victory. "That was where we expected to be," said Ankeny coach Nate … [Read more...] about ‘Johnston keeps coming at you’: No. 1 Dragons surge past Ankeny girls, 74-51

Ankeny swimmers roll to 136-32 victory over Grinnell at one of state’s best pools

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The Ankeny boys' swimming team cruised to a 136-32 victory over Grinnell in a non-conference meet on Tuesday at the Grinnell College Natatorium. Ankeny won all 11 events while raising its overall record to 4-5. The Tigers dropped to 6-4. "It was awesome to be at one of the best pools in the state of Iowa!" said Ankeny coach Dustin Rhoads. "We were able … [Read more...] about Ankeny swimmers roll to 136-32 victory over Grinnell at one of state’s best pools