Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Winter

‘That’s a tough formula to win’: Hawks shoot 4-of-19 inside arc, fall to Johnston

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) They might’ve been down, but at no point did the Ankeny boys' basketball players ever feel they were out of it. The Hawks clawed their way back from several deficits during Tuesday's matchup against unbeaten Johnston, but just couldn’t get over the hump as they dropped to 1-2 on the season with a 59-49 home … [Read more...] about ‘That’s a tough formula to win’: Hawks shoot 4-of-19 inside arc, fall to Johnston

No. 1 Johnston girls extend their winning streak to 30 games with victory at Ankeny

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny girls' basketball team is getting some big tests in December, and none was bigger than Tuesday night's. The seventh-ranked Hawkettes were tasked with trying to snap the 29-game winning streak of reigning Class 5A state champion Johnston, but a large deficit in the first quarter ended those hopes as the No. 1 … [Read more...] about No. 1 Johnston girls extend their winning streak to 30 games with victory at Ankeny

‘We had a good night’: Ankeny swimmers romp to 132-38 victory over Indianola

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The Ankeny boys' swimming team cruised to a 132-38 victory over visiting Indianola in a non-conference dual meet on Tuesday at Trail Point Aquatics Center. The Hawks won nine of the 11 events to even their overall record at 1-1. They swept the top three places in six individual events and took the two places in all three relays. "We had a good night … [Read more...] about ‘We had a good night’: Ankeny swimmers romp to 132-38 victory over Indianola

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Luke Anderson, Ankeny boys’ basketball

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Senior guard Luke Anderson scored all seven of his points in the second half as the Ankeny boys' basketball team rallied to beat visiting Ankeny Centennial, 58-48, on Friday. His 3-point goal with 6 minutes 4 seconds left broke a 41-41 tie and put the Hawks ahead for good. Anderson is averaging 8.5 points and 2.0 assists per game. He had 10 points in the … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Luke Anderson, Ankeny boys’ basketball

Vandermark, Dhabolt capture titles while Jaguars claim team crown at Young Invite

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After nearly winning the tournament a year ago, the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers dominated the Keith Young Invitational on Saturday at Cedar Falls. The Jaguars advanced five wrestlers to the finals, crowned two individual champions, and cruised to the team title with 189.5 points. North Scott was a distant second in the 15-team field with 169. "I … [Read more...] about Vandermark, Dhabolt capture titles while Jaguars claim team crown at Young Invite

Walsh, Folkers lead Ankeny wrestling team to 11th-place finish at Donnybrook

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall wanted to test his wrestlers by competing in the Dan Gable Donnybrook on Friday and Saturday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. The challenge was as tough as he expected. The Hawks placed 11th in the 38-team field with 187 points. They had four top-10 finishers. "It was a huge challenge," said Wignall. "Our upper … [Read more...] about Walsh, Folkers lead Ankeny wrestling team to 11th-place finish at Donnybrook

‘I just think we executed better’: Aguirre, Hawks rally past Centennial in 2nd half

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team didn't panic when it fell behind at halftime, 28-23, against its visiting archrival on Friday. The Hawks knew there was still plenty of time to make a comeback. Rio Aguirre scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half and Ankeny dominated the final 16 minutes of the game to post a 58-48 victory over Ankeny … [Read more...] about ‘I just think we executed better’: Aguirre, Hawks rally past Centennial in 2nd half

‘I thought we showed some maturity’: Jaguars hand Ankeny girls their first loss

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It wasn't difficult for Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball coach Scott DeJong to get the attention of his players following Tuesday's overtime loss to Waukee Northwest. The fifth-ranked Jaguars responded on Friday with a 44-33 victory at No. 7 Ankeny in a CIML Conference matchup. It was Centennial's third straight win in the series after dropping two of … [Read more...] about ‘I thought we showed some maturity’: Jaguars hand Ankeny girls their first loss

‘We knew this would be a challenge’: Hawk swimmers fall at Waukee by 1 point

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Thursday's CIML Conference dual meet at the Waukee Natatorium came down to the final event. In the end, Waukee won the 400 freestyle relay and also got a third-place finish from its "B" unit to edge visiting Ankeny, 85.5-84.5, in the boys' swimming matchup. "It was tough to lose this meet that way as we were ahead the entire way up until the final … [Read more...] about ‘We knew this would be a challenge’: Hawk swimmers fall at Waukee by 1 point

‘That was huge’: Smith’s fall helps Jaguars open season with 40-39 win over Wolves

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With a 34-28 lead through the first 11 matches on Thursday, the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers were in position to knock off fifth-ranked Waukee Northwest in their season opener. However, the visiting Wolves had a trio of ranked wrestlers lined up for the final three matches, meaning that Centennial needed to pull off an upset in order to win the CIML … [Read more...] about ‘That was huge’: Smith’s fall helps Jaguars open season with 40-39 win over Wolves

‘I saw what I wanted to see’: Ankeny wrestlers thump Valley in opener, 53-19

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) From the start of the very first practice to late February, everything is done with the plan to succeed by the time the state wrestling tournament arrives. The Ankeny wrestling team is already prepping for February as the Hawks found big success in their first of three days of competition this week with a season-opening … [Read more...] about ‘I saw what I wanted to see’: Ankeny wrestlers thump Valley in opener, 53-19

Ankeny girls’ bowling squad tops J-Hawks by 57 pins, while boys’ team drops opener

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The Ankeny bowling teams came away with a split in their season opener against Urbandale on Thursday at Game Day Lanes. The girls' squad defeated the J-Hawks by a score of 2,155 to 2,098 in the CIML Conference dual meet. Johanna Shaw led the way with a two-game series of 349. Olivia Harris bowled a 309, Savannah Dye had a 280, Kali Ogg rolled a 248, … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls’ bowling squad tops J-Hawks by 57 pins, while boys’ team drops opener

Aguirre pours in 30 points, but Valley uses late run to seal 76-65 victory in opener

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) There’s nothing like opening up the season with a bang, and the Ankeny boys' basketball team had just that. Powered by a career-high 30-point outing from junior guard Rio Aguirre, the new-look Hawks went out on the road and nearly knocked off two-time reigning Class 4A state champion Valley, but were outlasted in the home … [Read more...] about Aguirre pours in 30 points, but Valley uses late run to seal 76-65 victory in opener

‘I’m having a lot of fun’: Baldwin helps Hawkettes past Des Moines Christian

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It's been a smooth transition onto the Ankeny girls' basketball team for former Valley player Reagan Baldwin. The junior forward scored nine points on Monday to help the eighth-ranked Hawkettes to a 50-36 victory in a non-conference game at Des Moines Christian. "I'm having a lot of fun playing with everyone," said Baldwin. Baldwin has averaged nine … [Read more...] about ‘I’m having a lot of fun’: Baldwin helps Hawkettes past Des Moines Christian

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Finn Stukerjurgen, Ankeny boys’ swimming

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Senior Finn Stukerjurgen is a five-time state qualifier for the Ankeny boys' swimming team. He helped the Hawks to a third-place finish in the season-opening Sprint Invitational on Tuesday at Trail Point Aquatics Center. Stukerjurgen placed fifth in the 100 individual medley with a time of 56.76 seconds and finished third in the 50 backstroke in 26.01. He … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Finn Stukerjurgen, Ankeny boys’ swimming

‘We are very excited to get this season rolling!’: Hawks return 6 state qualifiers

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The strength of the Ankeny wrestling team will be at the lower weights. The Hawks return six of their nine state qualifiers from a year ago, and five of them competed at the five lowest weights. "I think that we have several guys on our team that can win state titles, like our three placewinners and potentially some others as well," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘We are very excited to get this season rolling!’: Hawks return 6 state qualifiers

‘Our focus is to be tough’: Jaguars return 5 state qualifiers from 3A’s 4th-place team

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There are plenty of reasons for optimism in the Ankeny Centennial wrestling room. The Jaguars return five state qualifiers from one of the best teams in school history, including a pair of placewinners in Max Dhabolt and Cale Vandermark. The other returning qualifiers are Isaac Bruhl, Andrew Roland and Ethan Sodergren. "The practices are going … [Read more...] about ‘Our focus is to be tough’: Jaguars return 5 state qualifiers from 3A’s 4th-place team

‘We have a competitive group of guys’: Hawks seek to continue winning tradition

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A year ago, then-sophomore Rio Aguirre proved to be a solid third scoring option for the Ankeny boys' basketball team. Now, following the graduation of his brother Lio and all-state guard Carson Johnson, Aguirre will likely become the Hawks' go-to player. "I think Rio understands his role and the importance of having great teammates," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘We have a competitive group of guys’: Hawks seek to continue winning tradition