Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Boys' Wrestling

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

by

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

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

by

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

by

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

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

by

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

Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers hoping to get healthy for Jag vs. Hawk showdown

by

With the Jag-Hawk wrestling dual meet coming up on Thursday at Ankeny Centennial, both teams are still trying to get to full strength. It's been a rough start to the season for the Jaguars, who placed 14th among 15 teams in the Keith Young Invitational on Saturday at Cedar Falls. Defending state champion Max Dhabolt has yet to wrestle, and neither have … [Read more...] about Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers hoping to get healthy for Jag vs. Hawk showdown

‘Our kids showed a lot of heart’: Hawks drop 37-31 decision to Valley in opener

by

The Ankeny wrestling team closed out Thursday's season-opening dual meet against visiting CIML Conference rival Valley with four consecutive wins, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 24-point deficit and the Tigers held on for a 37-31 victory. Valley avenged a 53-19 loss in last year's opener. The Hawks wrestled without two of their five returning state … [Read more...] about ‘Our kids showed a lot of heart’: Hawks drop 37-31 decision to Valley in opener

‘I want to win a state dual championship’: Wignall sets lofty goal for Hawk wrestlers

by

Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall is setting a huge goal for the Hawks this season. "I told the kids I want to win a state dual championship," said Wignall. "If we can't talk about it and set the bar high, then we will never do it. We talked about that the very first day of practice." Wignall's team posted a 17-6 dual record a year ago, including a … [Read more...] about ‘I want to win a state dual championship’: Wignall sets lofty goal for Hawk wrestlers

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kash Johnson, Ankeny wrestling

by

Sophomore Kash Johnson helped the Ankeny wrestling team to a 12th-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament last week at Wells Fargo Arena. The Hawks scored a total of 80.5 points. Johnson was one of four placewinners for the squad, earning an eighth-place finish at 150 pounds. He finished the season with a 26-19 record. Here is some inside info on … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kash Johnson, Ankeny wrestling

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

by

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

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

Here are Class 3A state tournament pairings for Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers

by

The Class 3A state wrestling tournament gets under way on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Here are the first- and second-round matchups for all of the Ankeny qualifiers (with seeds and records listed): 106: No. 24 Eddie Salgado (21-18) vs. No. 9 Chase Miller, Cedar Falls (27-8); The winner will face No. 8 Oliver Lange, Valley … [Read more...] about Here are Class 3A state tournament pairings for Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers

Jaguars capture district crown, qualify 9 wrestlers for Class 3A state tournament

by

The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers came away with a Class 3A district team title on Saturday for the second year in a row. The Jaguars qualified nine wrestlers for the state tournament while racking up 208.5 points in the district meet at Fort Dodge. The host Dodgers, who are ranked sixth in Class 3A, placed second in the eight-team field with 189 … [Read more...] about Jaguars capture district crown, qualify 9 wrestlers for Class 3A state tournament