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‘They bowled amazing’: S.E. Polk teams sweep dual meet against Ankeny

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There was no home lanes advantage for the Ankeny bowling teams on Tuesday at Great Escape. Both Ankeny squads were soundly defeated in a CIML Conference dual meet by Southeast Polk, which also uses Great Escape as its home venue. "It was a rough day for both teams," said Ankeny coach Lane Richtsmeier. "We just ran into a buzzsaw." The Rams won the … [Read more...] about ‘They bowled amazing’: S.E. Polk teams sweep dual meet against Ankeny

IN THE ZONE: Winkel scores career-high 30, leads No. 4 Jaguars past Ankeny boys

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It's been a dream season thus far for Luke Winkel and the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team. On Tuesday night, it only got better. Winkel poured in a career-high 30 points and the fourth-ranked Jaguars pulled away in the second half for a 65-46 victory at Ankeny. The win allowed Centennial to take a 10-9 lead in the all-time series and avenged … [Read more...] about IN THE ZONE: Winkel scores career-high 30, leads No. 4 Jaguars past Ankeny boys

‘We have to fight’: Jaguars seek mental toughness after losing to Valley, S.E. Polk

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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

Motivated Jaguars dominate boards, roll past Ankeny to avenge last year’s loss

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Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball coach Scott DeJong didn't have to remind his players what happened the last time the Jaguars played at crosstown rival Ankeny. Last February, the Hawkettes posted a 49-45 victory to defeat Centennial for the first time ever. "That was definitely some extra motivation," Centennial senior Averi Porter said after the … [Read more...] about Motivated Jaguars dominate boards, roll past Ankeny to avenge last year’s loss

Hawk swimmers tumble to No. 2 Ames, despite Swanepoel’s pair of pool records

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The fourth-ranked Ankeny boys' swimming team dropped a 108-62 decision at No. 2 Ames in a non-conference dual meet on Tuesday. The Little Cyclones won nine of the 11 events, including all three relays. The Hawks dropped to 0-3-1 on the season. "Our team did pretty well," said Ankeny assistant coach Steve Jones, who is directing the team during the … [Read more...] about Hawk swimmers tumble to No. 2 Ames, despite Swanepoel’s pair of pool records

Ankeny girls roll to 72-6 victory over Johnston, improve overall record to 8-2

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The Ankeny girls' wrestling team will take an 8-2 record into the holiday break, including a 3-0 mark in the CIML Conference. Ankeny rolled to a 72-6 victory over Johnston on Tuesday at Urbandale. Only three of the matches were contested. "They were very limited in numbers," Ankeny coach Dustin Roland said of the Dragons. Ankeny got a fall from Nora … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls roll to 72-6 victory over Johnston, improve overall record to 8-2

Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Jag-Hawk basketball showdowns

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The Jag-Hawk basketball rivalry will resume on Tuesday night at Ankeny, where all four teams will be looking to build some momentum heading into the holiday break. While the girls' all-time series has been dominated by Centennial, the boys' series has been a back-and-forth affair that is now tied at nine wins apiece. Both the Hawks and Jaguars have won as … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Jag-Hawk basketball showdowns

Bruhl leads Jaguars to runner-up finish, named most outstanding wrestler

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A strong performance in the Don Miller Invitational led to an enjoyable trip home from Fort Dodge for the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers on Saturday. Only one thing would have made it even better. "If we beat Fort Dodge, it would have been a really good day," said Centennial coach Jay Groth. "So we had a pretty good day." The fifth-ranked Dodgers won … [Read more...] about Bruhl leads Jaguars to runner-up finish, named most outstanding wrestler

Ankeny girls crown 6 champs at Adel, claim first tourney title in program history

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Saturday was another historic day for the fledgling Ankeny girls' wrestling team. Ankeny crowned six individual champions and captured the first tournament title in program history by winning the Raccoon River Invitational at Adel. The team racked up 222 points. Raccoon River was second in the eight-team event with 178 points. It had lost to Ankeny in … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls crown 6 champs at Adel, claim first tourney title in program history

‘It felt so good to finally get a win’: Ankeny swimmers capture Little Hawk Invite title

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The Ankeny boys' swimming team won only two events but came away with the overall crown in the Little Hawk Invitational on Saturday at the Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City. The fourth-ranked Hawks racked up 373 points in the seven-team meet. No. 3 Pleasant Valley was second with 331.5, edging No. 8 Iowa City West by three points for the runner-up … [Read more...] about ‘It felt so good to finally get a win’: Ankeny swimmers capture Little Hawk Invite title

‘Upper Iowa really stood out to me’: Churchman to play for Peacocks

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Ankeny Centennial baseball standout Damin Churchman has verbally committed to play for Upper Iowa. Churchman said he looked at many schools before choosing the Peacocks. "Most of them were in state," he said. "But Upper Iowa really stood out to me. I felt a quick bond with the coaching staff, and ultimately the way they run their baseball program and … [Read more...] about ‘Upper Iowa really stood out to me’: Churchman to play for Peacocks

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

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Junior guard Luke Winkel has helped the third-ranked Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team to a 5-1 record, including a 4-1 mark in the CIML Conference. He scored nine points on Friday as the Jaguars suffered their first loss of the season at No. 4 Waukee, where they nearly overcame an 18-point deficit before dropping a 55-52 decision. Winkel is … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Luke Winkel, Centennial boys’ basketball

‘It was a great team effort’: Jaguars nearly pull off miraculous rally at No. 4 Waukee

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball players walked off the court Friday with their heads held high. The third-ranked Jaguars suffered their first loss of the season, but nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback at No. 4 Waukee. After trailing by as many as 18 points, Centennial twice closed to within two points in the fourth quarter before the … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great team effort’: Jaguars nearly pull off miraculous rally at No. 4 Waukee

Crawford, Centennial girls get off to fast start, cruise to road victory at Waukee

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team led from start to finish en route to a 48-29 victory on Friday at Waukee. The eighth-ranked Jaguars jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and held a 27-19 advantage at halftime. The No. 12 Warriors couldn't rally in the second half, when they scored just 10 points. "We definitely wanted to get out … [Read more...] about Crawford, Centennial girls get off to fast start, cruise to road victory at Waukee

‘We knew we could win this dual’: Hawks beat Jaguars, maintain bragging rights

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The Ankeny wrestling team was confident going into Thursday's dual meet against its crosstown rival. But Ankeny coach Jack Wignall made sure that the sixth-ranked Hawks weren't too confident. "You've seen it in football. It's the game within the game," Wignall said. "You just never know, and Jay (Groth) is a good wrestling coach who knows how to win … [Read more...] about ‘We knew we could win this dual’: Hawks beat Jaguars, maintain bragging rights

Swanepoel returns, but Valley sets 4 pool records and tops Ankeny swimmers

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On paper, Thursday's dual meet between the fifth-ranked Ankeny boys' swimming team and No. 4 Valley appeared to be a toss-up. The two squads entered the CIML Conference matchup separated by just four points in the latest power rankings of the state's top teams. In the end, though, host Valley dominated the meet, winning seven of the 11 events and … [Read more...] about Swanepoel returns, but Valley sets 4 pool records and tops Ankeny swimmers

Ankeny girls’ bowling team edges Ames, surpasses win total from last season

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The Ankeny girls' bowling team has already surpassed its win total from last season. The Hawkettes defeated host Ames in a non-conference meet on Tuesday at Perfect Games. They won by a score of 1,828 to 1,805 to improve to 2-0 overall. The Ankeny girls' squad struggled to a 1-11 mark a year ago. Kali Ogg bowled a 334 series to lead the Hawkettes, … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls’ bowling team edges Ames, surpasses win total from last season

‘We just found a way’: Centennial boys survive double OT thriller vs. Johnston

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Bob Fontana exhaled in his office after his Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team survived a double-overtime thriller. "It was definitely a war," Fontana said after the third-ranked Jaguars escaped with a 63-60 victory over visiting Johnston on Tuesday. "Look at how close last Friday's game (at Valley) was--it was tied with a minute to go. Tonight, it … [Read more...] about ‘We just found a way’: Centennial boys survive double OT thriller vs. Johnston

JAG-HAWK PREVIEW: Crosstown rivals battle for mat supremacy on Thursday

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Due to some technical issues, we were not able to post this week's Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America that previewed Thursday night's Jag-Hawk wrestling dual. However, here are the highlights from publisher Dan Holm's interviews with Coldwell Banker realtor Tiffany Rumelhart, Ankeny assistant coach Austin Anderson, Ankeny … [Read more...] about JAG-HAWK PREVIEW: Crosstown rivals battle for mat supremacy on Thursday