In the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America, publisher Dan Holm interviews head coach Dustin Roland and freshman Nora Bockes of the Ankeny girls' wrestling team. Coldwell Banker realtor Ronda Dix also makes an appearance. … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 212
Wrestling
CLEVELAND ROCKS: Ankeny junior takes 4th, becomes program’s 1st placewinner
Ankeny wrestler Dana Cleveland didn't let a disappointing loss in Thursday's quarterfinals prevent her from becoming the first state placewinner in girls' program history. The junior responded by winning three of four matches on Friday to earn a fourth-place finish at 135 pounds in the inaugural girls' tournament at the Xtream Arena in Coralville. "It … [Read more...] about CLEVELAND ROCKS: Ankeny junior takes 4th, becomes program’s 1st placewinner
‘This tournament was hard for us’: Only 1 Ankeny wrestler remains alive at state
The opening rounds of the inaugural girls' state wrestling tournament drew an overflow crowd on Thursday to the Xtream Arena in Coralville. Ankeny started the day with eight state qualifiers, but four of them were eliminated during the first session after losing their first two matches. Three more of the team's qualifiers were eliminated during the … [Read more...] about ‘This tournament was hard for us’: Only 1 Ankeny wrestler remains alive at state
Pairings announced for girls’ state tourney; Ankeny duo earns top-5 seeds
The pairings have been announced for the inaugural girls' state wrestling tournament on Thursday and Friday at the Xtream Arena in Coralville. Eight Ankeny wrestlers qualified for the tournament by placing among the top four finishers in a super regional on Friday at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. Only three schools had more qualifiers than … [Read more...] about Pairings announced for girls’ state tourney; Ankeny duo earns top-5 seeds
Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Elyse Engebretson, Ankeny girls’ wrestling
Sophomore Elyse Engebretson is one of eight state qualifiers for the Ankeny girls' wrestling team. She helped lead the squad to a runner-up finish in a regional tournament on Friday at the Iowa Events Center. Engebretson pinned all three of her opponents to win the 115-pound title. In the finals, she recorded a fall over Jasmine Oleson of Cedar Falls in 1 … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Elyse Engebretson, Ankeny girls’ wrestling
Ankeny advances 2 champions, 6 other qualifiers to girls’ state wrestling tourney
Friday was another historic day for the Ankeny girls' wrestling program. Competing in a regional tournament at the Iowa Events Center, Ankeny placed second in the 25-team field and qualified eight of its wrestlers for the first girls' state tournament next week at Xtream Arena in Coralville. "It was a great day!" said Ankeny coach Dustin Roland. "We … [Read more...] about Ankeny advances 2 champions, 6 other qualifiers to girls’ state wrestling tourney
Ankeny girls rack up 26 pins, crown 5 champs en route to CIML team title
During the regular season, the Ankeny girls' wrestling team went undefeated against the other schools in the CIML Conference. On Tuesday, Ankeny defeated those teams again to win the CIML individual tournament at Valley. It crowned five champions and racked up 230 points, 13 more than runner-up Raccoon River Northwest. Southeast Polk placed third in … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls rack up 26 pins, crown 5 champs en route to CIML team title
Engebretson, Bishop win titles, lead Ankeny to team crown at Sharp Invite
Ankeny girls' wrestling coach Dustin Roland was happy with his team's first-place finish in the Bob Sharp Invitational on Saturday at Southview Middle School. But he still wants more from his squad. "It wasn't our best outing, but we were able to edge Mason City for the team title," Roland said. "We won most of the matches we should have, but dropped … [Read more...] about Engebretson, Bishop win titles, lead Ankeny to team crown at Sharp Invite
Ankeny girls rout Urbandale, then edge Rams to claim league dual-meet crown
Chalk up another accomplishment for the Ankeny girls' wrestling program in its inaugural season. Ankeny wrapped up the CIML Conference dual-meet championship with a pair of wins over Urbandale and host Southeast Polk on Tuesday. Coach Dustin Roland's team rolled to a 72-6 victory over the J-Hawks, then followed with a 42-34 win over the Rams. Ankeny … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls rout Urbandale, then edge Rams to claim league dual-meet crown
‘This was a great test for our girls’: Five Ankeny wrestlers claim titles at Nevada
Five Ankeny girls captured individual titles on Thursday at the Nevada wrestling scramble. Third-ranked Dana Cleveland at 135 pounds was among Ankeny's champions. She raised her record to 22-3 on the season. Other individual winners were Elyse Engebretson at 115 (19-5), Trudy Haag at 120 (19-4), Josie Bishop at 190 (19-12) and Melanie Martinez at 235 … [Read more...] about ‘This was a great test for our girls’: Five Ankeny wrestlers claim titles at Nevada
‘Our girls continue to impress’: Ankeny extends winning streak to 10 matches
The Ankeny girls' wrestling team doesn't look like a first-year varsity program to most outside observers. Ankeny extended its dual-meet winning streak to 10 matches by defeating a pair of opponents on Tuesday at West Marshall. Coach Dustin Roland's team rolled to a 70-6 victory over Marshalltown and a 57-24 win over the host Trojans. Ankeny raised its … [Read more...] about ‘Our girls continue to impress’: Ankeny extends winning streak to 10 matches
Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Gia Blaser, Ankeny girls’ wrestling
Senior Gia Blaser of the Ankeny girls' wrestling team currently boasts a 20-6 record. She ranks second on the squad in wins behind Nora Bockes, who is 21-4. Blaser started the season at 145 pounds, but has since dropped down to 140. She placed second in the Raccoon River tournament on Dec. 17 at Adel. Here is some inside info on Blaser: How is the … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Gia Blaser, Ankeny girls’ wrestling
Ankeny girls roll to 72-6 victory over Johnston, improve overall record to 8-2
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 girls crown 6 champs at Adel, claim first tourney title in program history
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 was a very inspiring performance’: Ankeny girls pin loss on Raccoon River
It hasn't taken long for the Ankeny girls' wrestling program to establish an identity during its inaugural season. It's a team that can overcome some adversity. On Tuesday at Johnston, Ankeny moved a step closer toward the CIML Conference dual-meet title with a 57-24 victory over Raccoon River. Coach Dustin Roland's squad prevailed despite the absence … [Read more...] about ‘It was a very inspiring performance’: Ankeny girls pin loss on Raccoon River
Ankeny girls place 6th at Saydel tourney behind champs Salgado, Martinez
The Ankeny girls' wrestling team placed sixth in the Saydel tournament on Monday. A total of 17 squads competed. Ankeny entered 13 wrestlers, many of them junior varsity competitors. "Most of the other schools were varsity squads," said Ankeny assistant coach Olivia Willers. "We had some great individual performances, but overall we were a little flat. … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls place 6th at Saydel tourney behind champs Salgado, Martinez
Ankeny girls’ wrestling team posts 5-0 mark, captures Centennial Duals title
While the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team earned the title at the Centennial Duals on Saturday, the Ankeny girls' wrestling squad was just as dominant on an adjoining mat. Ankeny easily won the girls' portion of the duals tournament, defeating its five opponents by an average margin of 41.6 points. Coach Dustin Roland's team opened with a 51-24 victory … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls’ wrestling team posts 5-0 mark, captures Centennial Duals title
‘Our depth showed in this tournament’: Ankeny girls take 5th at Donnybrook
The Ankeny girls' wrestling team emerged from the two-day Dan Gable Donnybrook with a fifth-place finish. Even if the girls didn't know it right away. Ankeny racked up 288 points in the prestigious tournament on Thursday and Friday at the Xtream Arena in Coralville. The event featured 30 teams from across the Midwest. Lebanon (Mo.) won the … [Read more...] about ‘Our depth showed in this tournament’: Ankeny girls take 5th at Donnybrook
Ankeny girls roll past Valley for their first dual-meet victory in program history
It's been a season of firsts for the Ankeny girls' wrestling team. Now, the first-year program has chalked up another milestone. Ankeny recorded six pins, won five other matches by forfeit and rolled to a 72-6 victory over visiting Valley in its CIML Conference opener on Tuesday. It was the first dual-meet win for the team, which improved to 1-2 … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls roll past Valley for their first dual-meet victory in program history
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 205
In the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America, publisher Dan Holm interviews Ankeny girls' wrestling coach Dustin Roland and two of his team's top wrestlers, senior Avery Grim and junior Dana Cleveland, about the squad's inaugural season. … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 205