Ankeny Fanatic

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‘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

NIACC’s Pippett named ICCAC player of the week for 2nd time in her career

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Jackie Pippett enjoyed some memorable moments during her high school basketball career at Ankeny Centennial. She's had quite a few at the collegiate level, too. For the second time in her career, Pippett has been named the ICCAC women's basketball player of the week. A sophomore post player at North Iowa Area Community College, she earned the weekly … [Read more...] about NIACC’s Pippett named ICCAC player of the week for 2nd time in her career

Wisconsin standout Robinson earns AVCA all-American honors for 2nd time

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Former Ankeny Centennial volleyball star Devyn Robinson is now a two-time all-American. Robinson, a redshirt junior at Wisconsin, has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) third team. She was joined on the squad by a pair of teammates, Sarah Franklin and Danielle Hart. The 6-foot-3 right-side hitter also earned third-team … [Read more...] about Wisconsin standout Robinson earns AVCA all-American honors for 2nd time

Murray takes her game to another level, scores career-high 17 points for Griffons

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Cleao Murray is making a rapid adjustment to the NCAA Division II level. The former Ankeny Centennial guard scored a career-high 17 points on Saturday as the Missouri Western women's basketball team lost to visiting Fort Hays State, 64-58, in a rematch of last year's NCAA Central Region championship. The true freshman made 7-of-11 shots from the … [Read more...] about Murray takes her game to another level, scores career-high 17 points for Griffons

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

‘We kept battling back’: Jaguars’ upset bid falls short against No. 2 Johnston

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Ankeny Centennial's Averi Porter was hoping to celebrate her birthday with a huge victory. Unfortunately, the Jaguars' upset bid came up just short. The second-ranked Johnston girls' basketball team scored the game's final seven points and escaped with a 46-40 win at No. 6 Centennial on Tuesday. The defending Class 5A state champion Dragons extended … [Read more...] about ‘We kept battling back’: Jaguars’ upset bid falls short against No. 2 Johnston

Hawkettes protect their home court with victory over No. 5 Waukee Northwest

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Ankeny girls' basketball coach Dru McAnelly didn't have much time to prepare for Tuesday's opponent following Monday's win over Indianola. It turns out he had to scrap many of his plans anyway. Fifth-ranked Waukee Northwest visited No. 10 Ankeny for a CIML Conference game, and the Wolves were without leading scorer Sadie Maas. The junior forward, who … [Read more...] about Hawkettes protect their home court with victory over No. 5 Waukee Northwest

‘It was a rough night’: Ankeny boys score just 29 points in loss to No. 1 Wolves

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It's time for the Ankeny boys' basketball team to regroup. After losing to Indianola on Monday, the Hawks suffered another defeat on their home court Tuesday, dropping a 60-29 decision to top-ranked Waukee Northwest in a CIML Conference game. While the Wolves shot 55.3 percent from the field (26-of-47), Ankeny struggled mightily to score all night. The … [Read more...] about ‘It was a rough night’: Ankeny boys score just 29 points in loss to No. 1 Wolves

‘It was a very inspiring performance’: Ankeny girls pin loss on Raccoon River

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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

Ex-Ankeny player Drea leads No. 7 Indianola to 62-55 victory over Hawks

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A former teammate earned some revenge against the Ankeny boys' basketball squad on Monday. Brayden Drea, who started all 20 games for the Hawks as a sophomore two years ago, scored 21 points to lead visiting Indianola to a 62-55 victory in a non-conference game. The Indians, who are tied for seventh in the Class 4A rankings with three other teams, avenged … [Read more...] about Ex-Ankeny player Drea leads No. 7 Indianola to 62-55 victory over Hawks

‘We were ready to play from the jump!’: Ankeny girls romp past Indianola

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A year ago, the Ankeny girls' basketball team trailed by nine points at halftime and went on to suffer a 54-47 loss at Indianola. The Hawkettes were determined to get off to a better start in Monday's rematch. Tenth-ranked Ankeny jumped out to a 13-2 lead in the non-conference game and cruised to a 76-41 victory over visiting Indianola, the No. 10 … [Read more...] about ‘We were ready to play from the jump!’: Ankeny girls romp past Indianola

Ankeny girls place 6th at Saydel tourney behind champs Salgado, Martinez

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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

Swanepoel places 6th in 100 butterfly at Speedo Winter Junior Championships

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Senior Lance Swanepoel will be back in the lineup for the Ankeny boys' swimming team this week after competing in the 2022 Speedo Winter Junior Championships last weekend in Austin, Texas. Swanepoel placed sixth in the 100 butterfly on Friday in 47.33 seconds. That's nearly a full second faster than the time he posted to win last year's state title … [Read more...] about Swanepoel places 6th in 100 butterfly at Speedo Winter Junior Championships

Hawk matmen advance 5 to finals, crown 2 champs, place 3rd at Baltzley Invite

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Saturday's Frank Baltzley Invitational at Johnston featured many of the top wrestling teams in Class 3A. Ninth-ranked Ankeny proved that it belongs among the state's elite squads. The Hawks crowned two individual champions and placed third in the 14-team field with 179.5 points. They finished nine points ahead of No. 1 Waverly-Shell Rock, the defending … [Read more...] about Hawk matmen advance 5 to finals, crown 2 champs, place 3rd at Baltzley Invite

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Cael Wiener, Ankeny Centennial wrestling

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Senior Cael Wiener helped the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers to the championship of the Centennial Duals on Saturday. The Jaguars won the tournament for the sixth straight time. Wiener, who is ranked 11th in Class 3A at 138 pounds, won all five of his matches on the day--recording three falls and a pair of major decisions. He raised his record to … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Cael Wiener, Ankeny Centennial wrestling

Ankeny girls’ wrestling team posts 5-0 mark, captures Centennial Duals title

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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