Ankeny Fanatic

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‘The whole team was motivated to swim fast’: Ankeny routs Johnston on Sr. Night

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The seniors on the Ankeny boys' swimming team celebrated their special night with a dominating victory. Eighth-ranked Ankeny won all 11 events and rolled to a 132-38 victory over No. 16 Johnston on Thursday at Trail Point Aquatics Center. It was Senior Night for coach Dustin Rhoads' team, which improved to 1-2 in the CIML Conference and 5-6 overall. … [Read more...] about ‘The whole team was motivated to swim fast’: Ankeny routs Johnston on Sr. Night

‘They were pretty jacked’: Ankeny boys’ bowling squad snaps long losing streak

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The drought has ended for the Ankeny boys' bowling team. The squad defeated visiting Johnston in a CIML Conference dual meet on Thursday at B-Roll Bowling. They won by a score of 2,225 to 2,071 to end a streak of 26 consecutive losses. "I believe that was their first win in three years," said Ankeny coach Adam Booth. "They were pretty jacked." The … [Read more...] about ‘They were pretty jacked’: Ankeny boys’ bowling squad snaps long losing streak

‘We need to get tougher’: Jaguars tumble to 0-4 with 57-15 loss to No. 2 Dowling

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It’s safe to say that the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers haven’t seen the start to the season that they were hoping for. The Jaguars have been struggling in a battle with injuries and have now dropped their first four CIML Conference duals of the season  after Dowling Catholic handed them a 57-15 defeat on Thursday at … [Read more...] about ‘We need to get tougher’: Jaguars tumble to 0-4 with 57-15 loss to No. 2 Dowling

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

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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

‘It was not fun to go through’: Ankeny boys struggle offensively in 61-46 loss to Rams

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After getting off to an impressive 3-0 start, the Ankeny boys' basketball team has suffered back-to-back losses on its home court. Friday's 66-59 loss to an unbeaten Waukee squad was disappointing, but hardly a cause for concern. Tuesday's 61-46 defeat at the hands of Southeast Polk was more puzzling. "It was one of those situations," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘It was not fun to go through’: Ankeny boys struggle offensively in 61-46 loss to Rams

‘We’re hungry this year’: Hawkettes move up to No. 3 in 5A after defeating S.E. Polk

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The target on their backs is only going to get bigger for the Ankeny girls' basketball players. The Hawkettes moved up one spot to No. 3 in the latest Class 5A rankings after posting a 52-38 victory over visiting Southeast Polk on Tuesday. It is the program's highest ranking since the community of Ankeny split into two high schools in 2013. "Every game … [Read more...] about ‘We’re hungry this year’: Hawkettes move up to No. 3 in 5A after defeating S.E. Polk

Ankeny girls’ wrestling team rolls to wins over N. Polk, Des Moines Public Schools

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The Ankeny girls' wrestling team dropped only one match while defeating a pair of opponents in a double dual meet on Tuesday at Northview Middle School. Fourth-ranked Ankeny rolled to an 84-0 victory over North Polk before following with a 78-6 win over Des Moines Public Schools to raise its overall record to 11-2. DMPS also lost to Ankeny by the same … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls’ wrestling team rolls to wins over N. Polk, Des Moines Public Schools

Pearson, Smith combine for 3 victories in Ankeny’s loss to No. 5 Valley swimmers

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Despite two wins from Bryer Pearson and another from Jake Smith, the eighth-ranked Ankeny boys' swimming team dropped a 95-75 decision to No. 5 Valley on Tuesday at Trail Point Aquatics Center. The Tigers won eight of the 11 events to improve to 2-0 in the CIML Conference and 7-2-1 overall. Ankeny's records dropped to 0-2 and 4-6. "We battled a very … [Read more...] about Pearson, Smith combine for 3 victories in Ankeny’s loss to No. 5 Valley swimmers

‘We’ve got a lot of work to do’: Jags build 34-3 lead before Urbandale rallies to win

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers still have a lot of work to do. The eighth-ranked Jaguars appeared to be on the verge of their first dual-meet victory on Tuesday, when they built a 34-3 advantage through the first eight matches at Urbandale. But the J-Hawks then mounted a huge rally, sweeping the last six weights to post a 39-34 win. "We got pinned … [Read more...] about ‘We’ve got a lot of work to do’: Jags build 34-3 lead before Urbandale rallies to win

Heckenlaible, Billikens reach College Cup for 17th time before falling to NC State

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In the span of seven days, former Ankeny Centennial soccer standout Andrew Heckenlaible experienced both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. After helping St. Louis to a stunning 3-2 win at Akron in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship on Dec. 6, Heckenlaible saw his sophomore season come to an end on Friday, when the Billikens dropped a … [Read more...] about Heckenlaible, Billikens reach College Cup for 17th time before falling to NC State

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

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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

‘I truly believe it’s the perfect fit for me’: Centennial’s Gray to play for MSU Mankato

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Junior defender Kenna Gray of Ankeny Centennial has verbally committed to play soccer for Minnesota State University in Mankato. The Mavericks reached the second round of this year's NCAA Division II tournament before losing to Washburn in penalty kicks. Last year, MSU was the national runner-up. Former Centennial star Courtney Kovacs completed her … [Read more...] about ‘I truly believe it’s the perfect fit for me’: Centennial’s Gray to play for MSU Mankato

Ex-Ankeny QB Kohl re-enters transfer portal after one year at Appalachian State

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Former Ankeny star JJ Kohl has re-entered the transfer portal. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound quarterback passed for 1,465 yards and 12 touchdowns while helping Appalachian State to a 5-7 record this season. He played in eight games and started six of the last eight. Kohl led the Mountaineers to a 27-23 victory over Oregon State in his first collegiate start … [Read more...] about Ex-Ankeny QB Kohl re-enters transfer portal after one year at Appalachian State

‘I was so devastated hearing the news’: Elbow surgery will end Bratland’s season

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The Ankeny girls' wrestling team will have to chase the Class 2A state championship without its best wrestler. Top-ranked Hayden Bratland, the defending state champ at 140 pounds, will undergo elbow surgery on Wednesday. The junior will miss the rest of the season. "I was so devastated hearing the news," said Bratland, who was 8-0 on the year and owns … [Read more...] about ‘I was so devastated hearing the news’: Elbow surgery will end Bratland’s season

Hawks place 6th at Baltzley Invite behind champion Walsh, while Jaguars finish 13th

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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

Ankeny girls win 4th straight duals crown, improve record to 18-0 in event’s history

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The fourth-ranked Ankeny girls' wrestling team has never lost to an opponent at the Ankeny Centennial Duals. Coach Dustin Roland's squad remained perfect on Saturday at Northview Middle School, where Ankeny went 5-0 on the day to capture the title for the fourth consecutive year. The team is now 18-0 in the history of the event. Ankeny closed out the … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls win 4th straight duals crown, improve record to 18-0 in event’s history

‘Tonight we learned a lot’: Hawks suffer first loss as Waukee boys control 2nd half

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) By the end of the night, it was guaranteed that the CIML Conference was going to have one fewer undefeated boys' basketball team at the top of the league standings. A second-half cold streak for Ankeny opened the door for visiting Waukee to come away with a 66-59 win on Friday as the Hawks suffered their first loss of the … [Read more...] about ‘Tonight we learned a lot’: Hawks suffer first loss as Waukee boys control 2nd half

Williams reaches 1,000-point mark, leads Hawkettes to victory over No. 13 Waukee

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Over the past couple of years, Jayla Williams has been the engine that’s kept the Ankeny girls' basketball team moving. The senior guard and future Creighton Bluejay checked off a major milestone while guiding the fourth-ranked Hawkettes to a 56-48 home win over No. 13 Waukee on Friday night. Williams scored a game-high … [Read more...] about Williams reaches 1,000-point mark, leads Hawkettes to victory over No. 13 Waukee