Despite the windy conditions, Tuesday's Fred Smith Hawk Relays produced some outstanding performances. In the end, the top six teams in the 11-team field were separated by just 24 points. Indianola and Waukee tied for the team title with 85 points apiece. Ankeny Centennial placed third with 80 points. The Jaguars were followed by North Polk with 68 … [Read more...] about Jaguars place 3rd overall at Hawk Relays; Ankeny boys finish 6th
Cael Cox
Ankeny’s Cox chooses Central College over Simpson, Grand View
Ankeny wrestling standout Cael Cox has committed to Central College. Cox announced his decision via Twitter on Wednesday. "After lots of time and consideration, I'm pumped to announce I will be part of the Central College wrestling team!" Cox tweeted. "This opportunity would not be possible without my family, teammates, and incredible coaches. Go … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Cox chooses Central College over Simpson, Grand View
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 126
Publisher Dan Holm recaps state wrestling and previews the girls' state basketball tournament in the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America. State champion Trever Anderson and Cael Cox of Ankeny joined Carter Cahill of Ankeny Centennial for the wrestling portion of the podcast, then Centennial coach Scott … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 126
‘Everyone knew we were capable of this’: Hawk wrestlers move into 4th place
The Ankeny wrestling team has moved into fourth place in the Class 3A state tournament heading into Saturday night's finals. The eighth-ranked Hawks got fourth-place finishes from Cael Cox and Cade Bennethum during the consolation finals on Saturday. Jace Anderson added a seventh-place finish, while Ben Hansen took eighth. Ankeny now has 92.5 points, … [Read more...] about ‘Everyone knew we were capable of this’: Hawk wrestlers move into 4th place
Hawks flex their muscles, move into 5th place in Class 3A team standings
Caleb Rathjen isn't talking to reporters, but he and the rest of the Ankeny wrestlers are doing plenty of talking on the mat. Rathjen and Trever Anderson both advanced to Saturday's championship round, Cael Cox and Cade Bennethum each won consolation matches to earn a top-six finish, and the eighth-ranked Hawks moved into fifth place in the Class 3A state … [Read more...] about Hawks flex their muscles, move into 5th place in Class 3A team standings
Maihan, Cox, Rathjen capture titles; Hawks finish 4th at Bob Sharp Invite
Saturday's Bob Sharp Invitational provided the Ankeny wrestlers with an opportunity to build some momentum heading into the final month of the season. Several of the Hawks took advantage of it. Fnu Maihan, Cael Cox and Caleb Rathjen each won an individual title as seventh-ranked Ankeny placed fourth in its own 13-team tournament. The Hawks finished … [Read more...] about Maihan, Cox, Rathjen capture titles; Hawks finish 4th at Bob Sharp Invite
‘One of my top accomplishments’: Ankeny’s Cox reaches 100-win milestone
Ankeny wrestler Cael Cox reached a milestone on Tuesday during the Hawks' double dual meet at Waukee. Cox, who is ranked fifth at 126 pounds in Class 3A, posted a 6-3 decision over No. 3 Connor Kelley of Waukee to earn his 100th career victory. "The key to beating Kelley was getting to my offense," Cox said. "My coaches have stressed the importance of … [Read more...] about ‘One of my top accomplishments’: Ankeny’s Cox reaches 100-win milestone
Centennial boys place 9th at state, earn highest finish in school history
Gabriel Vicker had yet to see the results from the boys' Class 4A state cross country meet. But the Ankeny Centennial senior was pretty confident that his team had reached its goal. "Our team's goal was top 10, and we're really hoping we got that," said Vicker. "I saw the guys finish in a pretty close pack that wasn't too far behind me, so we're hoping … [Read more...] about Centennial boys place 9th at state, earn highest finish in school history
Hawkettes advance to state for first time since 2016; Cox also qualifies for Hawks
The Ankeny girls' cross country team is headed to the state meet for the first time since 2016. The Hawkettes will be joined in Fort Dodge by Cael Cox of the Ankeny boys' squad, who also advanced as an individual with a 15th-place finish in a Class 4A district meet on Wednesday at Marshalltown. However, the Hawks came up three points short of … [Read more...] about Hawkettes advance to state for first time since 2016; Cox also qualifies for Hawks
Jags earn 1st conference title in school history; Ankeny places 3rd behind Cox
Prior to this season, the Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team had never finished higher than fourth at a conference meet. That's why winning the CIML Iowa Conference title was such a huge goal for the Jaguars. Mission accomplished. Eleventh-ranked Centennial placed five runners in the top 10 and easily won the league crown on Thursday at the … [Read more...] about Jags earn 1st conference title in school history; Ankeny places 3rd behind Cox
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 109
Check out the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America. Ankeny Fanatic publisher Dan Holm interviews boys' cross country standouts Cael Cox of Ankeny and Gabriel Vicker of Ankeny Centennial about the progress of their teams and looks ahead to the last few weeks of the season. … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 109
Ankeny cross country teams continue to make progress at S.E. Polk Invitational
The Ankeny cross country teams took a step forward Thursday as the calendar turned to October. Even senior Lauren McMahon, who suffered her first loss of the season, was happy with her second-place finish at the Southeast Polk Invitational. "I had so much fun at the race tonight," said McMahon, who finished 6 seconds behind Carlisle standout Ainsley … [Read more...] about Ankeny cross country teams continue to make progress at S.E. Polk Invitational
McMahon stays unbeaten, leads Ankeny girls to their first team crown since 2015
Lauren McMahon was in the seventh grade the last time that the Ankeny girls' cross country team captured an invitational title. On Thursday, the senior led the way as the Hawkettes ended that drought. McMahon raced to her third consecutive victory this season and Ankeny won the B Division of the Rich Engel Classic at Cedar Falls. The Hawkettes earned … [Read more...] about McMahon stays unbeaten, leads Ankeny girls to their first team crown since 2015
Vicker, Jaguars race to easy victories in season opener on DMACC course
The Ankeny Centennial boys' cross country team was 15th in the Class 4A preseason rankings. The Jaguars may have been underrated by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. Centennial opened its season on Thursday with an impressive victory over four other teams at DMACC. The meet was part of the Kirk Schmaltz Invitational that was hosted by Ames. The … [Read more...] about Vicker, Jaguars race to easy victories in season opener on DMACC course
‘I went back and got the best thing I could’: Anderson earns 3rd-place medal
It took Ankeny's Trever Anderson a little while to recover from his semifinal loss in the Class 3A state wrestling tournament on Friday. The top-ranked sophomore dropped a 5-2 decision to No. 4 Ryder Downey of Indianola, ending his bid for a second straight title. "At first my mindset was that I failed a lot," said Anderson. "I failed myself and a lot … [Read more...] about ‘I went back and got the best thing I could’: Anderson earns 3rd-place medal
Hawks rack up 4 falls in opening round, sit in 12th place heading into Friday
The Ankeny wrestling team stormed through the opening round of the Class 3A state tournament on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena. The sixth-ranked Hawks advanced four of their five qualifiers to Friday's quarterfinals, and all four of them recorded falls. "It's kind of what I hoped for and what I expected out of those four guys," said Ankeny coach Jack … [Read more...] about Hawks rack up 4 falls in opening round, sit in 12th place heading into Friday
Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Cael Cox, Ankeny wrestling
Ankeny junior Cael Cox won a Class 3A district title at 120 pounds on Saturday to qualify for this week's state wrestling tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. He helped the Hawks to a second-place finish in the district at Dallas Center-Grimes. The 10th-ranked Cox posted a 5-3 decision over No. 8 Logan Stotts of Valley in the finals. He raised his record to … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Cael Cox, Ankeny wrestling
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 75
Check out the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by the Ankeny office of Iowa Realty. Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall and two of his top wrestlers, Sam Kallem and Cael Cox, stopped by to preview Thursday's Jag-Hawk dual with Ankeny Fanatic publisher Dan Holm, who also interviewed Ankeny Centennial senior Jackson Bresson and … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 75
Hawk wrestlers rout Roosevelt, then slip past Carlisle
The Ankeny wrestling team closed out the regular season on Thursday with a pair of victories in a double dual meet at Des Moines Roosevelt. The Hawks rolled to a 73-3 win over Roosevelt before posting a 42-32 triumph over Carlisle. They raised their record to 10-8 on the season. "It was a long night," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall. "Some of our guys … [Read more...] about Hawk wrestlers rout Roosevelt, then slip past Carlisle
Neils captures CIML wrestling title, leads Jaguars to fifth-place finish
Logan Neils made some history on Friday in the CIML Invitational at Southeast Polk. The 160-pound sophomore became the first Ankeny Centennial wrestler in the school's brief history to capture an individual conference title. After pinning his first three opponents, the fifth-ranked Neils posted a 3-0 decision over seventh-ranked Levi Egli of Fort Dodge in … [Read more...] about Neils captures CIML wrestling title, leads Jaguars to fifth-place finish