Ankeny Fanatic

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Caleb Rathjen

Valley’s Oldham edges Rathjen in seesaw battle for state title

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On Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena, Caleb Rathjen was 2 minutes away from winning his first state wrestling title. Now, the Ankeny freshman will have to wait 365 days to get another shot at winning a crown. Valley's top-ranked Nick Oldham rallied in the third period to beat the second-ranked Rathjen, 10-8, in the Class 3A championship match at 113 … [Read more...] about Valley’s Oldham edges Rathjen in seesaw battle for state title

Neils earns 4th-place finish for Jaguars; Anderson takes 7th for Hawks

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Ankeny senior Spencer Anderson closed out his wrestling career in style. Ankeny Centennial sophomore Logan Neils showed that his career is just beginning to blossom. Neils earned a fourth-place finish at 160 pounds in the Class 3A state tournament on Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena. Anderson finished seventh at 132 with a 9-7 decision over 10th-ranked … [Read more...] about Neils earns 4th-place finish for Jaguars; Anderson takes 7th for Hawks

Dominating wins send Rathjen, Monroe to Saturday’s finals

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  Ankeny's Caleb Rathjen and Ankeny Centennial's Ben Monroe share at least one trait in common. They both look comfortable on Iowa's biggest wrestling stage. The duo posted dominating wins on Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena to advance to Saturday's championship matches in the Class 3A state tournament. "It feels great. It's an awesome … [Read more...] about Dominating wins send Rathjen, Monroe to Saturday’s finals

Ankeny’s Rathjen, Centennial’s Monroe earn berths in Class 3A semifinals

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Ankeny's Caleb Rathjen and Ankeny Centennial's Ben Monroe are both headed to the Class 3A semifinals of the state wrestling tournament on Friday night. The second-ranked Rathjen pinned No. 7 Jakey Penrith of Cedar Falls in 3 minutes 11 seconds in a quarterfinal match at 113 pounds on Friday morning at Wells Fargo Arena. The freshman won for the 19th time … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Rathjen, Centennial’s Monroe earn berths in Class 3A semifinals

Ankeny’s Rathjen, Anderson advance to Friday’s quarterfinals

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall didn't want to spend too much time on the mat on Thursday afternoon. Thanks to strong performances by Caleb Rathjen and Spencer Anderson, he didn't have to. Both of Ankeny's state qualifiers won their first-round matches in the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena, allowing Wignall to spend the rest of the … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Rathjen, Anderson advance to Friday’s quarterfinals

Centennial, Ankeny wrestlers boast high hopes heading into state

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Ankeny Centennial's eight state wrestling qualifiers aren't content with just making it to Wells Fargo Arena. Neither are the two qualifiers from Ankeny High School. "We're happy that we qualified, but we're not satisfied," said Centennial coach Jay Groth, whose team advanced the most wrestlers in the five-year history of the school. "We want to get up … [Read more...] about Centennial, Ankeny wrestlers boast high hopes heading into state

Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen, Spencer Anderson capture district titles, punch ticket to state

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After being placed in a tough district, Ankeny advanced only two wrestlers to this week's state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Caleb Rathjen at 113 pounds and Spencer Anderson at 132 each won an individual title for the Hawks, who placed fourth among the eight teams in a Class 3A district tournament on Saturday at Waukee. They finished with 171.5 … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen, Spencer Anderson capture district titles, punch ticket to state

No. 1 Fort Dodge wrestlers ‘flex their muscle’ in victory over Hawks

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After avenging one of its dual-meet losses, the Ankeny wrestlers were hoping to avenge another one while earning a trip to next week's state duals tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Unfortunately, top-ranked Fort Dodge had some other ideas. The Dodgers won eight of the last nine matches, all of them by falls, and rolled to a 58-18 victory over No. 17 … [Read more...] about No. 1 Fort Dodge wrestlers ‘flex their muscle’ in victory over Hawks

Big meets ahead for Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers

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Crosstown rivals Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial will see a lot of each other on the wrestling mat over the next 10 days. Both teams will compete in the Bob Sharp Invitational on Saturday at Ankeny, beginning at 10 a.m. The Jaguars will be seeking their fourth consecutive Bob Sharp title after winning last year's tournament with 194 points, while the Hawks … [Read more...] about Big meets ahead for Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Spencer Anderson, Ankeny wrestling

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Spencer Anderson is the Ankeny Fanatic prep of the week sponsored by Revive Clinic and Spa. The senior has compiled a 15-7 record at 132 pounds for the Ankeny wrestling team. Anderson placed third in the Rollin Dyer Invitational on Saturday at Atlantic, helping the Hawks to the team title. He will celebrate his 18th birthday on Jan. 16. Here is some … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Spencer Anderson, Ankeny wrestling

Hawk wrestlers off to 5-4 start, will host No. 5 Valley Thursday

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall is anxious to get the second half of the season under way. The Hawks, who will host fifth-ranked Valley on Thursday, finished 2017 with a 5-4 dual-meet record. Three of their four losses came to opponents ranked in the top five of the Iowa Wrestling Coaches Association dual team rankings. "We were ready for a break," … [Read more...] about Hawk wrestlers off to 5-4 start, will host No. 5 Valley Thursday