Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Cole Rathjen

Hawk wrestlers crown 3 district champs, qualify 3 others for state tourney

by

A year ago, the Ankeny wrestling team advanced just two wrestlers to the state tournament. In 2017, Ben Schiltz was the Hawks' lone qualifier in Class 3A. That's why Ankeny coach Jack Wignall was so excited after his team advanced six wrestlers to this year's tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. The seventh-ranked Hawks placed second in a district … [Read more...] about Hawk wrestlers crown 3 district champs, qualify 3 others for state tourney

Hawks’ new lineup produces 5 pins, but Johnston holds on for 35-34 victory

by

Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall unveiled a new lineup on Thursday at Johnston. Despite producing five falls and a major decision, the Hawks didn't do quite enough to pull out a victory. Johnston, the No. 13 team in the Class 3A dual rankings, won eight of the 14 matches to edge No. 18 Ankeny, 35-34. The Dragons sealed the win when Harrison Pauley … [Read more...] about Hawks’ new lineup produces 5 pins, but Johnston holds on for 35-34 victory

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

by

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

Neils captures CIML wrestling title, leads Jaguars to fifth-place finish

by

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

‘Rivalry Week’ continues: A closer look at Thursday’s Ankeny vs. Centennial dual

by

Saturday's Bob Sharp Invitational wrestling tournament was just the beginning of what Colin Honderd calls "Rivalry Week". The fifth-ranked Honderd won an individual title at 182 pounds to help Ankeny Centennial to the team crown for the fourth straight year. The Jaguars finished with 217.5 points, while host Ankeny placed third in the 10-team field with … [Read more...] about ‘Rivalry Week’ continues: A closer look at Thursday’s Ankeny vs. Centennial dual

Hawks win Atlantic tournament; Kallem named most outstanding wrestler

by

The Ankeny wrestlers needed a strong performance in the final round of the Rollin Dyer Invitational on Saturday to come away with the team title. And that's exactly what they got. The Hawks won 11 of their last 14 matches and racked up 234.5 points to edge Sergeant Bluff-Luton, which had 231 points, for the crown. The tournament was held at … [Read more...] about Hawks win Atlantic tournament; Kallem named most outstanding wrestler

Hawks fall to No. 4 Valley despite thrilling wins from Green, Cole Rathjen

by

The Ankeny wrestling team is still seeking that breakthrough victory. The Hawks battled fourth-ranked Valley down to the wire before dropping a 38-29 decision in a CIML Central Conference dual meet on Thursday at Ankeny. "I thought the kids wrestled with a lot of heart tonight and that's been pretty typical," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall, whose team … [Read more...] about Hawks fall to No. 4 Valley despite thrilling wins from Green, Cole Rathjen