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
Featured
Ankeny girls’ bowling team edges Ames, surpasses win total from last season
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Hawk matmen advance 5 to finals, crown 2 champs, place 3rd at Baltzley Invite
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
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
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
‘We took care of business’: Centennial girls rebound from loss to beat Ames
The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team bounced back from Friday's loss at Valley with a 65-25 victory at Ames in a non-conference game on Saturday. The sixth-ranked Jaguars raised their record to 6-2. The Little Cyclones dropped to 1-5. "We had a knockdown, dragout game on Friday so we were a little slow at the beginning, but we took care of … [Read more...] about ‘We took care of business’: Centennial girls rebound from loss to beat Ames
Jaguars edge Carlisle, claim Centennial Duals crown for 6th straight time
The Ankeny Centennial wrestling team wasn't tested on Saturday until its final match at the Centennial Duals. The Jaguars easily defeated their first four opponents before edging Carlisle, 31-29, in the championship match. They won the tournament for the sixth straight time. "We wrestled well," said Centennial coach Jay Groth, whose team is now 11-0 on … [Read more...] about Jaguars edge Carlisle, claim Centennial Duals crown for 6th straight time
Jaguars hold Ames scoreless in 2nd quarter, stay unbeaten with road victory
During the preseason, Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball coach Bob Fontana said that his team needed to defend better than it did a year ago. The Jaguars received his message. On Saturday, Centennial traveled to Ames for a non-conference game and used a strong defensive effort to post a 46-34 victory over the Little Cyclones. The Jaguars held the … [Read more...] about Jaguars hold Ames scoreless in 2nd quarter, stay unbeaten with road victory
Ankeny boys pull away in 2nd half, hand defending champions their 1st loss
The Harrison Barnes Gym at Ames' new high school could become a tough place to play for opposing basketball teams. That wasn't the case on Friday for the Ankeny boys' squad. The visiting Hawks pulled away in the second half for a 64-50 victory over Ames in a non-conference game. The defending Class 4A state champion Little Cyclones (2-1) suffered their … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys pull away in 2nd half, hand defending champions their 1st loss
Ex-Jaguar Phipps leaves Drake, will transfer to Colorado Christian University
Former Ankeny Centennial basketball star Maggie Phipps is transferring from Drake to Colorado Christian University. Phipps, a sophomore guard, said she decided to enter the transfer portal after thinking about it for several months. "It was a very tough decision that I have been praying about since last February," said Phipps. "I know many people may … [Read more...] about Ex-Jaguar Phipps leaves Drake, will transfer to Colorado Christian University
Hawkettes rout Ames, set school record for most points in five-player game
Coming off a pair of tough losses, the Ankeny girls' basketball team needed a little bit of a break. The Hawkettes' schedule provided one on Friday. Tenth-ranked Ankeny made 11-of-16 3-point shots and rolled to a 96-37 victory at Ames in a non-conference game. The Hawkettes set a school record for the most points in a five-player game, breaking the … [Read more...] about Hawkettes rout Ames, set school record for most points in five-player game