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Rathjen tops Edwards in 1 vs. 2 showdown, but Hawks fall to Johnston

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Thursday's wrestling dual meet between Ankeny and visiting Johnston featured a matchup between the state's top two wrestlers in Class 3A at 138 pounds according to The Predicament. And fans didn't have to wait long to see the showdown. In the opening match of the CIML Central Conference dual, Ankeny's top-ranked Caleb Rathjen gave up an early takedown … [Read more...] about Rathjen tops Edwards in 1 vs. 2 showdown, but Hawks fall to Johnston

Former Nebraska star Brandt headed to National Women’s Soccer League

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Ankeny native Meg Brandt has always wanted to play professional soccer. That dream became a reality on Thursday. The former Nebraska star is headed to the National Women's Soccer League. Reign FC traded for the seventh pick in the fourth round of the draft, then used that pick to select Brandt. She was the 34th overall selection in the 2020 NWSL … [Read more...] about Former Nebraska star Brandt headed to National Women’s Soccer League

‘We’re just really proud of these guys’: Hawks stun Johnston with huge rally

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It's been a memorable season thus far for the Ankeny boys' basketball team. Nobody knows what lies ahead, but it's going to be difficult for the Hawks to top the last 72 hours. Just two days after knocking off seventh-ranked Dowling Catholic, Ankeny hit the road again on Thursday and rallied from a 19-point deficit in the second half to post an 80-74 … [Read more...] about ‘We’re just really proud of these guys’: Hawks stun Johnston with huge rally

Hawkettes respond to coach’s challenge, but rally falls short at No. 2 Johnston

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Ankeny girls' basketball coach Dru McAnelly issued a challenge to his players on Thursday. The Hawkettes responded in a big way. After trailing by 36-18 at halftime, Ankeny pulled within five points of second-ranked Johnston with about 5 minutes left to play before the host Dragons held on for a 70-60 victory. The outcome was a big improvement for … [Read more...] about Hawkettes respond to coach’s challenge, but rally falls short at No. 2 Johnston

Centennial wrestlers pummel Ames, Roosevelt for pair of lopsided victories

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers competed in a double dual meet against Ames and Des Moines Roosevelt on Thursday at Ames. The Jaguars, who are sixth in the Class 3A dual rankings by The Predicament, overwhelmed both of their opponents. Centennial began the night with a 62-12 victory over the Little Cyclones in a CIML Central Conference dual. The … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers pummel Ames, Roosevelt for pair of lopsided victories

Hawks move into tie for first place in CIML Central Conference

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team moved into a tie for first place in the CIML Central Conference on Thursday. And the Hawks did it in thrilling fashion. Ankeny rallied from a 19-point deficit in the second half to post an 80-74 victory at Johnston. Braxton Bayless poured in a career-high 30 points and had two huge steals in the final 30 seconds that … [Read more...] about Hawks move into tie for first place in CIML Central Conference

McDermott’s 3-pointers in OT lift No. 3 Dragons past Centennial girls

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Even without one of its best players, the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team was in position to pull off an upset over visiting Johnston on Tuesday. But the 10th-ranked Jaguars couldn't seal the victory. Johnston's Maya McDermott made back-to-back 3-point goals in overtime to turn a three-point deficit into a three-point lead, and the No. 3 … [Read more...] about McDermott’s 3-pointers in OT lift No. 3 Dragons past Centennial girls

‘It was a great battle’: Hawks build big lead, then hold on to beat Dowling

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Despite its 7-1 start, the Ankeny boys' basketball team had yet to defeat a top-10 opponent. Now, the Hawks have done just that. Ankeny made 13-of-22 attempts from 3-point range (59.1 percent) and posted a 77-73 victory at seventh-ranked Dowling Catholic on Tuesday. The Hawks avenged last month's 64-54 loss to Dowling while snapping the Maroons' … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great battle’: Hawks build big lead, then hold on to beat Dowling

Jaguars roll past Johnston behind Crews’ fast start, rebounding advantage

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For the first 8 minutes of Tuesday's game against visiting Johnston, Jaron Crews was clearly in the zone. The junior point guard poured in 18 points in the first quarter and went on to finish with 23 as the fifth-ranked Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team cruised to a 78-55 victory over the Dragons. "I was just letting the game come to me," said … [Read more...] about Jaguars roll past Johnston behind Crews’ fast start, rebounding advantage

‘We’ve just got to flush it’: Hawkettes suffer their worst loss under McAnelly

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It was just one of those nights for the Ankeny girls' basketball team. The Hawkettes fell into a 26-4 hole at the end of the first quarter during Tuesday's game at fourth-ranked Dowling Catholic. They never recovered after that and eventually dropped a 77-27 decision. It was Ankeny's worst loss under coach Dru McAnelly and was the Hawkettes' worst … [Read more...] about ‘We’ve just got to flush it’: Hawkettes suffer their worst loss under McAnelly

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Owen Vernon, Ankeny Centennial wrestling

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Junior Owen Vernon is a member of the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team. He has helped the sixth-ranked Jaguars to a 13-3 dual record. "Owen has filled in at 182 pounds even though he is a 160-pounder," said Centennial coach Jay Groth. "He has had success on the mat and been valuable in helping us win the Dallas Center-Grimes Invitational and other duals, … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Owen Vernon, Ankeny Centennial wrestling

Hawk swimmers celebrate their seniors while dominating Fort Dodge

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There wasn't much suspense during Tuesday's boys' swimming dual meet between Ankeny and Fort Dodge at Trail Point Aquatics Center. The second-ranked Hawks won every event and rolled to a 138-32 victory in the non-conference matchup. With the outcome never in doubt, Tuesday's meet was an opportunity to celebrate Ankeny's four seniors. Marcus Garcilazo, … [Read more...] about Hawk swimmers celebrate their seniors while dominating Fort Dodge

Doruska sets school record with 511 series in Hawks’ loss at Ottumwa

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A school-record performance by sophomore Aidan Doruska wasn't enough to lift the Ankeny boys' bowling team to a victory on Tuesday. Doruska bowled a 511 series during a non-conference dual meet against Ottumwa at Champion Bowl, but the Bulldogs still emerged with the win by a score of 3,020 to 2,915. The Ottumwa boys' team was coming off its first loss of … [Read more...] about Doruska sets school record with 511 series in Hawks’ loss at Ottumwa

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Braxton Bayless, Ankeny boys’ basketball

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Senior guard Braxton Bayless has helped the Ankeny boys' basketball team to a 7-1 record. The Hawks are undefeated in their last four games since Bayless rejoined the lineup on Dec. 17. Bayless is averaging a team-high 21.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He is shooting 60.7 percent from the field (34-of-56) and 37.5 percent from 3-point range … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Braxton Bayless, Ankeny boys’ basketball

Jag-Hawk basketball doubleheader rescheduled for Jan. 20

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The Jag-Hawk basketball doubleheader that was supposed to be played on Friday at Ankeny Centennial has been rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 20. The girls' game will be played at 5:30 p.m., with the boys' contest to follow at 7. The Centennial teams will now host three games in a five-day span next week. The Jaguars will host a non-conference game against Des … [Read more...] about Jag-Hawk basketball doubleheader rescheduled for Jan. 20

Strai(gh)t-shooting ex-Jaguar helps Truman State to strong start on court

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After starting just one game as a freshman, former Ankeny Centennial star Hunter Strait has become a fixture in the Truman State men's basketball starting lineup. Strait, a sophomore guard, has started all 13 games this season while helping the Bulldogs to an 8-5 record, including a 4-1 mark in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. "The season is going … [Read more...] about Strai(gh)t-shooting ex-Jaguar helps Truman State to strong start on court

A big week ahead for CIML Central Conference basketball teams

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Mother Nature wreaked havoc on the high school basketball schedule Friday, forcing all of the teams in the CIML Central Conference to try to reschedule their games. However, the Jag-Hawk doubleheader that was supposed to be played at Ankeny Centennial has yet to be rescheduled. Dowling Catholic and Urbandale played their games on Saturday at Urbandale. … [Read more...] about A big week ahead for CIML Central Conference basketball teams

Ankeny swimmers win all 11 events, cruise to victory over No. 6 Johnston

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After nearly three weeks off, the Ankeny boys' swimming team returned to the pool on Thursday for a CIML Central Conference dual meet against visiting Johnston. The second-ranked Hawks picked up right where they left off before the holiday break. Ankeny won all 11 events and cruised to a 111-59 victory over the No. 6 Dragons at Trail Point Aquatics … [Read more...] about Ankeny swimmers win all 11 events, cruise to victory over No. 6 Johnston