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Jack Wignall

Depleted Hawks top Centennial before falling to No. 4 Mustangs in regional final

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The Ankeny wrestling team was hoping to take its best shot at qualifying for Saturday's state duals in Coralville. The 12th-ranked Hawks did just that on Tuesday night at Dallas Center-Grimes, but they did so without three of their best wrestlers. After posting a 37-28 victory over No. 21 Ankeny Centennial in a Class 3A regional dual, Ankeny then … [Read more...] about Depleted Hawks top Centennial before falling to No. 4 Mustangs in regional final

‘It was a good win’: Hawks rout Urbandale in tune-up for showdown vs. Jaguars

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The Ankeny wrestling team won nine of the 14 matches and defeated visiting Urbandale, 42-20, in its regular-season finale on Thursday. The 12th-ranked Hawks finished 4-4 in the CIML Conference and improved to 13-6 overall. They defeated No. 20 Urbandale after knocking off another league foe, No. 22 Waukee, two nights earlier. "I'm not a big fan of … [Read more...] about ‘It was a good win’: Hawks rout Urbandale in tune-up for showdown vs. Jaguars

Walsh reaches 100-victory milestone while helping Hawks to runner-up finish

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The Ankeny wrestling team earned a runner-up finish in the Bean-Smith Duals on Saturday at Iowa City High. The 11th-ranked Hawks defeated their first four opponents before dropping a 37-28 decision to No. 10 Pleasant Valley in the championship match. They are now 11-6 on the season. "I thought overall we wrestled pretty well," said Ankeny coach Jack … [Read more...] about Walsh reaches 100-victory milestone while helping Hawks to runner-up finish

‘I did not expect that’: Ankeny wrestlers tumble to No. 6 Wolves on Senior Night

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The Ankeny wrestling team was hoping to pull off an upset on its Senior Night. Visiting Waukee Northwest had other ideas. The sixth-ranked Wolves won 10 of the 14 matches and rolled to a 49-20 victory over No. 11 Ankeny on a frigid Thursday night. "I did not expect that (result)," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall. "I'm going to need a night to process … [Read more...] about ‘I did not expect that’: Ankeny wrestlers tumble to No. 6 Wolves on Senior Night

Walsh, Dobson claim crowns, lead Hawks to runner-up finish at Bob Sharp Invite

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A year ago, the Ankeny wrestling team won its own Bob Sharp Invitational with 211.5 points. The Hawks surpassed that total in Saturday's annual tournament, but they were nevertheless unable to defend their championship. Fourth-ranked Indianola crowned seven individual champs and easily captured the team title with 270 points. Ankeny took second in the … [Read more...] about Walsh, Dobson claim crowns, lead Hawks to runner-up finish at Bob Sharp Invite

‘They have some really good kids’: No. 2 Maroons defeat Ankeny wrestlers, 47-21

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Dowling Catholic's success on the football field last fall has carried over to the wrestling mat. The second-ranked Maroons won nine of the 14 matches and defeated No. 11 Ankeny, 47-21, in a CIML Conference dual meet on Thursday at Dowling. The loss dropped the Hawks' records to 2-3 in the league and 7-4 overall. Dowling was coming off a double dual on … [Read more...] about ‘They have some really good kids’: No. 2 Maroons defeat Ankeny wrestlers, 47-21

‘It’s a privilege to wrestle in this event’: Hawks place 9th at Battle of Waterloo

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The holiday break is coming at a good time for the Ankeny wrestlers. The Hawks turned in a strong performance at the Battle of Waterloo, where they defeated all three of their opponents on Saturday to win Pool 3 and place ninth overall in the 32-team field. "It's a privilege to wrestle in this event," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall, whose team improved … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a privilege to wrestle in this event’: Hawks place 9th at Battle of Waterloo

‘We were confident we could come back’: Hawks rally for 41-30 victory at Johnston

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The Ankeny wrestling team won four of the last five matches to post a 41-30 victory at Johnston on Thursday night. The Hawks defeated Johnston in a dual meet for the first time since the 2022-23 season opener. They had finished nine points behind the Dragons while placing sixth on Saturday in the Frank Baltzley Invitational, which was held in the same … [Read more...] about ‘We were confident we could come back’: Hawks rally for 41-30 victory at Johnston

Hawks place 6th at Baltzley Invite behind champion Walsh, while Jaguars finish 13th

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It didn't take long for Ankeny wrestler Ben Walsh to get into midseason form. After making his season debut two nights earlier, the fifth-ranked Walsh cruised to the 126-pound title in the Frank Baltzley Invitational on Saturday at Johnston. He posted a 10-3 decision over Lou Elsten of Lawrence (Kan.) in the title match. "Sometimes when you have a kid … [Read more...] about Hawks place 6th at Baltzley Invite behind champion Walsh, while Jaguars finish 13th

Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers hoping to get healthy for Jag vs. Hawk showdown

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With the Jag-Hawk wrestling dual meet coming up on Thursday at Ankeny Centennial, both teams are still trying to get to full strength. It's been a rough start to the season for the Jaguars, who placed 14th among 15 teams in the Keith Young Invitational on Saturday at Cedar Falls. Defending state champion Max Dhabolt has yet to wrestle, and neither have … [Read more...] about Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers hoping to get healthy for Jag vs. Hawk showdown

‘Our kids showed a lot of heart’: Hawks drop 37-31 decision to Valley in opener

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The Ankeny wrestling team closed out Thursday's season-opening dual meet against visiting CIML Conference rival Valley with four consecutive wins, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 24-point deficit and the Tigers held on for a 37-31 victory. Valley avenged a 53-19 loss in last year's opener. The Hawks wrestled without two of their five returning state … [Read more...] about ‘Our kids showed a lot of heart’: Hawks drop 37-31 decision to Valley in opener

‘I want to win a state dual championship’: Wignall sets lofty goal for Hawk wrestlers

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall is setting a huge goal for the Hawks this season. "I told the kids I want to win a state dual championship," said Wignall. "If we can't talk about it and set the bar high, then we will never do it. We talked about that the very first day of practice." Wignall's team posted a 17-6 dual record a year ago, including a … [Read more...] about ‘I want to win a state dual championship’: Wignall sets lofty goal for Hawk wrestlers

‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

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The title drought is over for the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers. In their seventh appearance in a Class 3A championship match, the Jaguars finally got an individual state championship on Saturday night courtesy of sophomore Max Dhabolt, who became the first boy in school history to capture a crown. "Oh my gosh, it's been a long time coming," said … [Read more...] about ‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

Jaguars move into 8th place, will have 4 placewinners along with Ankeny wrestlers

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Ankeny Centennial wrestling coach Jay Groth has vowed to get a tattoo the first time a Jaguar wins an individual state title. Now, it's possible that he might have to get two. Centennial's Cale Vandermark and Max Dhabolt both advanced to Saturday's championship matches by recording technical falls in the semifinal round of the Class 3A tournament on … [Read more...] about Jaguars move into 8th place, will have 4 placewinners along with Ankeny wrestlers

Hawks surge into 8th place, advance 2 to semifinals along with Centennial duo

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall was left speechless by his team's performance on Thursday morning. The Hawks won 12 of 14 matches on the second day of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena, allowing them to catapult from 15th in the team standings into eighth place with 60.5 points. They recorded seven pins and two technical falls along … [Read more...] about Hawks surge into 8th place, advance 2 to semifinals along with Centennial duo

Jaguars advance 4 wrestlers to Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ankeny duo moves on

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Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny advanced a total of six wrestlers into Thursday's quarterfinal round of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The Jaguars won eight of 13 matches on Wednesday and are currently in seventh place in the team standings with 32.5 points. They advanced second-seeded Cale Vandermark at 120 pounds, No. 6 … [Read more...] about Jaguars advance 4 wrestlers to Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ankeny duo moves on

‘I’m excited for the guys who are going’: Hawks advance 8 wrestlers to the Well

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Saturday was an up-and-down day for the Ankeny wrestling team. The Hawks placed third in a Class 3A district tournament at Marshalltown and qualified eight wrestlers for the state meet at Wells Fargo Arena, but Ankeny coach Jack Wignall was hoping for a little bit more. "We got six kids into the finals, and I was really happy with that," he said. "When … [Read more...] about ‘I’m excited for the guys who are going’: Hawks advance 8 wrestlers to the Well

Hawk wrestlers roll to win over Norwalk, then fall to No. 8 Carlisle in regional final

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The Ankeny wrestling team was in a position to advance to the state duals tournament. After the ninth-ranked Hawks posted a 36-28 victory over No. 11 Norwalk in a Class 3A regional dual on Tuesday at Carlisle, they took a 26-25 lead against No. 8 Carlisle with three matches left in the regional … [Read more...] about Hawk wrestlers roll to win over Norwalk, then fall to No. 8 Carlisle in regional final